Children gain weight as they grow and develop, so it’s not always easy to tell if your child is overweight. For some children, extra weight goes away as they grow taller. But some children who continue to gain too much weight over time may develop obesity. Obesity is a disease that increases the risk of developing many health problems. Having obesity as a child or teen also makes it more likely your child will have obesity and related health problems as an adult.

It’s not always easy to tell if your child is overweight.

As a parent or other caregiver, you may be able to help your child reach and stay at a healthy weight by working together to adopt healthy lifestyle habits, such as

• consuming healthy foods and beverages
• being physically active every day
• limiting screen time
• getting enough sleep

If you’re not sure what changes to make, ask a health care professional for guidance. Your child’s doctor, a nurse practitioner, a registered dietitian, a weight-control specialist, or another health care professional can identify lifestyle habits that support healthy child growth and development. These habits may also help your child reach and stay at a healthy weight. A health care professional can also discuss other treatments for overweight and obesity that may help your child reach a healthy weight.

Overweight and obesity are common among children and teens in the United States. Among young people ages 2 to 19 years, about

• 16.1% are overweight
• 19.7% have obesity

Obesity rates increase as children get older. Obesity is also more common among children from certain racial and ethnic minority groups. Among children and teens ages 2 to 19, obesity affects about

• 26.2% of Hispanic youth
• 24.8% of non-Hispanic Black youth
• 16.6% of non-Hispanic White youth
• 9.0% of non-Hispanic Asian youth

Many factors can contribute to overweight and obesity in children, including

• genes and family history
• regularly taking in more calories from foods and beverages than their bodies need
• not getting enough physical activity
• not getting enough sleep
• some medical conditions and medicines

A child’s weight can also be affected by the mother’s pregnancy. If a mother has obesity or gains too much weight during pregnancy, it increases the chance that the child will be born larger than expected and develop obesity later in life.

Genes and family history can also affect your child’s weight.

Being overweight or having obesity can increase the chances that your child may develop health problems, such as

• breathing problems
• joint pain
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
• type 2 diabetes

Some children who are overweight or have obesity may experience weight-related teasing or bullying, which can affect their mental health. Children with overweight or obesity may have a higher risk of developing mental health problems, including

• low self-esteem
• depression
• eating disorders

How can I tell if my child is overweight?

One way to find out if your child is at a healthy weight is by calculating his or her body mass index (BMI), a measurement based on a person’s height and weight. The next step is to compare your child’s BMI with the BMI of other children who are the same age and sex, based on growth charts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This will give your child’s “BMI-for-age percentile,” a number that can tell you if your child is underweight, is at a healthy weight, is overweight, or has obesity.

This online tool from the CDC lets you calculate your child’s BMI and BMI-for-age percentile.

Does my child need to lose weight?

If you are worried about your child’s weight, talk with your health care professional. In many cases, children who are overweight don’t need to lose weight, but they need to gain weight more slowly as they continue to grow in height. To determine if your child weighs too much or is gaining weight too quickly, your health care professional will consider many factors, such as⁴

• your child’s age, weight, height, and BMI-for-age percentile
• your child’s overall health
• how fast your child is growing
• whether your child has any weight-related health problems, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol
• your child’s family history of obesity and related health problems

• If you’re worried about your child’s weight, talk with your health care professional.

Your child may be able to reach and stay at a healthy weight if you help them adopt healthier lifestyle habits, such as following a healthy eating plan, getting regular physical activity, limiting screen time, and getting enough sleep.

Eating plan

Children need meals and snacks that are high in nutrients to help them grow. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 recommend that children consume a variety of foods and beverages, including

• fruits and vegetables
• whole grains
• fat-free or low-fat dairy products or nondairy beverages fortified with added calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D
• foods high in protein

The guidelines also recommend children limit foods and beverages that are high in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium or salt. These foods and beverages can add a lot of extra calories without adding much nutrition. Here are some tips for replacing them with healthier options.

• Eat fast food less often. When you do, order healthier side dishes—such as soup or fruit salad—instead of fries.
• Replace high-fat protein foods—such as sausage and fried chicken—with leaner options, such as turkey breast, beans, or tofu.
• Replace highly processed foods with whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
• Instead of sugary sodas, serve water, low-fat or fat-free milk, or fortified nondairy beverages.
• Place healthy foods and beverages where they are easy to see and reach. Keep high-calorie foods and beverages out of sight—or don’t buy them at all. Replace the cookie jar with a fruit bowl.

If your child is overweight or is gaining weight too quickly, cutting back on high-calorie foods and beverages can help. Here are some ways to help your child cut back on extra calories.

