Childhood Obesity: How To Prevent And Fight?

Rajesh and Sumathi have two children who are studying in a school. One of them is 10 years old and another one is 14 years old. Both of them are overweight, which made the parents worry a lot. So, Rajesh and Sumathi consulted a doctor to know how to reduce the weight of their children. They implemented some strategies that worked well for their children.

Obesity in children may affect them in various ways and they need proper care. Parents should always monitor their children’s health and catch the early signs of childhood obesity. This, in turn, gives ways to enhance the quality of life of their children to a large extent. Moreover, they should teach children about the consequences of obesity that will help accomplish goals with optimal results.

What is Childhood Obesity?

Children should maintain their body mass index (BMI) properly to avoid being overweight. BMI involves calculating the weight based on height and weight.

A child who is having the same BMI or high BMI comes under the overweight category. He/she considers keeping his/her weight in a perfect state to lead a healthy lifestyle.

What are the Causes of Childhood Obesity?

Several factors will influence childhood obesity and parents should know more about them in detail.

1. Genes 

A child will become obese when one of his/her parents is having a history of overweight conditions.

2. Lack of Exercise

Lack of exercise may lead to childhood obesity and parents should teach their children about the importance of doing exercises regularly.

3. Unhealthy Junk Foods 

Unhealthy foods and junk foods are other factors that can influence obesity in children and they should avoid them.

4. Medical conditions 

Some medical conditions like abnormalities in the thyroid gland may cause obesity problems in children and parents should evaluate them with more attention.

5. Psychological Factors 

Psychological factors such as stress and mental worries can affect the children that will lead to overweight problems.

Read More: Eradicate Children Obesity: Get Your Children Moving

What are the Effects of Obesity in Children?

Obesity in children may lead to some effects that will impact their lives. Some of them include asthma, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. It even results in psychological problems such as stress, anxiety, and depression.

Excess weight can also lead to joint disorders and musculoskeletal discomfort. Fatty liver disease, gallstones, and heartburn are some other effects of childhood obesity that can cause complications. The future health risks include type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties, and cancer.

Tips to Prevent Obesity in Children

1. Developing a Healthy Diet Plan 

Parents should develop a healthy diet plan for their children that will help enhance their quality of life. It should cover vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products that give ways to maintain a healthy weight. Not only that, children need some dairy items which are low in fats.

Low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese can improve the health conditions of children enabling them to lead a trouble-free life. Children can benefit a lot from lean meats, poultry, fish, and lentils because they contain high protein levels. It is wise to avoid sugary drinks and saturated foods that provide ways to experience the desired outcomes.

2. Limiting the Temptations of Calorie-Rich Foods

Children shouldn’t take foods that are rich in high fats, high sugars, and high salts to prevent the symptoms of obesity. Instead, parents should recommend fruits and healthy snacks made from veggies. They can also consult with a dietician to know what foods are ideal for their children when it comes to snacks.

Controlling the temptation is one of the childhood obesity prevention steps that allow children to overcome complications. It also plays an important role in improving the health conditions of children. Drinking vegetable and fruit juices allow children to get the nutrients required for the body. They even help control health risks to experience peace of mind.

3. Educating the Importance of Exercises 

Parents should educate their children about the importance of exercise because they show ways to lead a healthy lifestyle. They should create a routine exercise program to stay active for long hours. It should include aerobic activities, bone-strengthening activities, and other exercises that will help accomplish goals significantly.

4. Reducing Sedentary Time 

A majority of children spend their time watching television, playing video games, or surfing the web. Therefore, parents should reduce sedentary time by engaging them in useful activities. Apart from that, mind activities will help reduce stress and other issues to a large extent.

5. Ensuring Adequate Sleep 

Parents should ensure that their children get adequate sleep because it will help improve their health effectively. Adequate sleep makes children focus more on daily activities without any hassles. Proper exercises and healthy foods enable children to enhance their quality of sleep.

6. Encouraging Slow Eating 

Overeating of foods can lead to obesity problems in children and parents should encourage slow eating. This, in turn, gives ways to keep weight in a healthy state. Children must eat only when they feel hungry. Chewing foods slowly aids in better digestion that will help enhance the quality of life.

7. Limiting Children Eating Outside of the Home

Parents should ensure that their children are not eating any foods from outside which will help reduce obesity problems. They can pack healthy snacks and foods for them that give ways to avoid temptation.

8. Teaching Stress Management 

Stress may lead to various problems in children and they need proper solutions. Parents should teach them about stress management techniques that will help maintain health in a perfect state. Also, they help children to stay away from obesity symptoms by addressing their exact needs.

The Bottom Line

Obesity is a severe condition that can result in various problems in children. Parents should know the causes of childhood obesity properly that will help fix them quickly. They should also recommend a healthy diet and exercises which give ways to maintain a healthy life. It is necessary to know the requirements of children when they want to eat foods and drinks that provide methods to stay away from potential hazards.