You've noticed them at school; at the playground; in fact, everywhere, more and more children are overweight. It's a trend that's on the rise and of grave concern to me and others health professionals.

So what's the big deal you may ask? The big deal is that overweight children often become overweight adults and obesity in children has doubled over the last decade. We cannot allow this trend to continue to escalate.

Most parents have a desire to position their child's educational future. You make special arrangements to secure necessary aids to help strengthen subject matter performance, assist with the completion of special projects, arrange for college tours, etc.

Why not be just as assertive when it comes to helping our children establish healthful nutrition and physical activity regiments during childhood and early adolescence? Diet and exercise patterns adopted during these prime developmental years set the stage for life-long habits that can mean the difference between health and infirmity in later years.

If your child is overweight, or you know of a relative that is struggling in this area, here are a few intervention strategies to help you address the issue.

• Eat fewer high-fat foods and energy-dense foods that are low in nutrient value such as French fries, bacon, and doughnuts.
• Do not use calorie limits. Focus on improving eating habits by providing healthy meals and snacks.
• Never force intake limits or changes. Teach children how to control their own intake and to practice portion control. They need to eat a variety of foods that provide the nutrients their growing body needs.
• Have a regular schedule for meals and snacks. Kids need breakfast, lunch, supper and a couple of snacks. No eating or drinking at unscheduled times.
• Offer water between meals and snacks. Instead of juice, Kool-Aid, tea, or colas.
• Teach your child to eat slowly and eat to enjoy his food. Taking small bites and chewing food completely before swallowing will slow eating.
• Limit the purchase of high calorie low nutrient value foods such as cookies and chips.
• Start the day with breakfast. Breakfast fills an "empty tank" to get you going after a long night without food.
• Balance food choices—don't eat too much of one thing. You don't have to give up foods like hamburgers, French fries and ice cream to eat healthfully. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat.
• Serve more grains, fruits and vegetables. These foods give provide carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Besides, they taste good!
• Choose small portions at home and at restaurants.
• Do all eating at the table without TV, video games, computers, books, magazines, homework or newspapers.
• Get Moving! Encourage children to become physically active and be active with them. Encourage at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week.

Remember you are teaching your child healthy eating for a lifetime. Parents should serve as role models to their children to instill and reinforce healthy lifestyles based on variety, balance, and moderation. Don't make your child feel differently by serving him healthy foods while everyone else eats high-fat, high-calorie foods. Everyone in the family should eat healthy foods.

Christine Smith is an Extension Agent in the department of Family & Consumer Sciences with NC Cooperative Extension, NCSU Information on other services available can be found online at http://wayne.ces.ncsu.edu/