• To prevent snacking throughout the day, make sure your child eats regular meals, starting with a healthy breakfast.
• Learn about age-appropriate portion sizes and how to avoid serving oversized portions. Repackage high-calorie snacks in smaller containers.
• Avoid letting your child eat in front of the television, computer, or other electronic devices.

Make healthy food options available and within easy reach of your child.

Childhood is the ideal time to develop healthy eating habits that your child can carry into adulthood. To help your child develop a healthy attitude toward food and eating

• Don’t make your child finish all the food on the plate.
• Don’t use food to reward or punish your child. Promising dessert for eating vegetables sends a message that vegetables are less valuable than dessert.

The MyPlate website, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, offers many other tips and resources on healthy eating, including guidance on healthy eating on a budget.

Physical activity

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition recommend that children ages 3 to 5 be physically active throughout the day to help them grow and develop.

Older children ages 6 to 17 should get at least 1 hour of physical activity every day. Their activities should include

• aerobic activities, such as running, biking, or dancing.
• activities that strengthen the muscles, such as climbing on playground equipment or playing games such as tug of war. These muscle-strengthening activities should be part of your child’s physical activity at least 3 days a week.
• activities that strengthen the bones, such as jumping rope or playing basketball. Bone-strengthening activities should be part of your child’s physical activity at least 3 days a week.

As a parent or other caregiver, you can play a key role in helping your child be more active. Options for adding more physical activity to your child’s daily routine include

• organized sports—including team sports—and fitness activities
• active play, including group walks, biking, outdoor activities and chores, and dog walking
• walking or biking to nearby places, rather than driving or using public transportation

Help your child be more active by doing fun activities outdoors.

Screen time

Research suggests that kids who spend a lot of time watching television and who have a television in their bedrooms may have a higher risk of having childhood obesity. Experts recommend limiting how much time children spend watching television, playing video games, or using smartphones or other devices when not using them for schoolwork.

An easy rule of thumb is to limit screen time not spent on schoolwork to 1 to 2 hours per day. Another option is to set screen time limits for each person in your household. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that parents and other caregivers of children ages 5 and older work with a health care professional to create a Family Media Use Plan.

To limit your child’s screen time

• Turn off televisions and other media when not in use.
• Turn off all entertainment while your child is doing homework.
• Keep bedrooms and mealtimes screen-free for everyone in your household.
• Don’t eat while watching television or using other screens.

Sleep habits

Just like following a healthy eating plan and engaging in regular physical activity, getting enough sleep is important for your child’s mental and physical health. Getting enough sleep can help your child do well in school, fight off illnesses and infections, and reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Children need more sleep than adults. Recommended sleep time varies by age. The table below shows the amount of sleep recommended for each age group.

Recommended sleep time for children and teens

Having a television, computer, or mobile device in the bedroom—or spending a lot of time using these devices during the day—may delay or disrupt your child’s sleep. The blue light from screens can block the production of a hormone called melatonin that supports healthy sleep, especially when children have screen time before bedtime. Viewing media content that is exciting or engaging may also keep children awake past their bedtimes.

Exposure to blue light from screens before bedtime can make it harder for your child to fall asleep.

To help your child get enough sleep at night

• Keep televisions, video games, mobile phones, and other screens out of your child’s bedroom.
• Set a bedtime that will allow your child to get a full night of sleep.
• Provide a calm atmosphere for sleep before bedtime.
• Help your child avoid screen time in the hour before bedtime.

There are several things you can do to help your child adopt healthy lifestyle habits.

Teach your child about healthy choices

Talk with your child about health, including

• how regular physical activity, healthy eating, and getting enough sleep help our bodies get strong and stay healthy
• how to make healthy choices about food, drinks, and activities at school, at friends’ houses, and at other places outside your home
• how balancing the amount of food and beverages we take in with how active we are during the day will help us reach and maintain a healthy weight

Be a good role model

Children are good learners, and they often copy what they see. Be a good role model by making healthy lifestyle choices yourself.

• Adopt healthy lifestyle habits, and encourage your loved ones to do the same.
• Buy fewer foods and beverages that can lead to weight gain, including sugar-sweetened drinks and snacks high in fat and sugar. When buying these items for a special event, remove them as soon as the event is over.
• Get the whole family involved in building healthy eating, drinking, physical activity, and sleep habits. Everyone benefits, and your child won’t feel singled out.

Help your child build healthy eating habits by being a role model.

Be supportive

Children need support, understanding, and encouragement from caring adults. Their feelings about themselves are often based on how they think their parents and other caregivers feel about them. Tell your child that they are loved, special, and important.

