Want your kid to lose weight?

Then lose weight yourself.

A study appearing in journal Obesity shows that a parent's weight change is a key contributor to the success of a child's weight loss in family-based treatment of childhood obesity. After looking at parenting skills and styles, as well as changing the home food environment, the number one way in which parents helped an obese child lose weight was to lose weight themselves.

The researchers conclude that clinicians should focus on encouraging parents to lose weight to help their overweight or obese child in weight management.

In another study in Pediatrics, low carb diets work for kids, but they are tough to stick to. Obese 7- to 12-year-olds were assigned to one of three eating plans: one that followed the conventional wisdom of portion control; a low-carb diet; or a reduced glycemic load plan that cut down on certain carbs that typically cause surges in blood sugar -- like white bread, sweets and white potatoes. Over one year, all three plans worked equally well in controlling kids' weight gain. The difference, researchers found, was that the low-carb plan was tough to stick with. The reduced portion or reduced glycemic load diets were not.

All three diet groups ended up with healthier cholesterol levels. The low-carb group had a dip in triglycerides, another type of blood fat. And kids who focused on portion control or cutting glycemic load had signs of better blood sugar control.

Bonnie: What you should take away from both studies is that implementing a "family plan" for weight loss is ideal, and, focusing on eliminating high glycemic carbs is a priority.