Lifestyle and home remedies

If you're overweight and thinking of becoming pregnant, losing weight and eating well might affect your child's future. Eating well throughout pregnancy might also have a positive impact on your baby's later food choices.

To give your infant a healthy start, the World Health Organization recommends exclusively breast-feeding for 6 months.

For children who are overweight or obese, their best chance of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is to start eating a healthy diet and moving more. Here are some steps you can take at home to help your child succeed:

• Be a role model. Choose healthy foods and active pastimes for yourself. If you need to lose weight, doing so will motivate your child to do likewise.
• Involve the whole family. Make healthy eating a priority and emphasize how important it is for everyone to be physically active. This avoids singling out the child who is overweight.