Create an environment that encourages and supports physical activity. Parents' involvement in modifying obese children's behavior is important in losing weight. Parents who model healthful eating and activity habits can have a significant positive influence on the health of their children. For many children this may mean limited or no weight gain while linear growth proceeds normally. Recommendations for maintaining weight should include regular physical activity and careful attention to diet to avoid excessive caloric intake.
Factors predicting success are frequent intervention visits.
The importance of continuing these lifestyle changes well past the initial treatment period should be emphasized to the entire family. The healthiest way to change weight for height is gradually. It's a useful, indirect measure of body composition, because it correlates highly with body fat in most people. The triceps skinfold thickness measures body fat directly, so it isn't affected by body size. However, even with extensive training of the physician or technician, triceps skinfold measurements are hard to reproduce, especially among fatter children.