What is childhood obesity?
Controlling food and physical activity is essential to prevent childhood obesity
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Childhood obesity is when a child up to 12 years old is overweight for their age and height. Diagnosis is usually made based on body mass index (BMI) - some calculators help parents get a sense of the picture. Obesity in children can greatly affect their lives, in addition to triggering other health problems, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension. Therefore, the sooner this is diagnosed and treatment started, the better.
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Causes of childhood obesity
Childhood obesity can have several causes, often combining more than one of them. Some are:
- Genetic factors: Obese parents often have children with this problem. In other situations, as parents and children usually have the same routine, the problem affects everyone;
- Poor diet: a diet with excess fat, carbohydrates, sugar and sodium is a huge step towards childhood obesity;
- Sedentary lifestyle: lack of physical exercise also makes us gain weight, after all we don't burn the calories we consume;
- Hormonal disorders: these are more specific cases that should be treated by specialists.
Consequences of childhood obesity
Obese children can have very poor health, creating tendencies to develop problems such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, high triglyceride levels, etc. These complications resulting from obesity can provide children with:
- Problems with bones and joints;
- Difficulty breathing and tiredness when practicing physical activities.
- Sleep changes;
- In the case of girls, menstruation may arrive earlier causing premature maturation, irregular cycles, etc.;
- Cardiovascular problems;
- Liver disorders;
- Discouragement, tiredness, depression;
- Anxiety;
- Self-esteem issues;
- Eating disorders (such as anorexia and bulimia);
- Skin problems (on the skin);
- Diabetes;
- Adult obesity.
Treatment for childhood obesity
The main concern of parents is how to treat childhood obesity. The treatment must be done with great caution, as, in addition to being complex, the patients are children, which requires even more attention and care.
The treatment of childhood obesity must be done with the help of a specialist - this can be a pediatrician, endocrinologist, nutritionist or nutritionist. The specialist will talk to the guardians and the child to better understand the routine, eating habits and other details so that a more specific diagnosis can be made and the child referred to more effective treatment.
There are several treatment options for childhood obesity, depending on the level of overweight (ie, the severity of the disease). In the case of children who are just a little overweight, it is often indicated just to maintain the weight, as the child's growth can lower the body mass index without actually needing to lose weight.
Children with obesity at a higher level, already installed, at risk of developing other diseases, should lose weight - in a healthy way, of course. This weight loss must be slow and steady so that it does not harm the child's health. For this, the methods indicated are the same as for an adult, that is: a healthy diet and an exercise routine.
food
It is essential that the consumption of sugars and simple carbohydrates is reduced. For this, changing refined foods for whole foods, limiting the consumption of sugary drinks (such as soft drinks) and investing in fruits, vegetables and vegetables is very important. Other important steps to take are: avoid fast food (read more about the dangers of this type of food), biscuits, cookies, ready-to-eat meals and instant foods.- Sugar: the newest health villain
Changing your child's diet can be complicated, especially at first, but there must be persistence and the adoption of measures that will facilitate this process. You and your whole family need to be engaged in changing habits, after all, what credibility will you have in ordering your child to eat broccoli if your plate is full of French fries?
Learning to deal with the “tantrum” he can throw up is also very helpful. It is recommended that you be firm, talk to the child and explain the advantages of that food. Don't fight or force your child to eat anything, but don't give up and give other food either (especially something that isn't healthy). As a last resort, save the food and offer it again when the child is hungry. The ideal in these cases is simply not to buy foods that the child with childhood obesity should not eat.
Presenting the same food in different ways can also help you convince your child to eat vegetables. For example, if your child doesn't like the raw carrot he sees in the salad right away, you can cook it and put it on rice or some other dish. Not making too much of a fuss when introducing some new ingredient into your child's diet, just cooking it and putting it on the table while everyone eats together is also a tip that can be helpful. If parents tell their child a lot that he is going to try a new menu, they can end up creating an expectation on top of it and making acceptance difficult.
Check out some materials that can help you when it comes to healthy eating and nutritional re-education:
- What are fresh, processed and ultra-processed foods
- Seven tips for healthy and sustainable eating
- How to lose weight with health
- 21 foods that help you lose weight with health
- Spices can help you with the task of losing weight
Exercise practice
The introduction to the practice of exercises must be done in the most natural and progressive way possible, because if it is forced it can scare and traumatize the child, making him/her to withdraw even more from this type of activity. Find activities that your child can relate to, such as riding a bike or walking outdoors, playing in amusement parks, practicing a martial art, among others. Making it a family routine or, in the case of teenagers, calling your child's friends to join in is a good way to encourage your child.
Be careful not to put too much pressure on your child and focus on making this exercise routine enjoyable and fun. For this it is also not recommended to encourage competitions - everyone must participate, but equally and in a fun way. Competitions can end up discouraging the child.
- Adolescents who skip breakfast can develop obesity
Check out some tips to start exercising:
- Twenty exercises to do at home or alone
- HIIT training: seven minutes of exercises to do at home
- Six sustainable tips for your exercise
How to prevent childhood obesity?
The ways to prevent childhood obesity are diverse, but, in general, they all consist of a regulated diet and a balanced exercise routine. However, studies indicate that there may be a link between the length of breastfeeding and a child's tendency to become obese - the longer a child is breastfed, the less likely it is to be obese. Making regular appointments, at least once a year, with endocrinologists and nutritionists will help you make sure your child is healthy. Remember, too, to be a good example and take care of your own eating and exercise routine and never use food (especially snacks and sweets) as a bargaining chip - it's preferable to do this with money, so you already teach the basics of financial education.
