In 2002, about 15.6 percent of U.S. children between the ages of 12 and 19 were obese, up more than 6 percent since 1974. A March 2004 report said that obesity is the single most widespread health problem facing U.S. children.

This article misses the mark when it suggests that parents and doctors are not to blame for childhood obesity. They do shoulder the burden.

Surprisingly, many parents don't recognize their child is obese. This could be because as a society we have become so accustomed to seeing overweight children that we don't see the problem even when it is happening right in our own homes. I used to think parents were in denial; however, in a study one-third of mothers and more than half of the fathers thought their obese child was a normal weight.

Parents are truly the key component to controlling childhood obesity. Here are my recommendations on how parents could get involved in their child's life to prevent obesity and a lifetime of chronic diseases:

• Provide children with healthy meals.

• Reduce sugar intake. A main contributor to obesity is sugar, which is found in soda, juice drinks and breads. Children can easily cut down on the amount of sugar they eat by eliminating soda and juice. Pure water is the best option. This alone can have a dramatic effect. Consider this statistic -- for every soft drink or sugar-sweetened beverage a child drinks each day, their obesity risk jumps 60 percent.

• Avoid grains. These can be tricky. While some parents think of cereal as a healthy option, the truth is they are mostly sugar and can easily be traded for more healthy options.

• Encourage exercise. Exercise is extremely important. Overweight and obese children will need at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. Parents can encourage children to walk away from the television set or video game. Planning family activities, such as a nature walk or bike riding, will keep them moving too.

It's certainly important for parents to encourage their children to eat healthy, nutritious foods, but this does not mean that children should be on a low-calorie or low-carbohydrate diet or not allowed to eat when they are hungry. Children need calories and nutrients to grow and develop, just make sure they are from healthy foods, and not primarily from junk foods and processed foods.

A healthy alternative to junk food and fast food is the Protein Bar. This totally healthy snack combines the powerful benefits of both coconut AND chia seeds. It is helpful for fatigue and weight loss and is loaded with essential vitamins, fatty acids and antioxidants - plus it really tastes great, so your children will eat it!

Traditional doctors are often the weak link in the obesity chain. As a matter of fact, a study found that in 66 percent office of visits by obese children, pediatricians didn't indicate if a patient was overweight.

From treatable bowel problems to more serious issues like diabetes, pediatricians should be aware of these problems and how to detect them. Also, parents and doctors should share information with each other and talk to the children. As the article proved, just simply talking to obese children will help identify problems, and quite possibly, may lead to solutions.

Related Articles:

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How to Prevent, or Reverse, Childhood Obesity

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Each Daily Soda Increases Obesity Risk 60%