DOI: Department of Health and Human Services. Managing Overweight and Obesity in Adults. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by ODPHP or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Home Objectives and Data Browse Objectives Overweight and Obesity. Overweight and Obesity. Overview and Objectives Evidence-Based Resources.

Goal: Reduce overweight and obesity by helping people eat healthy and get physical activity. Objective Status 0 Target met or exceeded 0 Improving 4 Little or no detectable change 2 Getting worse 0 Baseline only 1 Developmental 0 Research.

Related Objectives The following is a sample of objectives related to this topic. Little or no detectable change. Getting worse. Other topics you may be interested in Diabetes Nutrition and Healthy Eating Physical Activity Pregnancy and Childbirth. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion ODPHP cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.

You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. For most very young children, the focus should be to maintain current weight, while the child grows normally in height.

The most important strategies for preventing obesity are healthy eating behaviors, regular physical activity, and reduced sedentary activity such as watching television and videotapes, and playing computer games. These preventative strategies are part of a healthy lifestyle that should be developed during early childhood.

They can be accomplished by following the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Dietary Guidelines provide general diet and lifestyle recommendations for healthy Americans ages 2 years and over not for younger children and infants.

The most recent edition of the Dietary Guidelines can be found on www. Following these guidelines can help promote health and reduce risk for chronic diseases. Parents and caregivers can help prevent childhood obesity by providing healthy meals and snacks, daily physical activity, and nutrition education.

Healthy meals and snacks provide nutrition for growing bodies while modeling healthy eating behavior and attitudes. Increased physical activity reduces health risks and helps weight management. Nutrition education helps young children develop an awareness of good nutrition and healthy eating habits for a lifetime.

Children can be encouraged to adopt healthy eating behaviors and be physically active when parents:. Four-to-6 year-olds can eat these serving sizes.

Offer 2-to-3 year-olds less, except for milk. Two-to-6 year-old children need a total of 2 servings from the milk group each day. Taken from Mealtime Memo for child care. A fact sheet for the Child and Adult Care Food Program, from the National Food Service Management Institute, The University of Mississippi.

skip to main content Your browser does not support iFrames. Navigation menu. Preventing Childhood Obesity: Tips for Parents Childhood Obesity is on the Rise The number of overweight children in the United States has increased dramatically in recent years.

Determining if a Child is Overweight Parents should not make changes to a child's diet based solely on perceptions of overweight. Helping Overweight Children Weight loss is not a good approach for most young children, since their bodies are growing and developing. Promote a Healthy Lifestyle Parents and caregivers can help prevent childhood obesity by providing healthy meals and snacks, daily physical activity, and nutrition education.

Children can be encouraged to adopt healthy eating behaviors and be physically active when parents: Focus on good health, not a certain weight goal. Teach and model healthy and positive attitudes toward food and physical activity without emphasizing body weight.

Focus on the family. Do not set overweight children apart. Involve the whole family and work to gradually change the family's physical activity and eating habits. Establish daily meal and snack times, and eating together as frequently as possible. Make a wide variety of healthful foods available based on the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children.

Determine what food is offered and when, and let the child decide whether and how much to eat. Plan sensible portions. Use the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children as a guide. What Counts as One Serving? Fats and Sweets Limit calories from these. Discourage eating meals or snacks while watching TV.

Eating in front of the TV may make it difficult to pay attention to feelings of fullness and may lead to overeating. Buy fewer high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. Help children understand that sweets and high-fat treats such as candy, cookies, or cake are not everyday foods.

Don't deprive children of occasional treats, however.