One out of every four children is obese. The statistics are alarming, especially since that number continues to climb. Marcie Fraser reports.

Childhood obesity is a problem that needs to be dealt with around the world.

"Everybody around, it's not just the parents… What they see in the in school, what they see on TV, the role models," said Dr. Swatantra Mitta, Community Care Pediatrician.

Being overweight affects one's mental, social, and physical well-being.

"Kids stop socializing, they get depressed, isolate themselves and eat more. They can have problems with breathing, heart problems, heart disease, diabetes," said Dr. Mitta.

Kids are eating too much food that is high in fat and drinking too many sodas and juices. They need to exercise an hour each day and limit screen time to less than two hours. Education is key.

Addressing your child should not involve frequent weigh-ins. Instead, establish behavior changes.

"Give them two or three things to work on, if you give it a whole lie they won’t do it. Let the child pick, the couple of things they can make changes and modify and parents have to do it," said Dr. Mitta.

Some parents avoid the conversation with the child about their weight because they are afraid they will drive their child into an eating disorder. Avoiding the problem only prolongs the issue, sometimes into adulthood.

Manage your child's weight gradually and try to keep them motivated.

"Parents have to be on it. If they are not motivated and say ‘you do it because you have a problem,’ it's not going to work," said Dr. Mitta.