Statistics came out this week showing about 16 percent of low-income Alabama preschoolers are obese. It’s a problem that has gotten worse in recent years.

The numbers came from a 2014 report from the Women, infants and children feeding program and shows that 16.3 percent of children ages 2 to 4 in the program were obese.

That’s up from about 14 percent of the children in 2000.

Alabama is ranked 10th nationally and is opposite of national trends, which show the obesity rate is on decline from children that age.

Childhood obesity sets children up for a lifetime of health problems if not corrected.

Here is some advice for parents and other adults from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on fighting childhood obesity.

Be a good role model. Consume healthy foods and drinks, and choose active pastimes. Children are good learners, and they often copy what they see.

Talk with your child about what it means to be healthy and how to make healthy decisions.

Involve the whole family in building healthy eating, drinking, and physical activity habits. Everyone benefits, and your child who is overweight won’t feel singled out.

Make sure you child gets enough sleep. While research about the relationship between sleep and weight is ongoing, some studies link excess weight to not enough sleep in children and adults

Put healthy foods and drinks where they are easy to see and keep high-calorie foods and drinks out of sight — or don’t buy them at all.

Eat fast food less often. If you do visit a fast-food restaurant, encourage your child to choose healthier options, such as sliced fruit instead of fries. Also, introduce your child to different foods, such as hummus with veggies.

Try to sit down to family meals as often as possible and have fewer meals “on the run.”

Discourage eating in front of the television, computer, or other electronic device.

Don’t make your child clean his or her plate.

Offer rewards other than food or drinks when encouraging your child to practice healthy habits. Promising dessert for eating vegetables sends a message that vegetables are less valuable than dessert.