Childhood obesity In India

the blog elaborates childhood obesity, its causes and how it can be coped with.

Obesity is a major health concern affecting children and adolescents on a big scale. It’s coined as childhood obesity. 

Childhood obesity occurs when the weight of the child is more than the normal weight for his age and height. Due to unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity (children being involved more in indoor games or spending time watching television) kids are moving towards gaining more weight. Although obese children have fewer health risks than an obese adult says the best obesity surgeon in Delhi, but their chances of becoming an obese adult are more which then contracts all the related health issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease etc. 

 

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Obese children generally are seen to have lower self-esteem, are sad and stressed.

Measurement of body mass index helps in determining whether a child is obese or not. It is the measurement of body weight and height.

Causes

There are numerous reasons which make a child obese. The most important causes are elaborated below.

• ·Genetic: obesity runs in family. The children whose parents are obese are at a higher risk of childhood obesity. But it does not say that they will surely become obese. It is generally linked with the eating behaviour of the family.

•   Physical activity: nowadays most of the children spend their time being physically inactive. Their spare time is spent watching television or playing video games. The use of internet and the video games is gaining popularity amongst kids which is increasing the inactivity. All these activities are very addictive and keep the children stuck to them for long hours.

• ·Unhealthy diet: diet plays an important role in determining weight of an individual. With the rise in junk food culture they are being included in children’s diet in larger quantity as kids love to binge on them. These foods are very high in fat and low in nutrient. All these qualities make it a prime reason for weight gain.

• Combination of all the above factors.

Intervention

An obese child can be helped out by parents to lead a healthy life and on how to lose the extra kilos. Following step scan be taken.

1.  The parents need to supportive as obesity makes a child have low self-esteem. This might affect their long term behaviour. They should tell the child that they are there for him and help him fight it out. Support is very necessary to keep up the spirits.

      2.       Amending eating habits of the whole family helps a child to adapt with the same. If the family eats     

             healthy the kids will at least follow some of their steps. Set an example for them.

      3.    Increase the physical activity in your schedule. Go for outdoor games, picnics, walks. Introduce them 

           to new sport such as swimming, tennis, biking. All these will help them to fight with weight and will  

           help in emotional fronts as well.

 

There is a solution of obesity surgeryin India but it has an age limit (13 years and plus for girls and 15 years plus for boys).