Childhood Obesity: Control it before it controls your child!

Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. It is referred to as a “non-communicable disease”, as obesity not only causes premature death, but also long-term morbidity.

It increases the likelihood to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, joint problems, sleeplessness, and poor self-esteem.

Factors leading to obesity are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors. Prolonged use of mobiles, computers and video games, the number of hours of inactivity lead to obesity among children.

There has been a gradual shift in the diet towards increased intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat and sugars but low in vitamins, minerals and micronutrients over the past few years.

There are various ways by which childhood obesity can be prevented and managed such as practising healthy lifestyle habits, healthy eating and physical activity. Atleast 60 minutes of physical activity every day is necessary in order to maintain a healthy body and can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing diseases.

It is important for the entire family to carry out healthy practices which helps bring out a greater impact. As overweight children tend to have more anxiety and poorer social skills than normal-weight children, they should be motivated in a friendly manner in order to bring about a positive change in their behaviors.

Focus should be laid on increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, as well as dals, whole grains and nuts. The diet should be fiber rich in order to provide satiety without increasing caloric content.

Unsaturated fats like vegetable oils, nuts and seeds should be consumed instead of saturated fats such as vanaspati, butter and red meat. The intake of sugar, salt and processed foods should be limited.

The body needs fat to function, but you have to choose the right type of fats. Being overweight or having high cholesterol, triglyceride or blood pressure is an indication of unhealthy eating habits. It is advisable to consult a nutritionist/dietician about ways to improve your diet and manage such conditions at the earliest.