From Robin McClure,
Your Guide to Child Care.
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A. With pediatricians and health experts indicating that the rate of obesity in children is on the increase, weight control and healthy lifestyles begins with you as the parent. What can you do?

1) Encourage your child to follow an eating schedule. Don't allow him to eat at unschedules times, and minimize "grazing."

2) Encourage your child to eat in one place, such as the kitchen table. Establish an eating place for all meals and snacks, and for all members of the family.

3) Encourage your child not to do anything else while eating. Turn the TV off during mealtimes. And, watch out for the "study-and-stuff" tendency of eating while studying or reading.

4) Have your child make a list of alternative activities that can be done instead of eating. If your child is too young, ask her to state some ideas and you write them down. The list should be practical as well as enjoyable. Perhaps your child will want to draw pictures of the activities. Post the list in a prominent place...say, the refrigerator...so your child can look at it when he feels tempted to eat between meals.

5) Watch what you serve your child and select healthy choices. Beware of convenience foods loaded in calories with very little food of nutritional value. While "junk food" is okay on occasion, it should be the exception and not the rule. Children need healthy, balanced diets with low-fat vegetables, fruits, dairy and meats. Parents should also be very conscientious of what is in the food they are serving their children. Reading the labels can be very telling...and sometimes a little scary as well. In today's warnings of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and obesity, parents should be aware of food items showing corn syrup, fructose, and high fat and caloric content. Organic and health food choices are increasing in numbers across the nation as consumers desire better choices, and are another option for parents shop at to select food for their children. Most pediatricians also urge parents to serve low-fat milk at meals and water in-between. Many fruit juices (or especially the fruit-flavored drinks) are laden with high-calorie and low-nutritional value and should be consumed on special occasions or infrequently.