Is it necessary for kids to be "Wii-sized?"

photo by flikr user SychiO

I have heard that Wii Fit is wonderful.

Wonderful, that is, until your overweight child steps on it and the picture of them balloons up and declares them unfit. It may be true, because many of our kids are overweight, but this is a sensitive issue. This problem can't be solved with a fat cartoon figure staring at you.

So, you or your child is overweight. What to do? It isn't an easy problem to fix, and many parents live in denial about it. However, I think that this is a "whole family" problem that needs to be addressed as an entire family. Parents should never blame their children, since after all, they are the role model. Here are my tips to try and reverse a "ballooning" problem without great psychological damage.

1) Get the whole family on board. Clean out the junk food together! Stop buying it as a family. No one, even the "genetically blessed" skinny child, needs candy. Tell the kids that it is time to be healthy. If they complain, you may have to decide, "Who is the parent here?"

2) Stop eating out. It is expensive and unhealthy. Meals can be quick and healthy, you just have to take the time to lighten up your current dinner recipes, or buy more healthy quick prep meals at the store. Use the Sneaky Chef books as a guide to make "normal" recipes healthy!

3) Get active, together! Instead of "family movie" night, have a "family move" night each week. Go to a local park on a nice day and walk, or go swimming at a family swim night. Even bowling is better than sitting. While out, sneak in healthy snacks and ignore the concession stands.

4) Educate older kids about healthy choices. Tell them that those school vending machines will add to their waistline. Arm them with healthy snacks or at least tell them which choices are better. They won't always be with you, but if you educate them, they will make better decisions.

5) Be a role model. This is the most important tip I have. Let your kids see you exercise and see you make healthy food choices. If you tell them to eat healthy, while you stash away junk food, you aren't teaching them anything. You have to live your words of advice. Be the person that you want your kids to be.

It is a sensitive issue, but if you take it on as a whole family, it can be fixed!

Eva Johnson is an ACE (American Council on Exercise) certified personal trainer. She lives in chaos with her husband, two boys and a shedding Labrador Retriever. To see her complete blog about her journey to stay sane and in shape, visit www.fitnessbyeva.com.