Help - My Child is Fat.

For months I've been ignoring it, pretending it would go away.

Then my son got a letter home from school pointing out in black and white that his BMI is too high. In short he's heavier than someone his height should be.

The local health board offers comforting sources of advice and support, but surely I don't need professional help for my boy's tummy, do I?

Of course I want my children to have a healthy relationship with food and to eat enough of what's good for them. And I do know what ought to be on the menu - and what ought not. But it's not enough.

My boy is picky and he's not interested in a varied diet. Fruit and veg are only consumed under sufferance, supervision and after some nagging.

He'd rather scoff chips, biscuits and sweeties. In fact, left to his own devices, that's what he'd subsist on, washed down by coke and swilling in ketchup.

When he thinks I'm not looking he sneaks sugary snacks into his room and (badly) hides the evidence.

But he's a bright lad. He knows the theory. And he's not a total couch slug, he plays football and happily runs around with his pals.

So what should I do? Sit him down for a Big Chat, put him on a diet or continue to believe it's only puppy fat.