How to combat child obesity?

Doctors and other health care providers have warned of a health catastrophe if the fast growing numbers of obese children is not brought down very quickly. In a recent study in India, involving 4300 children of middle and upper middle class families, have found that more than 26% are overweight and 3.9% of them are plain obese.

The situation is similar the world over. Aggravating the problem is the established fact that when children watch TV, they take snacks more than usual. These foods are high is salt and calories and very low in fiber. This means a double problem. With the increasing number of both the parents working, the already sedentary children are taking the kind of food that increases the fatty tissues in the body. Besides, if both the parents are obese, the child has more propensities to become obese.

It is not just junk food alone that adds to the fat. Even the traditional cooking style involving refined and bleached wheat and polished rice have dislodged whole grain as the staple cereals.

Syndrome X or dysmetabolic syndrome is spreading fast in these days. It is a defective gene action where the insulin action of the body is not adequate and the fatty tissues are not broken down. Obesity is not a separate thing but a metabolic element of Syndrome X comprising of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia and high blood pressure.

But what is the harm of bearing a little extra fat for a child? Actually, experts say, obesity in children may give rise to arthritis, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in future for the child.

So, what you will do to keep your children fit and healthy? Let’s have a look –

Do not allow children much time in front of TV or computer playing video games. Besides putting on some extra weight, the habit will be changed to become a couch potato. Define the hours to be spent for TV, but allow them to watch their favorite TV shows.

Make a habit for healthy foods. Encourage them to take green salads and clear soups instead of taking meat salad or sweet corn chicken soup.

While eating at any fast food junction, order the better foods like a pizza is a better alternative to burger and milk shake is always better than cola. This has to be maintained at the parties also. Do not go for a-la-carte menus. Try the simpler and nutritious foods.

Your dinner time should be early in the night and preferably with home-cooked food. This will substantially reduce the time spent in front of TV. After dinner, all the family members should sit together and enjoy each other’s company.

Always choose baked food items over fried good as that will give you less calorie. Moreover, baked items have more fiber that in same amount of fried goods. Fried items contain more LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) which is regarded as ‘bad cholesterol’. If accumulated for a long time, LDL in turn gives rise to increased level of cholesterol.

Give your child more cereals, lentils and vegetables. Make different preparations everyday otherwise your child will get bored with the same menu.

You must cut the red meat as much as possible and supplement with sea food. The latter contains more omega 3 fatty acid which is a potent antioxidant.

Allow them playing for the whole evening after coming back from school.

Fix the timings of taking foods.

Encourage your child to take seasonal fruit and fruit juices.

Give your child plenty of quality time. Try to go for outing every weekend and let your child do the things what they like. Allow them a single day for their choice of food.

Never let your child to put on some weight.