Test Your Knowledge

Prevention of obesity requires a healthy lifestyle, including a well–balanced diet that is high in fiber, and low in fat and refined sugars. Time after time, studies have shown that weight loss and exercise can significantly reduce the risk of developing serious diseases.

Lifelong patterns of eating and activity are often established during childhood. Therefore, parents are urged to provide their children with healthy meals and to encourage an active lifestyle. Parents often underestimate the health effects of obesity on children, according to the American Obesity Association. In many cases, simply increasing the amount of physical activity can help children to achieve a healthy weight without dieting, which can deprive them of nutrients and calories that are essential to growth and development.