Overweight children often suffer at school from teasing about their appearance and stereotypes regarding their character, due to preconceptions that overweight children are "lazy" or "have no feelings".

They are often subjected to exclusion by their peers, which can affect their emotional well-being.

Many obese children are so embarrassed by their bodies that they try and disguise the problem by wearing oversized but unflattering clothes.

They are also reluctant to take part in any sports, particularly swimming, where they feel vulnerable and exposed.

This avoidance of physical activity is an obvious compounding of the problem, as the child's health will decline further and they may become increasingly isolated and become depressed.

Childhood obesity is medically far more serious than most parents realise. Plus, many parents do not realise how overweight children are. Over 40 percent of parents of overweight children are misguided in their belief that their children are within the average weight range.

Many incorrectly assume that childhood obesity is 'baby fat' and that the child will grow out of it. Overweight children are usually found in families where one or both parents are overweight.

This is generally because the family consume too much "junk" food, rather than eating fresh, nutritionally balanced meals, combined with a sedentary lifestyle spent watching TV and playing computer games, rather than doing physical, outdoor activities.

Children should be encouraged from an early age to live a healthy and active lifestyle. However, the parents are the main role models for any child. So, the parents must take responsibility for the health and well being of their child.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that the child is the one that has to bear the consequences of the actions, or inaction, of the parents. It is the child that has to put up with the long-term social and health issues, through no fault of its own.

Although childhood obesity is a growing problem, it is a mistake to focus just on 'overweight', unhealthy kids. We need to be looking at the family as a whole, especially the parents and keep in mind the causes of childhood obesity.