

Childhood obesity is a problem that needs immediate attention. Our environment and routine dictate our lifestyle, and it is easy to give in to the comfort of the urban lifestyle. Obesity can either be genetic or a result of overeating and lack of physical activity and often is a combination of them all. It is essential to determine the root cause of the problem and take the necessary measures. Making small lifestyle changes can benefit the child in the long run.
Craving sugar is natural, and fruits tend to taste less sweet because of the regular consumption of high sugar desserts. Instead of making them quit at once, try switching out fruits with candy from time to time and gradually, the child will develop a taste for fruits.
Unlike adults, children tend to be fussy about eating healthy food. Vegetables aren’t appealing, and they prefer eating pizza over home-cooked meals.
To tackle the problem, parents can experiment with cooking now and then.
Video games and TV shows are captivating, and children now spend more time playing online than in parks. Also, tempting ads and posts lead to the demand for high-calorie snacks that have no nutritional value.
As a result, children snack more and move less throughout the day, and the caloric intake ends up being higher than the caloric expenditure.
A sedentary lifestyle leads to weight gain and muscle loss. Since the body stays stationary for longer hours, the body stores the extra fat in various areas of the body, including the liver, and a fatty liver leads to obesity. Physical exercise has multiple benefits:
The quality of food matters, but the quantity of food needs to be regulated as well. Overeating and undereating are undesirable states.
The parents must ensure that:
Getting hungry throughout the day is normal, and so is snacking. But parents should stock up on healthy snacks, including fibre and protein-rich food, to curb hunger and prevent over-indulgence.
Fruits and nuts work as nutrient-packed snacks, and parents can mix and match ingredients to keep things interesting. Check for food allergies before making changes to the diet.
Some healthy snack options can be:
Apart from making these healthy substitutions, the first step to healthy eating is buying what one wants their child to eat.
Talk to your child about mental health and body positivity.
Parents can feel insecure about their parenting style, and they end up living in denial about a lot of weight-related issues with their child. The children don’t realise the severity of the problem either, and they continue to live an unhealthy lifestyle.
Parents should be:
Fix a mealtime when the entire family can sit together to eat. Remove all distraction from the table and engage in mindful eating.
Society tends to be judgemental about overweight children. Children can develop an unhealthy body image, and this can lead to various mental health issues.
Obesity can lead to severe health conditions, like- liver issues, diabetes, heart conditions etc. Society needs to work together and provide a solution to the problem, and people should refrain from making negative comments that can have a lasting impact on the child.
Managing weight is a challenging task, but it is not impossible. Working consistently towards maintaining a healthy weight helps prevent the issue of obesity from the start. It is essential to focus on a healthy weight, not a specific number or body shape.
https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/nutrition/resources/obparnts.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/children/index.html
www.washingtonpost.com/wellness
https://theconversation.com/eight-sneaky-tricks-to-get-your-children-to-eat-healthy-food-39284
https://www.doylestownhealth.org/about/news/health-news-and-blog/6-ways-to-prevent-childhood-obesity
Written by Stuti
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