Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!

In an April 15 article by Jennifer Forker of the Associated Press, the clinical director of the Wellspring weight loss program advised parents about simple yet effective ways to help their children get (and stay) active:

If you want your teens to exercise, you need to get out there with them and show how it's done.

"Parents have an incredible, powerful ability to model behavior," says Daniel Kirschenbaum, a professor at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago and clinical director of Wellspring, which provides treatment services for overweight youths and adults at several U.S. locations. ...

Kirschenbaum suggests buying an inexpensive pedometer for each member of the family.

Get one for everybody and have steps become a part of the language of the family, he says. He recommends that families work toward 10,000 steps a day, about 5 miles, which he says is double what most adults walk in a day.

"You start to look forward to ways to get steps. You park farther away" when shopping, for instance, says Kirschenbaum. "Studies show just getting a pedometer and wearing it regularly increases activity."

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As we head into the holiday season, opportunities will abound for both children and parents to indulge in a wide range of seasonal delicacies. It will also provide opportunities for parents to set examples about self-control.

In a commentary that appeared in the Nov. 11 edition of the Philadelphia Tribune, Larry Lucas, a vice president for Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, described ways that parents can promote healthy eating over holidays and throughout the new year:

Kids look to adults to set an example, and its more important than ever to be a positive role model. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 20 years, and the problem continues to grow. Fortunately, there are changes the entire family can make to help children stay healthy and fit.

DO: Add in more time for physical activity. Limit the amount of time your children are allowed to spend in front of the TV and computer and increase the time they spend moving around. This could include playing sports, dancing or going on walks. Also, encourage them to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and protein and drink plenty of water. Try making these changes a family affair -- children take cues from the adults around them, so hop on a bike and grab your kids!

DONT: Drink your calories. For example, an average 12 ounce can of soda is around 165 calories. If you drink three in a day, youve added an extra 495 calories to your diet! If your average 8-year-old is on a 1,600 calorie-a-day diet, theyve already consumed nearly 30 percent of their daily allotment in just soda alone. Set the example by avoiding these high-calorie drinks yourself -- no matter how much you crave them.

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A concerned mother recently wrote in to CNN's Expert Q&A, asking for help with her overweight daughter. Though mother and daughter walk two to three miles several times per week and follow a healthy diet plan, her daughter is still significantly overweight.

"Your goal for your daughter at this age should be geared more towards weight maintenance rather than weight loss, allowing her to grow into her weight as she ages and her height increases. If she does lose weight, the [American Academy of Pediatrics] suggests that weight loss for children aged 2-11 be no more than 1 pound per month..."

Diet and fitness expert Dr. Melina Jampolis also suggested family outings that are based around activities such as mini-golf or bowling. She also suggested limiting TV time to a maximum of two hours per day. Source: CNN

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Telling your overweight child to diet may backfire, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota.

Professor Dianne Neumark-Sztainer wanted to find out if sending parents "obesity report cards" from school did any good in helping overweight children win the battle of the bulge. Such reports are required by law in certain states.

Prof. Neumark-Sztainer used data on 300 overweight middle and high school students that had been collected by Project EAT. Sixty percent of the boys' parents and 46 percent of the girls' parents wrongly believed that their children were at their ideal weight. Of the rest of the parents who knew their children were overweight, 60 percent encouraged dieting.

Five years later Prof. Neumark-Sztainer reassessed the children. The ones who were encouraged to diet were more likely to still be overweight. The figures were 75 percent of boys whose parents encouraged dieting compared to 52 percent whose parents ignored the issue. Among girls, the figures were 66 percent compared to 44 percent.

Prof. Neumark-Sztainer believes the important thing for parents to do is to set a good example of healthy eating and appropriate exercise. She also indicated that "school obesity report cards" might be counterproductive.

Her study appears in Pediatrics.

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There's no end to the statistics or studies about the damaging effects of childhood obesity. And while most parents know they need to take an active role in helping their children be and stay healthy, they don't always know what to do. To offer some guidance, iVilliage contributing writers Sarah Barlow and William Dietz have put together a list of suggestions.

"Offer only healthy options. Parents can ask the child to choose between an apple or popcorn for a snack, not an apple or a cookie, or ask the child to choose between outside play or going to the park rather than to choose between outside play or television. When children can choose, they are less likely to view the alternative they select as unattractive."

They also remind parents how important it is to be consistent regarding the foods that are and aren't allowed. If kids know they can get their favorite junk food if they push hard enough, that's exactly what they'll do.

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When Anne M. Fletcher, M.S., R.D., researched her book on teen weight loss, Weight Loss Confidential, Fletcher discovered one strategy that proved to be the most important in loosing weight and in keeping it off:

"Without hesitation, I'd say exercise. In fact, exercise (or becoming more physically active) was the number one response when I asked the teens for their most important weight-loss strategies and for the most important things they do to keep the weight off. I was actually surprised to see how dedicated these teens are to exercisestrength training and running were the most common forms of activity. Less than a quarter of them were involved in team sports, so kids don't have to become "jocks" to be fit. The teens offer strategies for overcoming self-consciousness about exercising, getting started, and making physical activity fun."

Read more about Weight Loss Confidential.

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