Q My son is 12 years old and very overweight. I'm worried about him getting diabetes because this runs in our family. What should I do?

A You are right to be concerned about obesity in childhood. Already in America the incidence of diabetes in children has massively increased as a direct result of obesity, and we are catching up fast with the first recorded cases of diabetes related to obesity cropping up recently. If there is a family history and you feel your child is excessively thirsty and tired, you should see your doctor and take a urine sample along for testing.

I don't think children should be medicated for obesity, but they do need lifestyle changes and that mainly means getting off their sofas and doing regular exercise. The television set needs to be rationed and they need to be far more active. Also the amount of sugar and fat in their diets needs to be reduced, or eliminated if possible. A fruit and veg-based diet is most important.

Obesity is a massive risk factor for many diseases including diabetes, heart disease, cancers and arthritis, so tackle it early before bad habits become ingrained

Updated: 09:20 Monday, March 11, 2002