Childhood obesity is on the rise, where any child whose body mass index (BMI) is significantly higher than other children of his or her age and gender is said to be obese. According to the World Health Organization, while less than 1% of children and adolescents aged 5–19 were obese in 1975, more than 124 million (6% of girls and 8% of boys) were obese in 2016.
Hidden dangers of childhood obesity:
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Abhishek Chopra, consultant neonatologist and pediatrician at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals in Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi, revealed, “The global rise in childhood obesity is driven by greater physical inactivity and unlimited supply of unhealthy processed foods. Is. Eat calorie-dense foods that unfortunately don’t appeal to kids as much as kids like them. When a child becomes obese it is through a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors such as socioeconomic status, education level, basal metabolic rate, diet and lifestyle.
He highlighted, “Childhood obesity is associated with problems with high blood pressure, blood lipids and blood glucose and these problems extend into adulthood. This combination of factors is in turn associated with damage to the arteries and heart, which can be reversed by exercise in children but rarely in adults. Obese children are five times more likely to become obese adults than their healthy weight peers. Childhood is a window of opportunity to tackle obesity before the damage it causes becomes irreversible. Compared to children with a low body mass index (BMI), those with a high BMI are 40% more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease in midlife. Children with a combination of risk factors, including smoking and high BMI, blood pressure and blood lipids, have two to nine times the risk of heart attack and stroke in midlife.
How to secure your child’s future:
According to Dr. Abhishek Chopra, school-age youth should do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity every day. “In addition, muscle-strengthening activities should be performed at least three times per week,” he suggests. Sedentary time, especially screen time, should be limited. Regarding diet, children should eat adequate breakfast, avoid eating between meals, eat three meals a day and not have more than two snacks per day, limit portion sizes, avoid fruit juices or fast food. such as avoiding energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods, increasing intake of unprocessed fruits, vegetables and fiber-rich grains, and reducing fat and sugar intake.”
A variety of policies and actions are needed to prevent obesity and its associated problems. At their core are physical activity and nutrition. Dr Abhishek Chopra said policy makers should:
- Promote physical activity and raise awareness of the need to reduce sedentary time
- Encourage healthy eating habits
- Provide dietary counseling and psychological support for behavior change
- Reduce marketing of unhealthy food in media and social media
- Promote parenting styles that encourage physical activity and healthy eating
- avoid stigma
- Involve schools, family and friends in education programs
- Increase availability and affordability of healthy food
- Provide playgrounds and green spaces to be physically active in urban environments.
Dr. Abhishek Chopra stressed, “Policies to prevent heart disease later in life need to go beyond telling young people to exercise and eat a healthy diet. If there is no space to enjoy being active and nutritious food is unavailable or inaccessible, it is very difficult to change behavior. Some children will benefit from psychological help to understand which habits are problematic and how to develop new habits. And instead of criticizing kids for being inactive and eating junk food, schools and parents can show that being physically active and preparing healthy meals is fun.
He further recommended, “Schools should lead on healthy school meals, cooking classes, education about nutrition and activity and sports clubs. Family and friends should be invited to participate, as both have an impact on the child’s lifestyle and weight. Most children are exposed to promotions and marketing of products such as fast food and sugar-sweetened beverages approximately 200 times per week on social media. Marketing of unhealthy food and drinks should be minimized or banned, especially in schools, as it influences children’s behavior.
We must avoid stigmatizing overweight and obese children as it can push them towards eating disorders and inactivity. Dr. Abhishek Chopra concluded, “For example, at the school level, all children and families can benefit from prevention strategies, from healthy canteens to active breaks. Prevention of heart diseases needs to start early. Instead of waiting and seeing whether today’s obese children cause heart attacks and strokes tomorrow, an action plan is needed now to prevent future health problems. “We already know that obesity is harming children’s health.”
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions you may have about a medical condition.
