- Overweight and obese children have become increasingly common in recent years.
- Never make your youngsters clear their plates. The importance of quality over quantity cannot be overstated.
When most people think of children's and adolescents' health issues, they think of ear infections, colds, and acne.
They don't think of heart disease, diabetes, or hypertension.
Today, however, an unprecedented number of children are being diagnosed with obesity and the serious "adult diseases" that accompany obesity, such as type 2 diabetes.
Overweight and obese children have become increasingly common in recent years.
Obesity in children is especially concerning because overweight children have the potential to grow into obese adults, with all of the social, economic, and medical consequences that often accompany obesity.
When it comes to managing childhood obesity and overweight, moderation is more important than deprivation.
The following strategies may be useful in treating or preventing obesity, depending on the goal:
1. Serve family meals that reflect calorie control in both the foods offered and the preparation methods.
2. Involve children in grocery shopping and meal preparation. What you buy is more likely to be cooked. From a young age, teach children how to select healthy foods.
3. Encourage youngsters to eat only when hungry, to eat deliberately, to pause and appreciate their table companions, and to quit eating when full.
4. Teach them how to choose nutrient-dense foods (low-fat and nonfat milk and milk products for children 3 and older, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seafood, and lean meat) that will meet their nutrient demands while remaining within their energy allowances.
Additionally, train children to serve themselves suitable portions at meals; the amount of food supplied determines the amount of food consumed.
5. Limit foods heavy in saturated and trans fats, as well as foods high in sugar, such as sugar-sweetened soft drinks.
Without question, the massive growth in soft drinks and junk food consumption has significantly contributed to childhood obesity.
6. Never make your youngsters clear their plates. The importance of quality over quantity cannot be overstated.
7. Plan for snack times and keep a selection of nutritional snacks on hand.
8. Avoid eating while watching TV. Television viewing may be the most responsible for physical inactivity.
A child who spends more than an hour or two per day in front of a television, computer monitor, or other media can gain weight and develop unhealthy blood lipids even if he or she consumes fewer calories than a more active child.
Encourage children to engage in outdoor play with their peers. Children have become more sedentary, and these children are more likely to be overweight.
Physical activity has numerous health benefits, and children who are active today are more likely to remain active in the future.
Millions of children will develop type 2 diabetes and hypertension during childhood, followed by cardiovascular disease in early adulthood unless immediate action is taken.
Wise food choices made from childhood to adulthood can help a person meet physical, emotional, and mental challenges and live a disease-free life.
Lucy Chege is a registered and licensed nutritionist based in Kenya, proficient in medical nutrition therapy.