Category: Healthy Living Academies

A high amount of fat accumulation in the body leads to obesity. This is a growing concern for parents. But it is the parents themselves who lead their children toward this unhealthy physical condition. Parents who allow their children to eat/drink whatever they want are the ones risking the life of their children. Obesity in children is a cause for a number of physical and emotional problems. The number of overweight/obese children/teenagers has increase more than 15% in the last few years. So how to avoid obesity? Ideally this has to start very early. Right from birth. But don’t worry. It’s never too late. You can start even now if you have not. Children can lose weight easily. Here are some very simple steps. They can be applied for kids/teenagers

• Cultivate healthy eating habits as soon as possible. Start vegetables by the age of one. By three years teach the child to eat a healthy breakfast.

• If you are keen on giving a balanced healthy diet for children throughout the day then cut it down into a number of meals and give the fat/carbohydrates during the day. You can browse the net or ask the child’s doctor about daily portions in the diet.

• Children cannot grow up without the right amount of fat. Give it in reduced quantities. Avoid fatty food like butter/cheese/oil/high amount of meat, high quantity of milk during the night.

• Always make it a habit to have an early dinner. At least three hours before. • Do not allow the children to eat in the middle of the night.

• Plan a time when the child can eat fast food. Giving it on a weekly basis or fortnightly is best. And it is also best if it is made at home. This way you can control the amount of junk intake.

• Reduce the amount of pocket money for food so that the child does not indulge in unnecessary eating.

• A very important cause for overweight kids is lack of physical activity. Parents make their children couch potatoes by allowing them to watch too much TV. The best way for a child to grow into a healthy person physically and mentally is physical activity. If you are physically active the child will follow you. Enroll the child for physical activities that he/she has an interest it.

By just following the above steps you can see a difference in your child. Believe me once the child has a routine set it is not at all difficult to tackle obesity.

Obese kids will most likely develop serious health problems, like for example heart diseases and diabetes, often carrying these conditions into an overweight adulthood. Obese kids are at higher risk for developing the following:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Asthma and other respiratory problems
• Metabolic syndrome
• Sleep disorders
• Liver disease
• High blood pressure
• Early puberty or menarche
• Skin infections
• Eating disorders

Furthermore the emotional and social  fallout can also hurt your child.

Obesity has a wide-ranging impact on a child’s health and life.

Physical health.

Obesity has been linked to several diseases and conditions in adults, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Many risk factors connected with those diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol,  triglyceride levels etc., can be followed from childhood to adulthood. This points to a potential link between childhood health and long-term adult health. Overweight children are more than two times likely to have high levels of cholesterol. Aortic fatty streaks, the first stages of atherosclerosis, begin to appear in childhood, maybe even as early as three years old. Also, children with triceps skinfolds greater than the 70th percentile have significantly higher blood pressures. In the past few years, Type 2 diabetes has risen dramatically among children and adolescents. Many experts believe this increase is due to the high rate of overweight and obesity in children and teens.

Persistence into adulthood.

One of the biggest concerns is that obese children and teenagers are more likely to become obese adults, with all of the health, social and psychological ramifications. Three important factors are age of onset, severity, and parental obesity. In a review of literature, Serdula found the risk for adult obesity was greater among children who had extreme levels of obesity. They also found that the risk was higher for those who were obese at older ages, such as in adolescence (Serdula 2). Parental obesity may double the risk for adult obesity too (Whittaker3).

Psychological and social health.

Overweight has emotional, social, and psychological consequences. Our society emphasizes slimness and beauty, and we have many misconceptions about obesity and overweight. As a result, overweight kids often are treated differently and often not in a positive aspect. This may be the most devastating effect of overweight on children and teens. Overweight kids may feel isolated and lonely. This can lead to identity problems and a low self-esteem. It is important to be sensitive to this issue and to understand that an individual’s confidence, especially a child’s, is affected by self-image and perceptions of peers.