The Global Pandemic Of Fat Children Must Be Addressed Immediately
Monday, September 28th, 2009For the last year or two the worldwide problem of a high childhood obesity rate 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, heart health issues, lack of sufficient bone density, sleep 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.
Nonetheless, it is possible for parents to make a positive impact on the lifestyle of their offspring and give them the guidance that will ensure a happy and healthy adulthood.
What role can parents play to have a positive impact on obesity amongst children? 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. Your kids should not be pressured into eating more than they want to during meals, you will train your child’s metabolism to function at a higher level than what would be healthy for the child.
Do not emphasize too much the amount of food eaten. It is much more important that the child must eat healthy food and then also get sufficient exercise to burn of the calories. If you worry too much about your child’s weight you are going to encourage eating behaviours that are abnormal.
Your child should not spend so much time in front of the telly. You will find that his or her weight is almost directly proportional to the time sitting motionless in front of the tv, watching television is obviously going to reduce physical activities by the child, and then it naturally also reduces the body’s metabolism. 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, you should go to the doctor as soon as possible, and stop obesity in its tracks immediately. It is not really necessary for expecting mothers to eat for two persons, too much food while you are pregnant just dramatically increases the possibility that both you and your unborn child will in future become obese. The young infant must be breastfeeded for at least one year. While the child is still very small, a greater emphasis should be on fruits, grains and other fresh produce while closely watching to see if the child is really hungry before being fed.
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. If your kid is still at school, put in place steadfast rules as to how much they are allowed to watch television, snacks must be nutritious, 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 1981, there has been an alarming increase. The child obesity epidemic will pose a huge threat to the future of our children and their children, and it must now be halted in its tracks all over the developed world.