Maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle as a child carries over to the overall health and well-being experienced later in life. As a parent, you can help your child overcome the risks of childhood obesity through the diet and activities you encourage at home.

Diet:

• Provide your child with snack options that are low in calories and high in protein. This will boost your child's energy level and minimize sugar consumption.
• Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables on hand. Offer an apple or carrot sticks in place of potato chips or high-calorie fruit snacks.
• Prepare a salad when serving dinner. This cuts down on the amount of high-calorie and fat-containing foods your child consumes during the meal.
• Offer your child natural juices and encourage water or milk as beverages in place of soda or sugary drinks throughout the day.

Activities:

• Your child mimics what he or she sees you doing. Get involved when it comes to sports or other types of physical activities.
• Encourage your child to try sports such as soccer, basketball, gymnastics, or baseball. This can be through the child's school or a community group.
• Select toys and games and get your child moving. Avoid video games or board games that fail to encourage movement.
• Limit the amount of video games and television time for your child. Parents have found that doing this can combat obesity and has even helped children do better in school or other aspects of their life.

Avoid:

• Promoting any specific dieting regimens or talk of dieting of any type. Remember calories are necessary for healthy body development and growth.
• Shaming your child due to their weight or other physical attributes.
• Pressuring children to take part in activities that cause them frustration or insecurities.