The most important New Year’s resolution for millions of children could be losing all those excess pounds. With obesity now affecting an estimated 17 percent of all children and adolescents in the United States, it’s more important than ever to take the right steps toward maintaining a healthy body weight.

Between video games, cell phones, fast food and myriad other sedentary distractions, keeping up with a child’s lifestyle can be hard enough. But for any weight-loss resolution to succeed, parents will need to stay involved, set a good example, and work together as a family, said Stephanie Fancher, nutritionist and health educator with The Austin Diagnostic Clinic’s Health Risk Management program.

“Wellness and vitality are important for every member of the family,” she said. “And the whole family has to get on board.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says about 12.5 million children and teens ages 2 to 19 are overweight or obese, and the number has increased dramatically in recent decades, according to government health officials.

Experts say excess body fat has been linked to a wide variety of ailments, from diabetes to heart disease and high blood pressure.

One of the most important ways to curb excess body weight is to choose healthy options. “You are what you eat, and for parents, your children and teens will more than likely eat what you eat. That means no fast food or junk food in the house, period,” said Fancher.

It is completely unrealistic to expect that your teenager is going to not eat junk food if junk food is present in the house, she added. “It’s just going to create a battlefield for them and create tension. With today’s busy and hectic lifestyles, it can be difficult to even find the time for the entire family to gather around the dinner table. But a meal at home can be a healthier meal than purchased fast food.”

Starting small, with even one family meal per week, can be an important step on the path to very positive and big changes, said Fancher.

One of the most overlooked meals is breakfast. Skipping this first meal of the day can have a significant impact on a child’s nutrition for the rest of the day.

“We want to start the day off with a nice solid foundation," Fancher said. “It’s going to help kids fo- cus more, to do better in school, and often have fewer behavioral issues.”

Skipping breakfast can cause some children to effectively starve themselves all day, only to then follow it up with a huge dinner at the end of the day, when all those calories are least needed, Fancher added.

The importance of maintaining a healthy weight is critical for a child’s health, and getting the message through while they are still young can have major implications later on.

Fancher said children who start adolescence already overweight or obese have a greatly reduced chance of being able to maintain a normal body weight as they mature into adulthood.

“It’s all too easy these days for kids to spend hours on the computer or texting on a cell phone. Parents should realize they won’t be able to stop these activities altogether, but they can help reduce the amount of time. The first step is to track their children’s usage of computers and cell phones and see just how much time they are spending inactive. From there, parents will be empowered to set boundaries and help their children balance sedentary activities with active ones, while giving children a say in the decision.”

If kids are overweight, let them choose the activities that can get them out of the house and out of their rooms, out of their computer chairs, Fancher said. “Tell them, 'You have to choose something to help you be active. But you can choose what that activity is.' I think that it’s going to help contribute to their health, and so for the long term, you’ll create a more peaceful, mindful person who can handle things better and be healthier.”

There’s no denying the power peer pressure can place on children. Something Fancher says can’t be emphasized enough is the importance of getting their group involved and finding ways to get their friends to be supportive.

For example, if there’s going to be a slumber party at the house, have healthy snacks available instead of junk food.

“Peer pressure is such a big thing, so it can be much easier for kids to lose weight, but you’ve got to get them invested and really get their friends invested in it. Once they get physically active and stop eating junk food, that can produce amazing results.”