Is Your Child Suffering From Obesity? Here's How To Prevent Child Obesity

If ignored, childhood obesity can lead to many severe health problems. Here are some ways for parents to help their children maintain a healthy weight by eating home-cooked meals.

While obesity is not an uncommon problem among children, things got worse during the pandemic. Lack of exercise, frequent consumption of unhealthy and junk food, and irregular sleeping habits all led to excess weight growth in children.

"Obesity has become a severe concern for children, placing them at risk for a number of chronic health problems such as heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallbladder disease and gallstones, and even cancer. It's essential to prevent your child from obesity since the bad health impacts of childhood obesity can persist well into adulthood," says Sapna Jaysingh Patel, a nutritionist and the founder of Health Before Wealth.

Factors That Lead To Child Obesity

Understanding why your child is gaining weight is crucial. Some causes are common and can be treated easily, while others are more difficult. Here are some of the factors that are contributing to your child's obesity, according to the nutritionist.

Junk food consumption

Eating high-calorie processed meals such as fried and fatty foods, sugary beverages, and candies on a regular basis can lead to weight gain.

Insufficient physical activity

A lack of exercise and outdoor activities, as well as spending too much time doing sedentary activities such as watching television, playing video games, or constantly using phones, all contribute to weight gain.

Generic Factor

Obesity may run in the family genetically. If your child comes from a family of obese people, he or she may be more prone to gain weight. However, this does not mean that you cannot prevent your child from acquiring weight; some lifestyle adjustments may assist in preventing weight growth.

Stress

Life has become a competition, even for children. Stress and anxiety can be increased by peer pressure and unrealistic parental expectations. Some youngsters may overeat in order to cope with stress, anxiety, or obstacles, leading to binge-eating and putting them at risk of becoming obese.

How to Encourage Your Child To Live A Holistic Life?

"It is essential to encourage your child to live a holistic lifestyle and to educate them on the consequences of doing so," says the expert. Here are some ways to encourage your kid to adopt holistic eating habits and stay physically active when they do the following:

• Teach healthy and positive diet and physical activity attitudes without putting a focus on body weight
• Determine what food is offered and when it is given, as well as allow the child to choose what and how much to eat
• Don't miss meals and eat regularly at mealtimes
• Make homemade meals at least twice a day if you've had a busy work schedule (like breakfast and dinner)
• Cooking with less salt, butter, oil, and sugar is a good idea
• Encourage your child to consume a variety of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables every day

Nutritionist Sapna adds, "Parents' role is also important while helping children to prevent obesity. It is said children adopt habits from their parents. They will learn from you if you start eating healthy meals and snacks, include daily physical activity, and build good behaviours."

Ways To Prevent Childhood Obesity

Developing healthy lifestyle strategies can help your child to prevent obesity. Here are a few preventative measures that may be useful as suggested by Nutritionist Sapna:

• Prevent children from watching TV while eating or snacking. Eating in front of the television might make it harder to focus on feelings of fullness, leading to overeating.
• Reduce the amount of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods you consume. Make sure your kids realize that eating high-calorie foods like candy, cookies, or cakes is not appropriate for everyday consumption.
• Encourage your children to participate in structured physical activities and family activities such as walking, biking, hiking, and sports on a regular basis. Make a secure and accessible play place for the kids outside.
• Obesity and weight gain have been related to sleep deprivation. Make absolutely sure your child gets adequate sleep.
• Start encouraging your child to be more physically active. This could range from playing in the park to joining a sports team.