Kids diagnosed with obesity run a higher risk of developing other conditions like type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, asthma, liver disease, and more. Being diagnosed with obesity can affect mental health, too.

If your child has risk factors for developing obesity, there are some things you can do to help while keeping their quality of life and sense of well-being high. You can start now to empower your child to create healthy lifestyle habits throughout their life.

1. Think About Lifelong Habits

Instead of focusing only on childhood, think about developing habits now that your child can take with them as they grow up. Habits like overeating and not moving their body enough can begin early in childhood. Parents have a big role in the habits their kids develop.

If you have eating habits that can lead to obesity, your children may be more likely to have those, too. You may need to demonstrate healthy eating habits for your child. Remember that you’re always their role model.

Good lifelong habits include:

• Opting out of sugary drinks
• Getting plenty of sleep every night
• Reducing screen time (including television, video games, tablets, and computers) to one or two hours each day
• Making healthy food choices like limiting processed foods and eating more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables
• Engaging in regular physical activity

Start by learning good, evidence-based information on healthy eating. The American Academy of Pediatrics website HealthyChildren.org offers reliable information for you and your family.

Helping your child develop good habits can help you develop a healthy lifestyle, too. Remember to talk about changing your lifestyle habits because you want to be healthy, rather than talking about losing weight. This can help your child feel good about their body at any size and stay focused on their overall well-being.

Developing new habits takes time. You need to be ready for roadblocks that get in the way of the habits you’re trying to develop, and make a plan for resetting if you find yourself off track. It helps if you can set aside time in your schedule to make your new habits happen. It can also help to make smaller changes over time, rather than big changes all at once.

Remember to be kind to yourself and your child as you make these changes. You’ll make mistakes and have setbacks, but that doesn’t mean you’re not headed in the right direction.

2. Use All of the Resources at Your Disposal

Remember that you’re not alone when it comes to preventing childhood obesity. While you’ll always be a major influence on your child’s life, you aren’t the only source that can support their health.

For instance, many schools teach kids about nutrition. Even if you don’t know much about healthy eating, your child may be learning about it at school. It could help reinforce the lesson if you have them teach you what they learned when they get home.

If your child isn’t in school yet, there are still other people who can help you out. Day care providers, babysitters, family members, and friends may be resources you can use to help prevent childhood obesity in your family. They may be able to help your child raise their activity level by engaging in active play, for instance.

If finances are an issue, there are also resources in your community that can make it easier to afford healthy foods. You might be able to rely on a food bank or qualify for the federal supplemental nutrition program that supports women, infants, and children (WIC). There may be community services that offer free lunches for your child during the summer.

It can take some time and focused effort to find these resources. However, you don’t have to go it alone when it comes to helping your child stay healthy.

3. Talk to Your Pediatrician

Your pediatrics team can also help you work to prevent childhood obesity. If you’re not sure which habits to prioritize, they can help you figure out what to focus on. They can also help you learn about healthy living so you can pass that knowledge to your child.

Your child’s healthcare provider can also help monitor your child’s health. They’ll use growth charts to assess your child’s weight and height and tell you if there are signs of any health problems. Regular checkups are important.

If you know your child has genetic factors or health issues that might make them more likely to develop obesity, let your pediatrician know. They may be able to help you find resources specific to your needs. They can also help you find and access the resources you need to get healthy food at affordable prices.

If your child does develop obesity or experiences significant weight gain, your pediatrician can be a resource there, too. They can help you decide how to support your child and family in making lifestyle changes for long-term health.

4. Make Changes as a Family

If you need to make changes in your home to prevent childhood obesity, do them together as a family. If you have a child living in a larger body, this approach allows them to not feel singled out. It can help everyone in the house feel healthier, not just the kids.

How you talk about these changes as a family is important. Focus on changing lifestyle habits for everyone’s long-term health, rather than discussing body changes, weight loss, or diets. Research shows that talking about foods as “always foods” or “sometimes foods” (instead of “good/healthy” or “bad/unhealthy”) leads children to have better long-term relationships with food. Labeling food as good or bad and talking negatively about bodies and weight can lead to disordered eating habits.

Changing together may help your kids feel more motivated. For instance, they may be more likely to be active when you’re all doing an activity together, like going for a walk or riding bikes. After all, they not only get to move, but they get to spend time with you. When you eat together as a family, you might also be more likely to share healthier foods.

5. Create a Healthy Home Environment

If you’re concerned about childhood obesity, it can be easy to focus too much on specific foods and minutes of exercise. Instead, focus on health around lifestyle habits. This involves ideas like:

• Talking about health and not about body weight
• Refusing to label foods as “good” or “bad”
• Talking positively about enjoying healthy food like vegetables
• Not using food or drink as rewards
• Allowing your kids to eat when they’re hungry and stop when they’re full
• Promoting slower eating
• Setting specific times for meals and snacks
• Eating together whenever you can
• Making deliberate choices about what food is available and prioritizing whole, nutritious foods
• Letting your kids see you being active
• Focusing on physical activities that your child enjoys
• Having family times, including meals, without screens
• Letting your child know that you always love them, regardless of their appearance or habits

Making these kinds of choices in your home will help your child feel good about eating well, exercising, and generally taking care of themselves. It may also help them be more resilient even if they do develop obesity. It sets them up for success in participating in self-care throughout their lives.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyObesityTeam is the social network for people with obesity and their loved ones. On MyObesityTeam, more than 56,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with obesity.

Are you concerned about childhood obesity in your family? What healthy habits has your family adopted? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.