Excess Weight In Children

The main cause of excess weight in children is lifestyle, characterized by poor eating habits and little physical activity. Parents play an important role in this. Rather than pointing out new patterns, you should encourage them and convey new patterns with your example.

Excess weight in children has become a worrying phenomenon around the world. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), over the last four decades the number of obese children and adolescents has increased tenfold. And the trend continues.

This problem speaks of inadequate care on the part of parents, since they are the ones who are in charge of the children’s eating patterns. Apparently they don’t place enough importance on healthy nutrition, or they don’t set healthy parameters for feeding their children.

Current lifestyles also have a significant influence on this phenomenon. Excess weight in children is often due to the sedentary life that children and young people are leading. On many occasions, sports and physical games have been exchanged for entertainment through electronic devices.

How to establish excess weight in children?

It is not so easy for parents to determine when children are overweight. The growth process makes the body of the boys change continuously. The volume of body fat is also constantly changing and is different in boys and girls.

The most reliable way to know if children are overweight is by calculating the body mass index (BMI). This is a measurement of the body’s weight in relation to height. There are several Internet pages and several applications that allow this calculation to be made. Only age, weight and height are required.

The BMI result is a number that is then compared with the BMI of other children of the same age, thus obtaining the percentile:

• A percentile of 5 to 84 suggests that the weight is normal and healthy.
• Between 85 and 94, we talked about excess weight in children.
• A 95th percentile or higher indicates obesity .

Causes of the problem

The main cause of overweight and obesity  in children is the lack of adequate guidelines on the part of parents. They have less and less time for their children and adopt habits that are unhealthy. For example, giving them fast food has been shown to be harmful to health in the medium term.

They also don’t have enough time and dedication to teach their children to eat healthy. That is, at certain times and consuming foods that may not be so attractive to them, but that are essential for their normal growth and development.

Added to this is the lack of physical activity in children and adolescents. Currently, most of the activities are concentrated around the television, video games and the computer. This sedentary lifestyle, together with bad eating habits, form the ideal framework for overweight to appear.

Risks of being overweight

Excess weight in children makes them more prone to disease, according to a study published in the journal Circulation Research. They are more likely to be overweight in adulthood, with all the consequences that this entails.

Likewise, obese children have a higher risk of suffering from musculoskeletal problems. Lower back pain and changes in the lumbar spine and lower extremities are common. Gait may be impaired and orthopedic problems are more likely.

In the same way, it has been shown that these children are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension. Not counting the psychological effects that this condition generates. Overweight children are often teased and bullied by their peers at school.

Also read: Diseases associated with obesity

Prevention and care

Parents must become aware of the importance of developing proper eating guidelines. It is important that they make nutritious meals available and that they keep children away from the consumption of “junk food”, as well as carbonated and highly processed or sugary drinks.

Parents should be an example for their children. If they eat in a healthy way, surely the little ones will start to imitate them spontaneously. It’s also important to talk to kids about the importance of healthy nutrition.

They also need to encourage children to be physically active. The best way to do this is by inviting them to spend some time in the park, or by encouraging them to practice some sport. Healthy habits should be promoted as a family and the best tool is the example.

Avoid being overweight to improve health

It is clear that preventing overweight and obesity is a good way to ensure proper health. Nutrition education from the first stages of life becomes essential when the objective is to prevent weight gain in the medium and long term.