Ambassador for Life

Lately the child obesity rate is more and more prominent on the news. Obesity in a child can aggravate the risk for more child health issues like diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, lack of sufficient bone density, sleep disorders and problems, psychological symptoms and gastro-intestinal problems. Such disorders can be expected to continue into adulthood. Recent studies have shown that if a child is obese it is extremely likely that adult obesity will follow.

Nonetheless, it is possible for parents to make a positive impact on the lifestyle of their offspring and give them the guidance that will ensure a happy and healthy adulthood.

What role can parents play to have a positive impact on obesity amongst children? Parents must address the causes of child obesity. Parents must pay attention to their kids and help them to feel that they belong and that they are in a secure environment. Children that are neglected by their parents have a much higher likelyhood of obesity than their peers. Be sure not to force your kids to eat more than they feel like at mealtime, all you will achieve is to train your child’s metabolic system to make your child eat more than he or she needs.

Do not emphasize too much the amount of food eaten. Of far more importance is that the child should eat properly and then get adequate exercise. Your kid will acquire abnormal eating behaviours if you are going to be constantly fussing about food intake.

The time that your kid spends in front of the television must be limited. As your child spends more time in front of the TV so he or she will be more obese,TV obviously reduces physical activity, and then it naturally also reduces the body’s metabolism. The junk food commercials on television also affects children, they are encouraged to eat more junk food and drink beverages with high levels of sugar leading to increased weight problems for the kid.

If you are thinking that your child weighs more than his or her ideal weight and that there is a risk of obesity, consult with a physician as soon as you can, to ensure that obesity is halted quickly and effectively. It is a myth that mothers to be have to eat for two people, too much food while you are pregnant just dramatically increases the possibility that both you and your unborn child will in future become obese. The young infant must be breastfeeded for at least one year. While the child is still very small, a greater emphasis should be on fruits, and vegetables and grains while all the time monitoring to see if the youngster is really hungry before feeding it.

If you note that there is a high risk that your child may become obese, try using low fat milk instead of the richer variety. Avoid cane sugar and snacks that contain excessive fat, because they are high in low nutritional value calories. For kids that are still of school going age, put in place steadfast rules as to how much they are allowed to watch television, snacks must be nutritious, food treats will be allowed only occasionally and generally good food habits must be maintained.

The child obesity problem does not remain static, it increases with each year that passes and, since the early eighties, there has been a dangerously high increase. The childhood obesity epidemic will pose a huge threat to the future of our children and their children, it is now the time to stop it on a globewide scale.