FOR MOST PARENTS, THE ultimate goal is to raise healthy, smart, successful and happy children. Anyone who has kids can attest to the fact that it's a wild ride, with some twists and turns that aren't always visible up ahead. There's no manual, no green light that will spin and flash when you make the right call – and parenting, in general, requires a lot of gut-checks and crossed-fingers as you navigate through the childrearing years. As if the task at hand wasn't tough enough already, these days we're also taking on the rising challenge of childhood obesity , hich sadly has come to affect 1 in every 5 school-age children. It wasn't always this big a problem in America. In fact, the percentage of children and adolescents affected by obesity has nearly tripled since the 1970s. We can thank the booming convenience-food culture and the rise of technology for contributing to a sedentary lifestyle and an imbalance in energy.
Read the top five tips to encourage physical activity in your children here