Pediatric obesity rates are on the rise, and one pediatrician in the Bronx is helping you ensure that your children grow up happy and healthy.

One-third of children are diagnosed with obesity according to a Bronx pediatrician, and that number is only going up.

“It’s definitely more common in the older-age kids than the younger-age kids, but it’s across all ages,” said Dr. Sandra Braganza.

Braganza says that obesity puts children at higher risk of disease, and that tackling the growing epidemic is all about balance.

“Healthy eating, exercise, sleep is important,” said Braganza, who says good habits start with the parents’ behavior. “If they see you eating it, it’s much, much more likely that they’re going to eat it.”

Braganza and other health experts recommend creating healthier habits from an earlier age, and to emphasize the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle when they are young.