For parents and guardians

Being a parent to a child with overweight or obesity often raises worry, guilt, and questions about what is the right thing to do. This page brings together practical guidance from research and Swedish clinical experience — for anyone wanting to know what you can do, and what you should ideally avoid.

First things first

• You are not alone in this.
• It is not your fault — nor is it the child's.
• Small, sustainable changes are more effective than major efforts.
• The whole family should be involved, not just the child.
• The scales are not the goal. Healthy habits are.

How do you talk about weight with your child?

• Avoid commenting on the child's body or weight.
• Talk about health, food and movement in positive terms.
• Never assign blame — neither to yourself nor the child.
• Listen to the child's own experience.
• Separate the person from the behaviour — it is about what we do, not what we are.

Food — what to change and what to keep

The single largest area is drinks:

• Replace fizzy drinks, juice, squash with water.
• Milk in limited quantities, preferably semi-skimmed milk.
• No "diet products" — they maintain sweet habits.

Food:

• The plate model as a reference for main meals.
• Three regular main meals and 1–2 snacks.
• No food restrictions between meals — it creates grazing.
• Half the plate vegetables.
• Fruit as a snack.
• Limit bringing home processed snacks.

This does not work:

• Strict diets, calorie counting, weighing food.
• Forbidden foods — this creates an unhealthy relationship with food.
• Reward systems linked to food.

Everyday movement

The WHO recommends 60 minutes of physical activity per day for children2. But it does not have to be organised exercise:

• Everyday movement counts: walking to school, playing outdoors, taking the stairs.
• Better to move together than "exercise" alone.
• Sports clubs if the child wants to, but not as an obligation.
• Limit sedentary behaviour and screen time.

Sleep and routines

Lack of sleep increases the risk of obesity in children. Recommendations:

• 9–11 hours for school children, 8–10 for teenagers.
• Screen-free time 1 hour before bedtime.
• Consistent bedtimes — even at weekends.

Screen time and sedentary behaviour

It is not just the amount of screen time that matters — the context does too. Eating in front of a screen is a strong risk factor, as people tend to eat more without noticing it. Socialstyrelsen has guidelines for screen time that can serve as a starting point1.

Be a role model

Children imitate adults more than they follow instructions. The family's habits are the family's habits — not the child's. What we do together has the greatest impact. If you as a parent eat vegetables, stay active in everyday life and have good sleep routines, the likelihood of the child doing the same increases.

Managing setbacks

Relapses are normal and part of the process. Do not count in weeks — count in years. Focus on the trend, not individual days. A "bad week" does not mean that all the work is lost.