One in three kids or teens in the US are overweight or obese. When you take a closer look at the numbers the obesity rate climbs even higher among ethnic groups - the epidemic is hitting Hispanics particularly hard. Health reporter Erin Billups takes a look at a new clinic that gives parents and children the tools to change their lifestyle habits and filed the following report.

Since Juan Mendoza was five, he and his mom have been trying to get a handle on his weight problem. But the busyness of single parenthood left Cecilia Bonilla with little control over her son's diet.

"Because I worked off shifts, I had to depend on family or babysitter to watch him and they felt like, 'Oh so you're Spanish, you're chunky, that's good, that's healthy,'" recalls Bonilla.

Now 12, Mendoza has enrolled in a weight management program at Montefiore Medical Center. Health tests revealed excess fat in his liver.

"Once your liver is damaged, you can't fix it. So that was a scary thing when they said, 'Okay he might have this,'" says Bonilla.

Mendoza began treatment with Doctor Bryan Rudolph, who heads the hospital's new Pediatric Fatty Liver Clinic. He says Mendoza is not alone.

"It affects about 10 percent of all kids and the other part of it is how common it is in our population here in the Bronx, which is probably even more so than that," says Dr. Rudolph.

Fatty liver disease is a complication of obesity. It's most common among Hispanics and Asians due to a certain gene variation. Over time it can cause inflammation and scarring of the liver.

"We see kids as young as four years of age with this, the youngest reported in literature is two years of age. I think the youngest kid getting a liver transplant for this is about eight years old. So it's scary," says Dr. Rudolph.

Rudolph is now working with Mendoza to change his lifestyle. They're also eating more vegetables, they have stopped buying unhealthy snacks, and Mendoza is getting more physically active.

"It's like a struggle," says Mendoza.

Mendoza who is brave to tell his story is optimistic he can change the cycle of unhealthy eating in his family.

"He's still young so it's easier to train yourself as a young person and it becomes your routine," says Bonilla.

For more information on the clinic, visit www.cham.org.

During the month of February, Time Warner Cable News is committed to informing our viewers of the sometimes alarming trends facing our kids' health as well as provide helpful tips for busy parents.  Get more information on Fit Kids February, including the Fit Kids Challenge, healthy shopping suggestions and ways you can get involved to help make you and your children healthier!