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How to Help an Overweight Child

How to Help an Overweight Child

July 8, 2010 Updated Jul 8, 2010 at 4:03 PM EDT

It's a dilemma for many parents: You'd like your child to lose a few pounds, but you worry about hurt feelings if you bring up the topic. What should you say?

One overweight child, Maya, recently got some bad news: she is a borderline diabetic. Maya admits that she was making bad choices. At dinner, her mom would nag her about eating too much. But nagging kids to eat less or exercise more can backfire. So, what can you do instead? First, ask your child if they are ever teased because of their weight. If the answer is yes, your child may be motivated to change.

However, experts say a child won't make healthier choices unless the rest of the family does too. So, Maya's family went to a class where they all learned to eat right, exercise, and avoid diabetes. One last tip: a big way for the entire family to save calories is to drink water instead of soda.

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