Childhood Obesity facts : Personal Care Articles

:: Beware of Childhood Obesity; Take steps in time!

Is your child gaining excess weight these days? Well, it is normal for kids to grow in height and weight as they grow older. But gaining excess weight as regards their height and age, leads to childhood obesity. The medical experts are very much concerned about childhood obesity, as it in turn leads to many diseases at much earlier age.

Causes of childhood obesity:

One of the chief causes for obesity among children of twenty first century is unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle patterns. The child sitting in front of the TV and munching on the fries will obviously gain more weight. Chocolates, fried foods, refrigerated sweetened drinks, aerated cold-drinks, instant foods like burgers, pizzas, and so many other items are taking away the liveliness of our kids. Some genetic and hormonal causes do play a role but eating disorders top the etiological factors.

Make proper assessment:

Only an expert doctor can make apt assessment of your child’s proper weight, because many factors including family’s weight to height ratio in general and comparing the results with other children’s growth chart are necessary to draw exact conclusion.

Treatment patterns to deal with childhood obesity:

As the obese children run the risk of developing many diseases including heart problems, diabetes, behavioral troubles, low self-esteem, respiratory diseases, skin maladies, early puberty, and liver diseases. To avoid these problems one can seek expert opinion and take necessary steps in time.

1) The children under age 7 without any health problems should have a well-sketched program that include healthy eating pattern and physical activity program.

2) The weight loss schedule should commence at much earlier age as far as possible, because once the child grows older, it’s more difficult to lose weight.

3) Inculcate habits of eating more fruits and veggies instead of junk food.

4) Limit television viewing hours and do not allow kids to have their lunch or dinners while sitting in front of television.

5) Physically active kids tend to be more active mentally than couch potatoes. Try to build healthy exercise habits into kids at much early age so that it becomes a habit as they grow older.

6) The hormonal and other disorders should be treated by expert doctor with the help of suitable medicines and drugs.