Tips and strategies for controlling kids weight

-Watch what your children drink: sweet beverages pack on the pounds. Restore soda and juice drinks with water or flavored seltzers. Eight glasses of juice or soda can add 1,000 calories to your kid’s diet.

-Skip super-sized portion: children need kid-sized servings. Even too much of healthy foods can add up to more calories than they require.

-begin at the grocery store: Avoid tempting, calorie-laden treat. Try popcorn or pretzels as a substitute of chips and chocolate, Italian ices rather than full-fat ice cream.

-Don't prohibit sweets entirely: keep indulgences such as ice-cream sundaes and potato chips for special occasions so your child doesn't feel deprived.

-Incorporate physical activity into the every day routine: a game of soccer in the back yard walks along a nature trail or a family bike-riding journey.

-Show love and acceptance toward your kid despite his or her weight: Overweight children require support, approval and encouragement to feel secure and self-confident.

-In a few cases, concentrate on not gaining -- rather than losing -- weight: An suitable goal for many overweight children is to maintain their current weight while growing normally in height.

- Doctors and other health-care professionals are the best people to determine whether your kid’s weight healthy.