Be Active North Carolina will be debuting a new online resource for North Carolina parents this week. It's called Parenting for Health.

As part of the site's launch, we're launching a new series here on Mom2Mom. The Web site's experts will be answering questions about health and fitness for kids and families each month on Mom2Mom.

Here's the first question and answer from the folks at Parenting for Health.

The question: My 15-year-old doesn't enjoy sports and is involved in very little physical activity. He's a smart kid with great grades, but I worry about his health now and in the future. His doctor has said he needs to lose about 10 pounds. I've encouraged him to get up and take a walk at least, but he's not interested and certainly doesn't want to do those things with me. How can I encourage him to be more active?

The answer: Consider less conventional activities as exercise for your son. Encourage participation in nontraditional physical activities that are often seen as “cool” or “extreme” and are focused more on individuality, autonomy, and self-expression, including (but definitely not limited to) mountain biking, skateboarding, or Frisbee golf. Because he is a good student, he might enjoy activities that have an interesting history or that are mentally stimulating as well as good exercise. How about martial arts? Hapkido, for example, is a Korean martial art that translates to “the art of coordinating energy.” There are groups that teach this martial art right here in the Triangle. You could start with some online research or a good book, and then encourage him to look into local clubs and organizations. Some other ideas might be geocaching, rock climbing, or taking bicycle or walking tours of historic sites. And of course, look into whether your son can safely walk or cycle to school.

Your son is old enough to engage in a discussion about this issue. Tell him about the risks of inactivity, and encourage him to do some research on his own. Engage him in the process, and just like you have expectations for performance in school and in household chores, have firm expectations for the amount of activity your children get every day. At the same time, continue to praise him and encourage his good habits. Becoming physically active can be a challenge at any age, so recognize all of the little achievements along the way to a healthier life.

Here are a couple things to keep in mind that will help you get your son moving: Every member of your family, not just your son, should be physically active; your family should fuel with lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins; and restricting your entire family’s TV, computer, and video game time to 2 hours or less a day, even on weekends, will leave more time for activity and less sedentary time.

For more information visit www.parentingforhealth.org or for a lengthier answer to this question, please visit www.beactivenc.org/blog. You can email us at parenting@beactivenc.org.

Local experts field your questions about Mom2Mom every Tuesday. If you have other questions for local experts on your health, your kids' health and related issues, you can also e-mail me. Go to www.trianglemom2mom.com/ask for past questions and answers.