How To Help Your Overweight Child
WHAT IS IT? WHAT ARE THE REASONS? WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS?
What is child obesity? How Do You Know If Your Child Is Obese?
Although the most sophisticated methods are magnetic resonance imaging or dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and Densitometry. Most of the advance techniques are not available in India. Though it is not best way but BMI is easy way to measure obesity in kids. It is calculated/defined as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters (kg/m2) Body Mass Index After calculating your child’s BMI, you would have to plot it on a BMI chart and check if he lies above or below. Weight charts are used for determining whether they are overweight or not.
What are the common reasons for obese kids?
1) Food/Calorie Intake
Indian children and teenagers nowadays loves to eat fast foods instead of eat a healthy diet. These fast foods are very rich in fast carbohydrates and trans (bad)fat are considered as the major reason for childhood obesity. You must have seen enough teenagers eating junk or fast food in schools or college joints. That is why children in Cities like Mumbai ,Bangalore, Chennai ,Calcutta are more at risk. Junk food offer less nutrition and calorie dense.
2) Lack of Physical Exercise
Mobile, laptops, I pad are inherent part of young generation’s lifestyle. According to survey kids these days spent 24 hours a week browsing/screen. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends limiting screen time for elementary children to two hours per day. Kids these days rarely goes to play grounds, rather they spend time in front internet or television.
3) Genetic Factors
Genetic factor means what (number of fat cells present to store fat) you carry in genes from your ancestors .Kids whose parents are overweight may be at an increased risk of becoming overweight themselves, but this can be linked to shared family behaviors such as eating and activity habits. But it is majorly about lifestyle which includes not limited to food, physical activity ,rest etc.
4) Recovery/Sleep
Sleep is must for all age group. Everyone should get min 6 to 8 hours of sound quality sleep in day. Sleep plays big role in becoming obese.
5) Social Factors
Social support and influence plays big role in everybody’s life,that includes but not limited peer pressure, poverty, apartment you stay, school you chose to study and so on. In urban cities opportunities for exercise may be limited if there are no recreation areas in the neighborhood etc.
How to take care of child obesity in India?
1) Parents Role
a. Be supportive
You never know parents may be the real reason for it, so tell your child that he or she is loved, is special, and is important. Children’s feelings about themselves often are based on their parents’ feelings about them. Accept your child at any weight and any problem. Children will be more likely to accept and feel good about themselves when their parents accept them and their problems. Stop judging and listen to your child.
b. Encourage healthy eating habits
This can be and should be start with education about food and lifestyle. Hire personal trainer in Mumbai and certified dietitian to understand basics of food and physical activity. Buy diet consultation and discuss with your child. Biggest mistake parents do is to plan kids meals, guys you are not certified dietitian , they need calories to grow too, so hire experts.
2) School Role
a. Be Support
Everybody on earth wants to have perfect body/figure in world but they cannot make it because there are reasons for it. Sometime you know the reasons, sometime you are helpless. So as a school teacher do not judge your students, rather stand against bullying over obesity which is very common.
b. Education
School management should become platform for certified personal trainer in fitness industry, certified dietitian and parents. At a time parents does not know what is right way to address obese kids. Kids go through lots of stress that too reflects on eating(bad). They should also send parents for counseling in case it is needed.
3) Friends/Social role
Certain social factors like your neighborhood or city or temperature cannot be altered but human attitude should be modify, we all should have sympathy and compassion towards each other in all aspects of life. We are humans we can communicate , we got communication power not just say our feelings but to support each other too.
Obese children are at higher risk to develop type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, Breathing problems, such as asthma and sleep apnea, Joint problems, musculoskeletal discomfort, Fatty liver disease, gallstones, and gastro-esophageal reflux (i.e., heartburn) and psychological problems such as anxiety and depression and Low self-esteem. Obesity is a complex condition with biological, genetic, behavioral, social, cultural, and environmental reasons to it.
YOURS IN FITNESS
FITNESSSMITH – Mayur Deshpande
