Obesity has become a very serious global problem, and the World Health Organization claimed that over 1.5 billion adults were overweight, over 200 million men and nearly over 300 million were obese. In 2010, WHO reported that around 43 million children under the age of five were overweight.  According to a recent shocking new statistic revealed about the world's most populous country, China, has a third of its population – some 429 million – are overweight or obese. China has become a growing fat faster developing country in the world; this is going to bear grave implications for their work force and economic growth in the world's second biggest economy. About 12 per cent of children between the ages of 7 – 18 years old in China are overweight or obese according to Professor Barry Popkin from University of North Carolina. Although China's obesity rate is still half that in the United States, the U.K. and Australia, it has led to a worrying rise in chronic diseases such as strokes, cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Research over the years, have indicated that overweight kids are at greater risk of becoming obese adults with all the health problems associated with obesity lasting through the lifespan. Can childhood obesity be prevented?

Each year, ten of thousands of parents from all over China, send their obese children to Weight Loss camps, commonly known as "Fat camps" to lose weight. Each parent pays about 30,000 Yuan (US$4,700) for the six-week, residential program.  These residential camps are open to 7 to 55-year-old who are overweight or obese. In the camps, the participants are given balanced meals and exercise for six hours each day and the regime includes weight training, yoga, running and football.  This was what one of the participants, Zhang Fang, 28-year-old employee from China Unicom said, "For the first two to three weeks, it was especially hard. I cried on the phone to my parents and told my mother, 'I can't make it'." And her mother replied, "If you don't continue, you're finished. You need your health." It's kind of sad, isn't it? Do we really have resort to this in order to get our kids to cut down on their waistlines? The answer is: we don't have to if the parents have cultivated healthy eating habits with regular exercise when the kids were young.

Health experts advised the early-childhood years, from 3 to 7-year-old be key milestones for the inculcation and the formation of healthy eating habits. Many of the habits established at this young age were also likely to be carried into adulthood. The experts also noted that sooner the parents started to equip themselves with nutrition knowledge and inculcating healthy eating habits in their children, the higher the child's chances of making wise food choices in school and throughout life.

Here are some relative easy steps for parents to follow:
- do not put your overweight child on  diet or deprive him of French fries, nor ban candy
- start the day with whole-grain breakfast
- pack lunchbox with healthy ingredients such as wheat bread, lean meat and veggies
- fill the plate with lots of fruits and veggies
- eat foods that are high in protein, like chicken, peanut butter, yogurt or scrambled eggs
- eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages
- have meals together and encourage physical activities such as a fun run or participate in a charitable walking event
- go for low or fat-free milk
- do not focus on weight, instead focus on healthy living
- seek professional advice from your doctor or dietitian if you are unable to determine if the problem is real

As a parent you can be a good role model for healthful food choices and regular exercise for your child. Your child's excess weight depends on you; you can help to prevent obesity in your child. Why not visit this website, Isabel's Diet Solution to find out more about equipping yourself with nutrition knowledge and leading a healthy lifestyle by example.