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Expert Solutions: Overweight KidsSparkPeople Experts Weigh In on Issues with Overweight Children Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in this country--and now it's been spilling over to our kids. Obesity among children is skyrocketing, and getting a lot of attention these days. Parents want to know how to prevent their own children from becoming overweight, and what to do when their child (or adolescent) is obese. Expert: Nicole Nichols, B.S. Ed. Health Promotion & Education, Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor Children DO adopt the habits of their parents. So, it's only natural that when two-thirds of the adult population is overweight or obese, kids are copying those same habits and following the same trend. I don't think video games, too much TV, and junk food are to blame--but when a child's example is a parent who is sedentary and a poor eater, then he'll likely mirror that behavior and end up in the same state of health as the parent. When I was a kid, my parents always sent us a consistent message about eating healthy. We hardly ever had junk food in the house, and our parents were active. My mom went to aerobics classes, and my Dad was always playing baseball, basketball, and tennis with my brother and me. When we were young kids, they placed a lot of emphasis on foods that will make us "big and strong", and kids want that--they want to grow and be like adults, so it worked a lot of the time! For children who are already overweight, I think that a weight maintenance program is best. When they are growing, parents should not restrict their calories or put them on fad diets. If parents can stop their kids from gaining more weight, they'll be in a better position to lose it once their growth spurts end. But even if only one person (parent or child) is overweight in a family, the entire family should be eating and exercising the same. Don't single out a child or parent, making her eat salad when everyone else gets pizza. The entire family should all be striving to be their best selves, and supporting the other members of the family who may have further to go.