Let's face it, "overweight" is not a nice word.
The idea that it could apply to your child is very upsetting.
It's easier to say that he or she is chubby, or will grow out of it.
But you need to know how being overweight can affect your child's health.
Physical effects Children who are overweight are at increased risk for a number of health problems, including:

• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Asthma
• Sleep apnea -when breathing is interrupted repeatedly, disrupting sleep and leading to daytime fatigue

Another potential risk is eating disorders.
Our society sends out very strong messages about the way we should look.
, The ideal female is model thin, and the ideal male looks like a body builder.
This can cause overweight girls and boys to go to extreme measures to lose weight, in an attempt to meet these unrealistic goals.
Overweight children may be unwilling or unable to participate in physical activities, which only contributes to the problem There are also long term concerns.
Many overweight children continue to be overweight as adults, which increase the chance of heart attack and stroke.
Psychological effects Being overweight can have serious psychological effects, such as:

• Low self-esteem
• Depression
• Fear of being disliked
• Fear of being bullied by other children
• Being teased or called names
• Negative assumptions by others-thought of as lazy, untidy, unpleasant to be with

Any of these can have a lifelong effect on a child and cause problems with jobs and relationships as an adult.