Child Obesity Epidemic Continues
Lately the worldwide problem of child obesity is more and more prominent in all the news media. If a child is obese it can lead to serious health iss...
Lately the worldwide problem of child obesity is more and more prominent in all the news media. If a child is obese it can lead to serious health issues for the child like diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, lack of sufficient bone density, sleep disorders and problems, psychological symptoms and gastro-intestinal problems. Such disorders can be expected to continue into adulthood. Recent studies have shown that if a child is obese it is extremely likely that adult obesity will follow.
Despite all the above, parents can easily impact on the lifestyle of their children and guide them to achieve a healthy lifestyle and remain healthy.
What is the role needed from parents to make a contribution to the prevention of obesity in their child? Parents must address the causes of childhood obesity. Parents must pay attention to their kids and help them to feel that they belong and that they are in a secure environment. Children that are neglected by their parents have a much higher likelyhood of obesity than their peers. Be sure not to force your kids to eat more than they feel like at mealtime, you will train your child’s metabolism to function at a higher level than what would be healthy for the child.
The amount of food eaten is not what is most important. Of far more importance is that the child should eat properly and then get adequate exercise. Your kid will acquire abnormal eating behaviours if you are going to be constantly fussing about food intake.
Your child should not spend so much time in front of the telly. As your child spends more time in front of the TV so he or she will be more obese, watching television is obviously going to reduce physical activities by the child, it then consequently also reduces the metabolism of the body. The junk food commercials on television also affects children, they are encouraged to eat more junk food and drink beverages with high levels of sugar leading to increased weight problems for the kid.
If you are thinking that your child weighs more than his or her ideal weight and that there is a risk of obesity, consult with a physician as soon as you can, and stop obesity in its tracks immediately. It is a myth that mothers to be have to eat for two people, too much food while you are pregnant just dramatically increases the possibility that both you and your unborn child will in future become obese. Your newborn should be breastfeeded for a period of not less than one year. While the child is still very small, there should be strong emphasis on fruits, and vegetables and grains while all the time monitoring to see if the youngster is really hungry before feeding it.
If the risk that your child will become obese is high, try using low fat milk instead of the richer variety. Sugar and fat containing snacks must be avoided, because they are very high in calories. For kids that are still of school going age, put in place steadfast rules as to how much they are allowed to watch television, snacks may only be of the healthy variety, treats can be allowed occasionally and generally good food habits must be encouraged.
The child obesity epidemic is not static, it increases with each year that passes and, since the early eighties, there has been a dangerously high increase. The childhood obesity epidemic will pose a huge threat to the future of our children and their children, it is now the time to stop it on a global scale.
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