1. Have your child examined by a pediatrician to rule out any medical causes for the excess weight, and determine if your child can safely participate in vigorous physical activities.

2. Sit down with your whole family and talk about ways to become healthier in the new year. Be sure that you don’t single out the overweight child as the reason for the changes, but strive to make everyone feel and look better through improved diet and exercise (parents too!)

3. Go through the pantry and refrigerator and throw out all junk foods. Potato chips, pre-sweetened cereals, candy, cookies, toaster pastries, ice cream (unless sugarless), sodas that contain sugar, etc. This does not mean that you can never eat these things again; it just means that they won’t be around every day to tempt you. An occasional treat outside the home, or on special days like birthdays, is ok as long as you control portion sizes. Forbidding these items completely will just make them more desirable.

Replace the junk foods with fresh fruits and vegetables, unsweetened cereals that contain 5 grams or more of fiber (check label on side of box), whole grain breads, crackers and pasta, low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, milk and cheeses such as string cheese.

4. Limit fast food and pizza delivery to once a week. Meals prepared at home are usually lower in fat and sugar than fast food meals. Use the crock-pot or frozen, partially prepared meals instead. Include a salad with dinner every day. Drink low-fat milk or water instead of soda.

5. Try to avoid having your child come home to an empty house every day after school. If you can’t afford to pay for babysitting, check into after-school programs at the Boys & Girls Club, or trade babysitting services with a friend or neighbor. Overweight children are often teased or bullied at school by their peers, and will come home after school and eat comfort foods to make themselves feel better.

6. Get the whole family involved in some kind of physical activity daily, or at least several times a week. Take a walk after dinner, ride bikes, shoot hoops, swim, skate, jump rope, or work out to an exercise video. You will all feel better and have more energy!

7. Frequently let your child know that he is loved and cherished for his own personal qualities, regardless of his weight. Give your child opportunities to develop his own special talents to increase his self confidence.

Give your child lots of love and the environment he needs to support a healthy lifestyle, and watch him become trimmer and healthier as he grows and develops into a young adult!