An increasing number of children are obese, and if no intervention is made, 80% of them will stay overweight as adults. This can put them at risk for many medical problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea. Obesity can also adversely affect their self-esteem.

An important way to help children lose weight, maintain a normal weight and develop healthy habits is to encourage them to participate in regular physical activity. This can include a physical education class in school, or extracurricular sports at school or in the community.

Children should also be encouraged to include physical activity as part of their regular daily routine. For example:

• Walking or riding a bike instead of riding in the car for short distances.

• Taking a walk with a friend or walking the family dog each afternoon.

• Using stairs instead of escalators or elevators, especially if they have to walk out of their way to find the stairs.

• Parking the car at the end of the parking lot and walking to the entrance of the mall or grocery store.

• Chores, such as doing yard work or housework.

• Family exercise – go for routine family walks or bike rides in the neighborhood or local park.

Children are good learners and they learn what they see. To help get kids motivated to exercise and eat healthy, it's critical for parents and other adults to provide them with a good example they can model their own life against. This includes having healthy eating habits and participating in a regular exercise program. Other tips:

• Be aware of what kids are eating at school.

• Don't use food as a reward.

• Limit how much time the family spends watching television – r ead together instead of watching TV.

• Get the whole family involved. Healthy eating habits and exercise should be a regular part of a family's life. It's much easier if everyone in the house follows these guidelines, than if the child has to do it alone.

• Be patient. It can take time to get a child involved in a regular fitness routine.

Continue to learn as much as you can, whenever you can. The simple fact of the matter is this: Answers to some of the more pressing problems can be found in self-education. So take advantage of your free time and try to learn something new every day. Here are a few suggestions:

Strong skills in negotiating are a must in many things we do in life, whether it's working with teammates or buying a car. But what do we do when the other person may be a bit difficult or hard for us to relate to? Susan Onaitis, author of Negotiate Like The Big Guys, says keep these tips in mind:

• First acknowledge and fully understand your own perspective - its strengths and limitations.

• What's the other person's style? What's their motivation for being that way?

• After you've identified the other person's goal, think about what kind of strategies or tactics he/she may apply to get you to commit to his/her offer or idea.

• What questions do you need to have the person answer before you can understand his/her position and perspective?

• What is a solution that incorporates both party's goals and needs?