Staying a healthy weight is good for all kids so don't wait till it's too late.

A healthy weight means you are not too fat or too thin. If you have diabetes and are overweight, your doctor would have told you that  you should not gain more weight or that you should lose a few kilos.

A healthy weight will help you feel better and may improve your blood sugar or glucose levels. Staying at a healthy weight when you are young can help you manage your weight when you are older and prevent problems like heart disease and high blood pressure.
 

What do I need to do?

If you are overweight, start by eating fewer calories each day and being more active.

1. Be active everyday, if possible, for 60 minutes to burn up extra calories and get fit. Run around or go to the playground instead of sitting down playing computer games or hand-held video games.

Get a friend or family member to join you on a jog, brisk walk or bike ride instead of watching TV

2. Cut some calories. The number of calories in a food tells you how much energy you can get from it. To lose weight, you need to eat about 200 to 300 calories less than usual each day but still retain the important nutrients which re essential for growth and development.
 

Here are some simple ways to cut calories:

* Drink water instead of a big glass of sweetened fruit juice or soft drinks. You can cut about 150 calories!

* Eat a small serving of french fries instead of a big one—that's 250 calories gone!

* Eat a piece of fruit instead of a candy bar. A candy bar only contains sugars and calories, but a piece of fruit has less calories and sugars and contains fibre and important nutrients like Vitamin C.

3. Eat smaller portions of food and drink water at meals and snack time.

4. Drink lots of water. It has no calories!

5. Make friends with a dietitian or a diabetes nurse educator. He or she can help you and your family make the best food choices.

If you eat less and get more active, you will start to feel really good. Very low-calorie diets are not good for growing children and teens. You still need enough food to grow or develop the right way.