Studies suggest that a parenting style that combines setting rules and limits with warmth—called authoritative parenting—may help children adopt healthy behaviors that support a healthy weight. Children in homes that use this style of parenting tend to understand authority and rules, but also feel comfortable seeking support from their caregivers.

Motivate your child to make healthy lifestyle choices by

• listening to your child’s concerns
• encouraging healthy behaviors and setting limits for less healthy choices
• making it easier to choose healthy foods and beverages by keeping less healthy options out of your home
• helping your child set goals for physical activity and healthy eating, and tracking their progress
• rewarding your child’s successes with praise and love
• sharing information about these lifestyle choices with other caregivers, such as babysitters or grandparents, so they can also help your child adopt the new behaviors

Your health care professional may recommend a weight-loss plan tailored to your child’s needs or refer you to a weight-management specialist or a registered dietitian. Your local hospital, a community health clinic, or the health department may offer weight-management programs for children and teens or have information about where your child can enroll in one. Don’t put your child on a weight-loss plan without the help of your health care professional.

If your child is 12 or older and has obesity, ask your health care professional about other treatment options, such as

• weight-management medicines for children ages 12 and older
• weight-loss surgery, also called bariatric and metabolic surgery, for teens ages 13 and older

Treatments such as medicines and surgery don’t replace lifestyle changes as a way for your child to lose weight. These treatments work best when your child is physically active and consumes healthy foods and beverages.

Tell your child that they are loved, special, and important.

Healthy habits are the building blocks of lifelong well-being for children and teens. Healthy eating and physical activity are important for growth and development and to prevent chronic health conditions. They can also help boost students’ academic performance.

But eating well and being active are only part of the picture. For good mental and physical health, kids also need plenty of sleep and limited screen time.

Parents, guardians, and teachers can help children and teens develop healthy habits with these tips:

Ensure adequate sleep

Children and teens need more sleep than adults, and the amount varies by age. Too little sleep is associated with obesity, partly because inadequate sleep may make us eat more and be less physically active. See the recommended amounts of sleep by age and suggested habits to improve sleep.

Reduce screen time

In young people, too much screen time is associated with poor sleep, weight gain, lower grades in school, and poor mental health. Reducing screen time can help free up time for individual and family activities, improve sleep, and limit cues to eat unhealthy food.

Limit the time children and teens watch television, play video games, or using a smartphone or tablet. Instead, encourage children and teens to find fun activities to do with their friends and family members or on their own that involve more activity.

Develop healthy eating habits

To help children and teens develop healthy eating habits:

• Provide plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products.
• Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils, and beans for protein.
• Include low-fat or non-fat milk or dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt.
• Encourage your family to drink water instead of sugary drinks.
• Limit added sugar and saturated fat.

Additionally, you can:

• Encourage kids to eat a healthy breakfast and lunch whether at home or at school.
• Review school menus with your kids and encourage them to try new foods.
• Model healthy eating at home.

Remember that small changes every day can lead to success!

For more information about nutrition, visit Choose My Plate for children and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Limit snacks with lots of salt, added sugar, and saturated fat

Limiting snacks with high amounts of saturated fat, added sugar, and salt can help support healthy eating habits. If these foods are eaten less often, they will truly be treats! For everyday snacks, try these easy-to-prepare options.

• 1 cup carrots, broccoli, or bell peppers with 2 tablespoons hummus.
• A medium apple or banana with 1 tablespoon peanut butter.
• 1 cup blueberries or grapes with 1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt.
• One-fourth cup of tuna wrapped in a lettuce leaf.

Help children and teens stay active

In addition to being fun, regular physical activity has many health benefits, including:

• Strengthening bones and muscles.
• Decreasing blood pressure.
• Reducing risk of several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and obesity.
• Reducing risk of depression.
• Boosting academic performance by improving attention and memory.
• Helping regulate body weight and reduce body fat.

Children ages 3 through 5 should be active throughout the day. Children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 should be physically active at least 60 minutes each day. Include aerobic activity, which is anything that makes their heart beat faster. Also, include bone-strengthening activities such as running or jumping and muscle-strengthening activities such as climbing or push-ups.

To help children and teens get enough physical activity:

• Make physical activity part of your family’s daily routine by taking walks or playing active games together.
• Encourage children and teens to find fun activities to do on their own or with friends and family, such as walking or riding bikes.
• Take young people to places where they can be active, such as public parks or playgrounds, community baseball fields, or community basketball courts.
• Encourage your child to participate in school or community physical activity or sports programs.

Remember that children imitate adults. Start adding physical activity to your own routine and encourage your child to join you.