Wilfley encourages parents in her programs to "walk the walk" and be a role model for their children. She talks about food as energy for kids' bodies -- eating better will help them think harder, jump higher, play more.

Her families try to follow the traffic light diet, with green-light foods such as vegetables, yellow-light foods such as lean protein and red-light foods such as sweets or simple carbohydrates.

"We focus a lot on not defining self-worth by the number on the scale," she says. "The best way to prevent eating disorders is having very healthy eating patterns."

Bond realized that in order to get Breanna to exercise regularly, they would had to make it a family activity. The Bonds started walking four miles, four days a week, on a trail near their home in Clovis, Calif.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," Bond says. "There were times where she refused to move." But in the end, "a little tough love to save the rest of their life" was worth it, she says.

Why is it so hard for kids to lose weight?

It's best to avoid a power struggle when it comes to exercise and healthy eating, according to Jelalian. She says it's easy for parents to become the "food police" without getting at the deeper issues. Parents should ask why a child wants a certain food or doesn't want to work out and problem-solve with them to find a healthy alternative.

She recommends parents give their kids a choice as much as possible -- not about being active or not active, but about what activity they want to do.

"It really takes that balance in parenting of being firm -- this part is not negotiable, but being warm, caring in how you do that."

Identifying your child's motivation for losing weight is key, Wilfley says. Do they want to be able to run faster? Play football? Avoid teasing at school? Combining that goal with incentives such as sleepovers or family outings should help to keep a child motivated.

Wilfley says it's also important to remove temptation from the house. Keep healthy snacks such as raw vegetables and hummus around; avoid buying chips, soda or other junk food.

"Don't expect yourself to have willpower. Most of us don't," she says. "That's just the way we are. That takes some of the shame and blame out of it."

Fitting in

Breanna and her mother now work out at least an hour and 15 minutes every day. Breanna has also joined a swim team, a competitive cheer team and a basketball team to stay active.

"Sometimes my body just says, 'Lay down, I don't want to do it,'" Breanna says. "My mom keeps me going."

As of this week, Breanna had lost 65 pounds and is down to 121 pounds -- 6 pounds from her goal weight. At that point, the Bond family will switch to "maintenance mode," where healthy eating and staying active will continue to play a big role in their everyday lives.

Breanna has told all her friends about her weight loss plan, and they've been amazed by the results. One even joined her workouts over the summer and lost 20 pounds.

"I was inspiring," Breanna says, sounding slightly in awe. Kids at school have stopped teasing her, and her self-confidence has soared.

"It's changed her whole life," Bond says. "She's able to be a kid for the first time."

For more information on helping your family get healthy, visit ChooseMyPlate.org or the Weight-control Information Network