Obesity in children and its risk to their health is really concerning thins to parents. Obesity in children is a sure start to the occurrence of health problems in the near future, so the child becomes infected with the dreaded diseases that affect adults, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, especially if the parents suffer from obesity or one of them, and if childhood obesity continues into adulthood without treatment and getting rid of it early.
Symptoms of obesity in children
Body mass index (BMI), meaning that it is the specified standard for body weight relative to height, and its measurement that determines whether the child is obese or not, in addition to the doctor’s knowledge of the body mass index and growth chart, the child’s body shape may be larger than usual without the presence of obesity.
Obesity in children is due to changes in the hormones of the digestive system that make the child feel hungry and full, and there are hormonal and genetic factors that play the main role in obesity, and eating a calorie-rich diet without exercising and eating large quantities of water.
Pathological stages of an obese child:
- An obese child suffers from bone fractures more often and is difficult to heal, and asthma suffers more than the other child.
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which is a disease that has no symptoms, but scarring and damage to the liver as a result of the accumulation of fat inside it.
- Disturbance during sleep as a result of interrupting breathing for a period of time, and returning again, and it is one of the most dangerous symptoms of obesity in children.
- Excess weight is one of the problems that leads to the accumulation of fat in the arteries and their narrowing, and this symptom leads to hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.
- Disruption of the metabolism process, which leads to excess abdominal obesity, low good cholesterol, high triglycerides and high blood sugar.
- Due to the wrong eating habits and immobility, children develop type 2 diabetes.
Factors of weight gain in children
- Children stay in remote places and cannot get healthy food or exercise. They eat biscuits and high-calorie-ready meals.
- Eating food to overcome family problems or fear and anxiety, all of which are psychological factors that increase the problem of obesity in children.
- Lack of physical activity, such as getting up early and walking in and out of school, and what adds to the problem is that families are accustomed to that.
- Sitting in front of the phone, computer, or television screen for long periods, and playing games that do not move in, are all factors that reduce the chance of burning calories.
Ways to treat obesity in children
Treating obesity in children is part of their health care and increasing weight abnormally in children does not bode well for anything good, rather it is a serious matter that must be taken care of, because childhood is the stage of growth and we do not, of course, prefer that the growth of our children accompanies a health problem such as Obesity that may affect their future health.
The treatment of obesity in children depends mainly on the child’s age and taking into account whether or not he has a health problem, and below we review the details of obesity in children.
Treating obesity in children
The treatment of obesity in children depends on the age and health conditions that may be affected, the treatment may include a significant change in the child’s eating habits and physical activity, and the treatment of obesity in children is divided into the following:
- Treating overweight children (BMI 85 to 94)
It is better for children over two years old and overweight to apply a special program to maintain weight in order to stop or slow down weight gain, this method helps to increase the height of the child instead of gaining weight, and this of course leads to a decrease in the BMI over time towards a healthy indicator. And natural.
They are children whose mass index is more than 95 and they are from the age of 6 to 11 years, and who suffer from obesity. Older adults can adjust their diet to lose 1 or 2 kilograms per week.
The methods of treating obesity in children or maintaining weight are the same methods, as all of it requires eating healthy food in certain quantities with a commitment to a certain physical activity.
Methods of treating obesity in children
- healthy food
Parents are the ones who control the quality of food entering the home and the quality of food that children eat, so the following must be taken into account:
Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. When buying food for the home, parents should reduce the purchase of canned foods, biscuits and other prepared foods, pay attention to fruits and vegetables, and accustom children to eating them.
Reducing sweetened drinks, and natural juices can also be included. Juices give the body large amounts of calories in exchange for a limited nutritional value, and they also work to satiate the child and prevent him from eating the main meals.
Eating in a family, eating with the family is different from eating alone in front of the TV, which may make the child eat unconsciously and quickly, and he is also prohibited from eating fast foods.
Providing adequate quantities of food, the child does not need the same quantities as adults, so the amount he eats must be taken into account only as much as he is satisfied.
- Physical activity
The practice of physical activities and exercise is important for children to achieve a healthy weight, as well as strengthening the child’s bones and muscles and helping them stay awake and active throughout the day.
To encourage the child to be physically active, do the following:
- Set a specific time for electronic devices, computers, phones, television, and electronic devices that consume a large amount of children’s time. over the age of two years, the time they spend in front of the screen should not exceed more than two hours per day.
- Focusing on activity and not exercise. Children, especially at a young age, are not obligated to exercise specific exercises, but their activity and movement are sufficient, whether through playing or running.
- The activities that the child loves, you will always find your child interested in a specific activity or hobby, all you have to do is pay attention to his passion and develop from it.
Weight loss surgery
Surgery may be an option for those who are close to teens and obese people who will not be able to lose weight through traditional methods, but as usual there are potential risks and positive and negative outcomes.
If extra weight causes greater risks than surgery, then it is the only solution to lose weight.