Many people think that parental efforts to control what kids eat are bound to backfire. But new research suggests that moms who meddle in mealtime choices may actually succeed in limiting kids' unhealthy weight gain—and in any case such rationing does not cause childhood obesity.

Looking at a group of 789 kids, researchers from Brown Medical School compared changes in Body Mass Index from ages 4 to 9 with a rating of how "restrictive" kids' mothers were with regard to what kids were allowed to eat. Turns out that kids with controlling moms were not at increased risk of gaining more weight.  In fact, boys (but not girls) whose mothers monitored food choices were much less likely to exceed normal weight gain.  Another interesting gender difference: Mothers were 72% more likely to increase control over food choices when girls (but not boys) gained excess weight from ages 4 to 7.

The take-home message is that if you think your child is gaining more weight than she or he should, then it's healthy to be concerned and to try to limit your child's calorie intake. Far too many parents are in denial about their children's weight problems and research shows that parents with the least concern about their kids' weight tend to have the fattest children.  And while it's tempting to dismiss youthful pounds as cute "baby fat," an obese adolescent has a 70% chance of being an obese adult, and courts associated health risks, ranging from heart disease to diabetes and cancer.

and that's not necessarily bad. Snacking can help your child curb hunger throughout the day, as well as provide energy and important nutrients. But the quality of the snacks is key. Consider these 10 tips from the Mayo Clinic for healthier children's snacks.  Learn more

Moving your body by running, jumping, walking and playing gives you energy, makes your muscles stronger and helps you feel good about yourself.  Moving for 60 minutes every day is a great goal, but don’t worry if that seems like too much to do at one time. Try doing your moves for just 10 minutes, but do them at least a few times each day.  See how many 10-minute moves you can do each day, like during a homework break, perhaps, or while you’re watching TV or waiting for mom to put dinner on the table. Do your favorite thing or try one of the ideas below. If you want to do more than 10 minutes at a time, you’ll feel even better!

• Turn on your favorite music and dance.
• Walk to a friend’s house that’s a few blocks away.
• Go outside and rake leaves, pull weeds or sweep the sidewalk.
• Do inside chores like vacuuming, dusting or emptying the garbage.
• Do jumping jacks for one minute, march in place for one minute and step up and down a stair for one minute.  Repeat until 10 minutes are up.
• Play tag with your brother or sister, or mom and dad.
• Skip rope.
• Walk the dog.
• In-line skate.
• Shoot baskets in the driveway.
• Practice the hula hoop.
• Kick a soccer ball.
• Ride an exercise bike.
• Jog in place, or around the block.

TV shows, movies and magazines show pictures of people who are thin.  Does that mean being thin is the "right" size?  Not necessarily–the "right size" is the weight that's healthiest for your body type and individual size.

Eating food is like putting fuel in a car—if you've ever ridden in a car that runs out of gas, you know what happens: it stops working!  You need the right fuel to grow, to feel good about yourself and your friends, and to do well in school and at play.  If you are too thin, you may be eating less food than your body needs.  Kids who are underweight may become sick more often than their friends. Your body can't fight off germs if you don't eat enough.

Overeating can cause problems, too.  Weighing too much makes it hard for your body to work right.  For example, it can be hard to keep up with your friends on the playground or the basketball court.  Kids who are overweight might not be getting the right nutrition and might have health problems like not breathing right or not sleeping well.  And it's not always easy to find clothes that fit.

Being underweight or overweight can cause problems in school.  For example, if your stomach is growling because you skipped breakfast, it's hard to focus on what the teacher is saying.  Or, if you eat too much for lunch, it's hard to stay awake during afternoon classes.

Some people think that your weight is determined only by how much you eat. That's just part of it. Your weight also is affected by how much physical activity you get.  Suppose you spend most of your free time watching TV. Your body doesn't need or burn as many calories as it would if you played volleyball, skated or went for a walk instead.

But remember, people naturally are different shapes and sizes.  It's not "good" or "bad" to be a certain weight, just like it's not "good" or "bad" to be a certain height.  It's just that being too thin or too fat is not healthy. So, it's important to take care of your body by being active and eating right. When your body is healthy, you look and feel good, too!