Autism Diet

Childhood Obesity

Now-a –days, the terms ‘CHILDHOOD’ and ‘OBESITY’ are so commonly taken together that one wonders about the grave consequences of the modern lifestyle. It is an estimated fact that in the last 30 years obesity in children has been doubled and in India it has increased to 10 million obese children.

Causes

In order to tackle this disease it’s very important to understand the causes and reasons of obesity in children.

  • Hereditary factors- The chances of children being obese increases when the parents are obese too.
  • Lack of physical activity- Due to hectic schedules, exposure to modern technology like computers and mobiles, more and more children are spending their holidays indoors leading to sedentary lifestyle,
  • Unhealthy eating patterns-Eating junk food, excessive fatty food – (butter, cheese, Fried food), Refined flour (maida) – breads, burgers etc. are also one of the reasons of obesity
  • Depression - This is again the term that one never thought that children can suffer from which leads to over-eating as a way to cope up with sad mood.
  • Hormonal issues like thyroid problems etc.. have been known to cause obesity
Risk factors of obesity

Obesity leads to major health issue if not treated on time -

  1. High cholesterol
  2. Low self-esteem
  3. Sleep troubles
  4. Snoring
  5. Psychological problems
    Early onset of:
  6. High Blood Pressure
  7. Heart diseases
  8. Diabetes
  9. Joint problems like arthritis
  10. Increased risk of different types of cancer
Investigations:

The BMI is the correct way to determine whether the child is overweight or obese. It is calculated by measuring the child’s height weight and computed by comparing with standard BMI according to age and gender.

Also blood tests include hormonal assays and blood cholesterol and sugar level is very important.

Prevention

Adapting healthy lifestyle and dietary changes is a major step in preventing obesity.

Planning activities like swimming, cycling, walking, sports etc.

Avoiding junk food like cheese, burger, pizzas and turning towards a more healthy food option like fruits, milk, vegetables.

Counselling the kids, motivating the kid to take up healthy activities, parental and teacher’s guidance is the most important step to keep the child motivated and enthusiastic about weight loss.

Regular weight check-ups, monitoring the blood cholesterol along with appropriate treatment of the underlying cause of obesity.