Dear Annie: I’m worried my grandson and his wife are feeding their child too much

Dear Annie: My grandson married a lovely girl who we are crazy about. She has fought a weight problem all her life. She is still heavy, though not obese. They have a 1-year-old baby and are over the moon with her.

Both of them feed this child every moment. Healthy snacks are not necessarily low calorie. I don’t know what she weighs, but I can’t pick her up. I fear they are raising this child to have the same issues as her mom, needing constant oral fixations. They feed her when she is not obviously hungry. I don’t want to start any problems, but obesity starts in childhood. What can I do without causing problems? — Overfeeding a Baby

Dear Overfeeding: You’re right that obesity can start in childhood, though I’m not sure I’d say it starts in infancy. The most important thing here is your great-granddaughter’s overall health and well-being, not solely her weight. Ultimately, your grandson and his wife know the ins and outs of their baby’s health better than anyone else, and I would hope they have the same goal you do, which is to make sure she is a healthy and well-taken-care-of child.

Focus on what you have some control over when you are with the baby, such as feeding her healthy snacks when it’s time to eat and getting in physical activity and playtime. Time will tell whether there is genuine reason to be concerned about the baby’s weight.