_Would you ever put your four-year-old on a diet to fit into her pageant dress? How about restrict your eight-year-olds daily calorie intake before a competition, bake her cake as a reward and then pile on the guilt as she eats it?  It might sound ludicrous to some but it's not uncommon on America’s trainwreck of a reality show, Toddlers and Tiaras .

Seriously, though, One in every three kids growing up today will become an overweight adult. That's why it's so important for parents to deal with childhood obesity to prevent a generation of young people being the first to live shorter lives than their parents.

Here are some ideas which may help you and your child