It's official - 19 per cent of five-year-olds and a third of 15-year-olds in the UK are overweight - so worryingly, there's a real danger of our children becoming obese. How can we stop it?

The first problem with obesity in children is that it's harder to pinpoint than in adults (anything over a Body Mass Index of 25). Growth spurts and different rates of development have to be considered, so it's left to the GP to rely on their instinct to judge whether a child is obese.

What are the causes?
It's true that genetics can cause obesity in some children - those with parents, brothers or sisters who are overweight may be at an increased risk of becoming overweight themselves. However, not all children with a family history of obesity will be overweight - proving that genetics only increase the likelihood of weight problems. But for the majority of children, a combination of diet, environment and lifestyle is to blame.

As a nation, we are eating fewer calories than ever but doing less exercise - and watching TV makes children so relaxed that they actually use less energy than the basic metabolic rate! When you look at our children's lifestyle today, it's not hard to see where else the problems lie - we drive them to school (because of safety fears); ready-to-eat snacks are a big part of their diet, and video games and the Internetencourage laziness and inactivity.

Health risks
The biggest health worry for overweight children is heart disease, caused by high cholesterol and high blood pressure. And if the problem isn't tackled early, the risks are carried into adulthood. Obesity is also closely linked with diabetes. In the UK, cases of Type 2 diabetes - where the body is unable to use the insulin it produces, causing high levels of blood sugar - have started to appear in overweight children, and these numbers are likely to increase. Tragically for these children, they will have the disease for life. Breathing problems or asthma are also higher in overweight children, and the risk that they will develop various orthopaedic (bone-related) problems - like hip and knee joint changes.

Weight management
It's not always easy to admit that your child is seriously overweight if you have a problem yourself. But it's important to be honest - talk things through with your doctor, who will be able to help you to tackle the problem. But here are some ideas you can try out yourself:

• Never place children on a restrictive diet to lose weight - unless your doctor thinks there is a medical reason to do so - as limiting what a child eats may be harmful to their health and interfere with their normal growth and development. It's more important to concentrate on healthy eating with reduced calorific intake - the main aim for an obese child should be weight maintenance, rather than weight-loss.
• Set realistic targets for your child - if adults find it hard to stick to too many rules, think about how tricky a child will find it!
• If the whole family could do with tackling their weight, don't make dramatic, sweeping changes to mealtimes. Building up lots of small changes will do the trick.
• Switch off the TV or computer, get out there and exercise!

Let your child know that they are loved and appreciated whatever their weight. The most important thing is that a child should be made to feel secure - they need support, acceptance and encouragement. Focus on your child's health and positive qualities, not your child's weight. Try not to make your child feel different. And watch out for the tell-tale signs of bullying - often a very sad side-effect of the problem.

For further information about nutrition contact: The Caroline Walker Trust. Tel: 01726 844107