Childhood Obesity in Children
According to national health experts, obesity is the number one health issue facing today’s children. Approximately 15% of American children aged 6 to 19 are already overweight, leading to consequences such as depression, poor health and a diminished quality of life. Childhood obesity in children affects a child’s blood pressure, cholesterol level, and blood sugar.
Research shows that diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, orthopedic difficulties, and emotional disorders are closely linked to obesity in children and adolescents. One of the most damaging consequences of childhood and adolescent obesity is the psychosocial affect that children may suffer when faced with discrimination. Studies also show that overweight children tend to become overweight adults, making the issue a lifelong problem.
Childhood Obesity in Children: Is Your Child At Risk?
Due to a combination of genetics and environmental conditions, children in families with overweight parents, tend to be overweight themselves. In very rare situations, obesity is caused by an underlying medical condition, such as an endocrine problem or a genetic disorder.
Children and adolescents are considered at high risk for obesity if:
- One or both of their parents are overweight
- They are from families with low incomes
- Their mobility is limited by a chronic disease or disability
Preventing Childhood Obesity in Children
Obesity and being overweight are conditions that are very difficult to treat. And while genetics does play a role in determining whether or not a child is predisposed to becoming overweight, their environment and activity level will determine the extent of the problem. Therefore, the best efforts are usually focused on prevention.
The best methods for preventing childhood obesity in children are to improve eating habits, increase physical activity, and reduce sedentary behaviors such as watching television and playing computer games. When these strategies are introduced during a child’s early development, they can promote a positive attitude toward eating and physical activity that does not emphasize body weight or physical appearance.
Treating Childhood Obesity in Children
Faced with health and discrimination concerns, parents of overweight children are often left scrambling for a solution. And while medication may seem like a quick fix, it’s important to know that none of the new conventional medications that are used to treat obesity have been approved for children or adolescents to use. These drugs can affect your child’s growth and development, and they put your child at too great a risk for developing a dangerous complication. Instead, the best approach for treating childhood obesity in children is to gradually change their eating and exercising patterns, and give them the nutritional tools necessary to grow and develop without gaining additional weight.
Set Goals: Work with your child to develop both short and long-term goals that are realistic and achievable. Write them down and update them each week so that your child can keep track of their progress. Examples of goals might be to limit TV watching each day, or to begin taking daily walks.
Schedule It: It may seem difficult, but structured mealtimes and snacks instill good eating habits and reduce the likelihood that your child will skip a meal or fill up on high calorie snacks right before dinner.
Ditch the Diet: Kids need to eat in order to grow and develop. Eating wholesome foods in a healthy manner is not the same as dieting.
Skip The Chips: One of the very best things you can do for your overweight child is to limit their temptation by keep only healthy foods in your home. If junk food is around for other family members, it will set a bad example for your child.
Get Moving: Encourage your child to be physically active throughout the day by setting a good example. Doing active things together as a family, such as bike riding, going for walks, hiking, and swimming is a great way to enjoy family time while improving everyone’s health.
Give Them A Boost: A high quality nutritional supplement can help your child lose weight while providing them with the nutrition they need to grow and develop. Slimirex™ is an amazing weight-loss supplement that combines the benefits of nine separate nutritional ingredients that will help to boost your child’s metabolism, reduce appetite, increase energy levels, and build lean muscle mass. As with any supplement, be sure to consult with your healthcare provider before administering it to a child.
About the Author
Dr. Edward F. Group III continues to develop, sell and evaluate exclusively high-end natural and organic healthcare products to support a wide range of health conditions. The products we promote are free of toxic tag-along herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, heavy metals, fumigants, irradiation, liver-toxic glues, binders, or gelatin capsules with animal-source risk and toxic preservatives.