Helping Children With Obesity

According to reports, an estimated 22 million children under the age of five are overweight worldwide. Obesity is a serious health hazard for the young and can also result in serious health problems in later life. Diabetes and heart diseases are common in overweight people and early age obesity compounds such risks. Obese children are also low on self-esteem and prone to becoming a butt of jokes amongst their peers. It is the responsibility of parents to help their children fight obesity by establishing limits and control, as children are less likely to exercise any restraint on their own. This article comes up with some useful tips on helping children with obesity, just for you.

Children should take a healthy diet, not just to fight obesity, but to enhance their stamina as well. They are going through the stage of physical growth and nutritious food is a must for them. In most of the cases, obesity is caused by excess consumption of fast food and snacks. While it will be impossible for the children to shun fast food completely, they can be easily made to switch over to a healthy home diet, which includes a balanced amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins and all the essential nutrients. Try to do delicious innovations in homemade food, so that your kids are encouraged to eat.

 

A lack of physical activity is one of the main reasons behind the overweight in children. Obesity may also be caused by an addiction to television, computers and videogames, which prevents the child from indulging in physical workouts. Encourage your child to participate in physical activities, as exercise will give definite benefits. There is nothing like a low-calorie diet and regular exercise to reduce extra weight. Cycling, hiking, swimming, martial arts, dancing, and gymnastics are some of the physical exercises that your child will enjoy, as they are quite fun.

 

The children who are very fond of sweets put on extra pounds, if they don’t sweat it out. You can replace sweets with a healthier, low-cal option, like fruits. Whenever your children feel the urge to eat anything sweet, give them their favorite fruit to eat. Chocolates and beverages should be restricted to a minimum, because they are very high on calories. Encourage your children to east fresh fruits, by including a few of them in each of their meals. Let them develop the habit of eating fruits and they will themselves choose fruits over chocolates.

 

Even as you blame irregular and unhealthy eating habits for your child's obesity, the real reason for overweight may be physiological in nature. For instance, hypothyroidism and other medical conditions can be causing obesity in your child. In such a case, the problem of overweight can only be treated with medical intervention. You need to identify the causes of your child's obesity, to determine the right treatment. It is advisable to consult a physician before taking steps to contain the weight of your child, in such a scenario.