In recent years, the number of children who fall into the obese category has been increasing at an alarming rate. Currently between twenty and thirty percent of children are considered obese. Obesity is defined as being more than ten percent over your ideal body weight. In adults having a
Body Mass Index (BMI) over 27 indicates obesity but studies have shown that BMI can not be accurately applied to children. There are a number of factors that contribute to obesity. Some of these factors are genetic, cultural, demographic and behavioral. Whatever the cause of obesity, parents need to ensure that their children are eating nutritious meals and participating in physical activities in order to ensure that their child does not become or remain obese.
Genetics factor into whether or not a child will become obese. The child of one obese parent runs a fifty percent chance of being obese. When both parents are obese there is an eighty percent probability that the child will also be obese. While genetics may predispose a child to obesity, careful attention to diet and exercise can help to prevent or reverse obesity. Obese parents need to be extra vigilant to avoid having an obese child and if their child is diagnosed as obese, they need to take active measures to help their child regain a healthy weight.
Cultural and demographic factors that may contribute to obesity include indulgences in high fat foods, dining out frequently and even weather conditions. Recent studies have shown that certain major cities have higher rates of obesity due to these cultural and demographic factors. Obesity rates in some cities seem to be higher because of the abundance of restaurants available. In these cases parents need to ensure that they are not frequently dining out with their children because parents have no control over how food is prepared at a restaurant. Some cities even tend to have a higher rate of obesity due to frequent warm or humid weather. In these cases people often avoid physical activities outdoors because it is too uncomfortable to exercise in the heat. In this situation parents should encourage physical activity outdoors but should also monitor their child closely and offer water to prevent dehydration and overheating. Although their may be certain cultural or demographic factors that encourage obesity, it is a parent's responsibility to not let these factors affect the health of their child.
There are also behavioral factors that contribute to obesity. A child who engages in sedentary activities more often than physical activities is more likely to obese. Activities such as video games, watching television and using a computer are all activities that contribute to a child's obesity. Since these activities do not encourage physical movement and activity they are not helping a child to achieve physical health.
If preventative measures have not been effective and a child becomes obese, there are many steps that a parent can take to help their child return to a healthy weight. Careful attention to nutrition and exercise can ensure that a child is eating nutritious meals and engaging in enough physical activity to achieve a healthy weight. Through proper nutrition and adequate exercise a child should be able to return to weight that is healthy for them.
It is important that parents help the child to learn how to eat in a healthy way without putting the child on a traditional diet that restricts calories and fat. Children need to consume a healthy amount of calories and fat in order to continue to grow. A growing child should be able to grow into his weight rather than trying to lose weight quickly. To keep a child from gaining weight, you will need to figure out how many calories they need to consume each day. A pound of weight is equal to 3500 calories so a child would gain one pound for each 3500 calories that they consume in addition to their caloric need. You can estimate the caloric need for children up to the age of five by added 100 for every year of their age to 1000. Using this formula a one year old needs approximately 1100 calories per day while a five year old needs approximately 1500 calories. Instead of placing the child on a diet, parents should help the child to make nutritious food choices, limit sweets and other junk foods and replace soda, juices and other sweet beverages with water and milk. These sweet beverages can be very detrimental to a child's weight because they add to a child's caloric intake without adding any nutritional value or even alleviating the child's appetite. A well balanced diet will help your child to return to a healthy weight while also, hopefully, instilling proper eating habits that your child will carry for the rest of their life.
Another key to helping your child to achieve a healthy diet is to not keep the kitchen cabinets stocked with junk food. The entire family can benefit from a change in eating habits. Try keeping a supply of fresh fruits and vegetables on hand and encourage your child to snack on these instead chips and candy. Also, if there are other children in the house who are of a healthy weight, don’t allow them to indulge in fattening foods. Healthy eating benefits everyone, not just those who are obese, plus your obese child won’t feel deprived if others in the house aren’t snacking on foods that are forbidden to him. Keeping fattening foods on hand will make it difficult for your child to resist the temptation to indulge in these foods.
Exercise is also crucial to achieving an ideal weight. Before starting your child on any exercise program, you should first consult your child’s doctor. The doctor will be able to assist you in setting up an exercise program for your child and will also let you know of any limitation on exercise that may be required for your child. A good first step to getting a sedentary child to exercise is to limit television and computer time to one to two hours per day. Watching television and playing on a computer are passive activities that do not help a child to stay in shape. Encourage your child to use the additional time to engage in activities that involve movement. A minimum of twenty minutes of exercise three or four days a week will benefit your child greatly. Walking is a wonderful exercise for children. Other activities that your child may enjoy are roller blading, bike riding, hiking and team sports such as basketball and soccer. Try to find an activity that your child really enjoys so that exercising doesn’t seem like a chore or a punishment. Also, get out and enjoy some physical activity with your child. Doing so will improve your health as well as your child’s health and will give you an opportunity to spend quality time with your child. Any activity that raises the heart rate is great for cardiovascular health. While weight training is very beneficial to adults, children who are still growing should not engage in weight training as it puts too much stress on their growing bones.
While obesity is on the rise among children, parents can help their children to return to a healthy weight. Proper nutrition and an exercise plan are both necessary to help your child achieve overall good health. It is important that parents try to help their children in a positive way. A parent should never criticize a child for his weight. Doing so can be very damaging to a child’s self-esteem and may result in even more weight gain if the child takes comfort in food. Instead of being critical of the child’s weight, be positive about how a few changes to your child’s eating habits and exercise level will make the child healthier and happier.
