If you're wondering why it's important to make sure your child eats a balanced diet and gets enough physical activity, consider these facts.

A recent study published in The Obesity Research Journal showed that children aged 8 to 15 years old who are in the upper half of the normal weight range are more likely than their leaner peers to become overweight or obese as young adults. This research isn't talking about those kids who are overweight as children, but those who are simply at the higher end of the normal weight range.

Another study found that children who watched television for more than two hours per day were likely to take up cigarette smoking as young adults and suffer serious health problems such as obesity and high cholesterol levels. Children who watched less than one hour per day were considerably healthier.

Increasing reports of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure in children aged eight to 17 is another worrisome trend. High blood pressure can lead to heart disease and stroke – even in young people.

A balanced diet is vital for supplying all the nutrients that growing children need. Children and adolescents should be encouraged to:

• Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits
• Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain
• Include lean meat, fish, poultry and/or meat alternatives in their diets
• Include milks, yogurts, cheese and/or dairy alternatives in their diets. (Reduced-fat milks are not suitable for young children under 2 years because of their high energy needs, but reduced-fat varieties should be encouraged for older children and adolescents).
• Choose water as a drink instead of soda or punch

Care should be taken to:

• Limit saturated fatand moderate total fat intake. (Low-fat diets are not suitable for infants).
• Choose foods low in salt
• Consume only moderate amounts of sugars and foods containing added sugars

Both children and teens also need lots of physical activity - at least 60 minutes each day. This doesn't mean you need to send your six-year-old out for a morning jog! But you should encourage your kids to play actively and monitor how much time they spend participating in passive activities (such as playing computer games or watching television).