If you and your overweight, obese children have been lugging around unhealthy and undesirable weight, summer choices can help melt it away.

As a diet coach and nutritionist, most of the parents I work with during the summer are uncomfortable. And, not because of the heat and humidity. They are uncomfortable for themselves and their children because in the past they have made choices that keep them stuck in an unhealthy weight range. Because of these past choices, often they feel anxious and a bit depressed. Moreover they feel doomed to repeat the same misguided choices. These feelings lead them to believe, erroneously, that nothing helps.

Ironically, these feelings of anxiety and depression over past errors result in inactivity - both physical and mental, at the very time they need to be more active.

By discovering how their current behavior may be leading them to unproductive action helps them make choices to solve the problem.

So instead of complaining and hiding in the air-conditioning, swig from a bottle of water and take a leisurely walk to the swimming hole. Check out the scene. Take a swim, float, dive in. Stay hydrated and keep moving. Do it most days. Soon enough the overweight or obese children will find themselves looking forward to the action, feeling better about themselves and better about their choices.