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Far from it.

Children learn their behaviours from their parents and that extends to eating. So the first step in altering behaviour for obese children should be for parents to lead by example. Think carefully about what you eat and the way that you eat, alter your relationship with food and involve your medical practitioner if necessary. Eat when you are hungry, eat consciously and only eat until you are satisfied (not bloated!). Make junk food' an occasional treat, not a staple, and educate your children on why this is important.

The simple rule to lose weight is to use more energy than you consume. This works for adults and will work for children. Legs were made for walking and when you exercise your body releases endorphins that make you feel good. For obese people, any exercise program should be developed in consultation with your medical practitioner. Exercise doesn't have to fall into the no pain, no gain' category any movement is better than none and set goals to create a sense of achievement. To fall back on old clich, every journey starts with that first step and walking is fine. Take it easy. Get used to walking; perhaps build that up to a brisk walk, before you start running.

The experts suggest thirty minutes each day of some form of exercise is essential for healthy bones and muscles and once kids get moving it seems to spur them on to want to get more active. Kids love to play with their parents, so be creative and use your imagination to devise fun games that will give you both exercise and time to bond as a family.

Learn more about this author, Jimmy Nightingale.
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