A healthy lifestyle requires more than eating a balanced diet and exercising daily. A Parent’s Guide to Childhood Obesity: A Road Map to Health by Dr. Sandra G. Hassink (editor-in-chief).

The following are a few suggestions:

All in the family: Parents should set a good example of healthy eating habits. Children are too smart to accept “do as I say, not as I do.” Have everyone eating and following the same healthy habits. This will keep children from feeling singled out or isolated. This will be especially important if one child is overweight. 

A watchful eye: Routinely assess your children’s eating and activity patterns and watch for excessive weight gain. A child's weight status is determined using an age- and sex-specific percentile for BMI rather than the BMI categories used for adults because children's body composition varies as they age and varies between boys and girls

To calculate body mass index on the Internet, fill in the child's height and weight at the Website http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/risk.htm

         The American Obesity Association defines those children with a BMI (Body Mass Index)

                   1.  At or above the 85th, percentile but less than the 95%, overweight

                   2.  At the 95th percentile or above, obese

An apple a day: Focus on the foods that your children are eating, rather than calories, especially when they are toddlers. Healthy food choices will promote nutritional balance. Eating meals together as a family will help establish healthy eating habits. http://www.cdc.gov/pednss/how_to/interpret_data/case_studies/overweight/what.htm

To calculate a child's body mass index manually, follow these steps:

1. 1. Multiply the child's weight in pounds by 705
2. 2. Then divide by the child's height in inches
3. 3. Divide this by the height in inches again