A good, healthy diet is an investment for your child's future.

Increasingly sedentary lifestyles and fast or convenience food diets are contributing to what is now a well-documented health concern for many children.

Before developing a diet or meal plan for your child you must first seek medical advice as to whether your child needs a reducing "diet".

Should you need to adopt a stricter weight reduction regime for your children you should follow medical advice on any calorie allowance. Make sure the advisors are aware of any health or mobility problems your child may have.

Once a calorie allowance has been advised for your child, the Traffic Light Diet can help plan, manage and maintain a healthy diet. Using this simple, visual system will involve, educate and empower.

If you do not require a strict regime, but feel your child is not eating well, you will be amazed how beneficial a simple, common sense, healthy balanced diet will be.

It is important for children to aim to have five or more portions of fruit, vegetables and salad every day. You may find small children need a smaller portion; a good guideline is a child's handful. Offer a variety of different types, so that they get all the beneficial nutrients they contain.

The approach taken to childhood diet has to be a very fine balancing act between keeping your child at a healthy weight for their age, but at the same time not making it an issue which may turn into a lifetime obsession with their bodies.

Be supportive of your child, it is always better to teach children by example. It is very hard for a child to adjust to a new eating regime if the house is stocked with temptation.

Successful weight loss requires a family commitment with the child and the parents addressing Nutrition, Physical Activity and Lifestyle Changes. The entire family should be eating the same meal to prevent any family member feeling isolated. Parents should not overload their child's plate, and should never use food as a reward.

Exercise should pay a role with the whole family and their new lifestyle.