Obesity – it’s more than being round
Your child’s body stores unused energy as body fat. To maintain a healthy weight, she needs to use (or ‘burn’) the energy from the foods he eats. If she eats more than she uses, her body will store the extra energy as fat. Too much of this kind of storage makes her overweight/obese.
Over-weight attracters
o Food choices – Choosing high fat and sugary foods instead of healthier options.
o Lack of physical activity – Children are less active than they were in the past. On average, they watch around two and half hours of television a day, not to mention the time spent on computer and other electronic games.
o Overweight parents – A family’s eating patterns can have a major influence on whether a child maintains healthy weight. Some overweight parents may be less concerned about their children being overweight than parents are generally cautious about their eating and exercising patterns, o Genetics – Some rare genes disorders cause severe childhood obesity. In many other people, particular genes acting together probably make some children more susceptible to obesity. If there is a family tendency to become overweight, parents need to be even more aware of making healthy food choices for the whole family.
Health problems
o An overweight child may feel different from other children, which can affect her confidence. They can also be subjected to bullying from other children. This may make you worried about your children taking part in everyday activities such as school sports – making weight control even more difficult. Although health problems are less common in childhood, children who continue to be overweight into adulthood are at great risk of developing:
o ‘Type two’ diabetes – while this condition is most commonly seen in adults, it is now also being diagnosed in children,
o Eating disorders such as binge eating
o Orthopedic disorders – problems with foot structure
o Liver problems, including fatty liver
o Respiratory disorders, such as blocked airways and restrictions in the chest wall, which cause breathlessness during exercise,
o Sleep apnoea – a condition that causes difficult breathing when sleeping. It also causes snoring and often waking. It makes one feel tired and contributes to poor concentration during the day.
o Cardiomyopathy – a problem with the heart muscle, caused when extra effort is needed to pump blood.
Tackling Obesity
Children have different body shapes at different ages. So it can be difficult to tell if a child is overweight. As the number of overweight children in our set up increases, our view of what is ‘normal’ can change. Your family doctor, school nurse or an experienced health professional will be able to give you feedback on your child’s growth.
If your child is overweight, it is important to seek the advice of a health professional. Young children should not be on diets that severely limit food intake. You may be advised to make permanent changes to your family’s lifestyle and eating patterns. Everyone at home should be involved in these changes, regardless of body weight, so that the over weight child doesn’t feel singled out. Making the right adjustments will protect your children from developing eating and dieting problems later in life.
It may take a number of attempts before children are happy to change their food choices or become more active. This can be frustrating for parents but don’t give up. Children who are overweight need to know that they are loved and important, regardless of their weight.
“Children have different body shapes at different ages. So, it can be difficult to tell if a child is overweight.”
Good nutrition starts early in life:
o Breastfeed.
o Introduce solids at around six months.
o Encourage a wide variety of nutritious foods. No particular food should be forced or overly restricted.
o Consider using reduced fat dairy products after two years of age.
o Offer mostly cereals, grains and breads, vegetables and fruits with moderate amounts of meat products and dairy foods.
o Use added fats (such as oil, margarine and butter) in small amounts.
o Offer fresh vegetables and fruit instead of processed snack foods.
o Include treats such as cakes, chips or take away foods occasionally (once per week). Enjoy them as a family.
o Offer children water when they are thirsty. Sweet drinks including juice, cordial and soft drinks are not necessary and can contribute to tooth decay.
Diet and feeding tips
o Buy, prepare and offer the foods you would like your child to eat. Allow them to choose what and how much food they will eat.
o Keep offering healthy foods even if they are refused at first
o Include your child’s food choices in the family menu
o Act as a role model. Make sure your child sees you eating healthy foods
o Involve children in simple food preparation such as making a salad
o Let your child decide if they have had enough, even if food is left on their plate. This encourages children to better understand feelings of hunger and fullness. These habits may help to control appetite and prevent overeating as they grow o Encourage slow eating if yours is a family of fast eaters. Put your knife and fork down between mouthfuls. Offer crunchy foods that need lots of chewing.
o Help your child recognize if he or she eats when bored, sad or lonely. Try to suggest another activity to help distract them.
o Try not to punish, reward or cheer your child up with food. It can be tempting to use food this way sometimes, but it establishes an unhealthy relationship with food.
Dr. Renson Mukhwana, is a paediatrician at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital
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