America's Obesity Crisis:Advice: Word to Parents

Helping an overweight child can be a touchy matter. Here are some practical pointers from professionals

Nobody wants his kid to be fat. Aside from the serious health issues, there's the gym-class issue, the last-one-picked-for-the-team issue, the clothes-shopping issue and, alas, the meanness issue. Being an overweight kid is often painful. Other kids can be cruel; even teachers can be biased. And, let's face it, a blubbery kid is a bad reflection on the parent. It suggests too much junk food in the pantry, too much time in front of the TV and other failures of parental oversight. For a parent who also carries too many pounds, it's one more thing to feel awful about.

A child...

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