Obesity is a health condition where weight gain moves to a point that it poses a grim risk to health. One of the best ways to reduce the chances of childhood obesity is to improve the diet patterns and help your child cultivate exercise habits. Taking care of and preventing childhood obesity helps protect the health of your child and can avoid serious ailments. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a scientific indicator of determining the amount of body fat for children two years of age or older. Regular check-ups and advice from your child's doctor can help you assess if your child's weight can pose health issues in the future course.
Prospective dietary factors behind obesity
Obesity occurs when a person takes in more energy than they expend, while some people are genetically vulnerable than others, but the rise in obesity has been too hasty to be attributed to genetic factors and thus reflect changes in eating habits and levels of physical activity. Dormant lifestyles, high dietary intake of junk foods in place of homemade food, high intakes of sugar sweetened soft drinks and fruit juices, and strict dieting are chief reasons of increasing childhood obesity.
The most important cause behind rising childhood obesity occurs at a time when the proportion of energy derived from fat decreases substantially. It is thus important to consume healthy food rather than the larger amount. Moreover, foods rich in glycaemic index such as breads, potatoes, soft drinks, biscuits and cakes cause significant rise in blood sugar levels immediately after consumption and also stimulates hunger, causing overeating. These food articles thus induce flab causing heart disease and diabetes. The increased consumption of junk food that is high in fat, energy intense, has a high glycaemic index is a major reason of increasing child obesity. Junk foods are high on energy and low on micro nutrient foods are causative agents in obesity. Fibrous food products rich in anti-oxidants and healthy day schedules can help manage this problem. Prevention and management of obesity requires synchronized efforts to improve diet and induce the physical efforts in the early years of children at schools, in families and communities.
Actions to Prevent and Remedial measures for Obesity
Obese children are more prone to mental sickness as they feel detached and unfriendly. They need regular and careful medical examination by a pediatrician to assess a physical cause. If obesity is not due to the genetic disorder, the only way to reduce weight is by reducing the number of calories consumed and to increase the child's level of physical activity by indulging into sports. Cultivate healthy eating habits, avoiding fatty and sugar rich junk foods and include fruits, vegetables and low-fat snacks in the daily diet. Increase physical activity, by taking a few brisk walks with your child every day.
Obese children feel isolated. Let your child know he or she is loved and appreciated irrespective of appearance and overweight. An overweight child probably knows better than anyone else that he or she has an overweight problem. They need love, support, acceptance, and encouragement from their parents and community. Encourage and enjoy healthy foods and physical activity like sports, walk, etc. Set good examples for your child. Don't be shy of your child's overweight. When your child sees you enjoying healthy foods and physical activity, he or she is more likely to enjoy the same for rest of life.
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