Many parents look at their chubby children and think, "They're just big-boned," or "It's only baby fat — they'll grow out of it." However, research suggests that children who are overweight tend to stay that way.

In a study published in 2006, researchers evaluated the body mass index of over 5,000 11- and 12-year-old children in London and found that 25 percent were overweight. Most of those children were still overweight when they graduated from high school. The percentage of overweight kids was the same at the beginning and at the end of the study — meaning that for each of the relatively few kids who lost enough to fall out of the overweight range, there was another who gained enough weight to land in that category. And some of the kids who were overweight to begin with ended up even heavier.

If you're not sure if your child is overweight, there's a great way to check without even going to the doctor: the pinch test. On your child's bare back, locate the bottom of the scapula, or shoulder blade. Pinch the skin under the shoulder blade and measure it with a ruler. If there's more than an inch and a half, your child may have an unhealthy amount of body fat. If that's the case, or if you're still unsure, be sure to consult your child's pediatrician.