5 Effective Tips to Prevent Childhood Obesity - A Parent's Guide

Childhood obesity is the leading point of concern globally, accounting for 5.6% in girls and 7.8% in boys globally, as reported in 2016. The numbers are continually rising, affecting more and more children across the globe, further leading to the heightened risks of chronic diseases at an early age. With the growing trend of childhood obesity, parents need to be alert of the consequences it brings. If you are noticing your child falling prey to this hole of growing risks, taking immediate action is crucial. This article will explore more about some actionable tips to prevent or combat childhood obesity. Remember that the primary focus should be weight loss without compromising the normal growth and development of the child.

What risks Does Childhood Obesity Impose?

Childhood obesity is often a direct consequence of poor lifestyle and dietary habits. Most children now prefer staying at home, spending their time on digital gaming sources instead of stepping out of the house to indulge in physical activities and sports. Besides the incidence of a sedentary lifestyle, childhood obesity also results from poor eating habits, especially eating fast food, processed food, and deep-fried foods, all of which are rich in calories and unhealthy fats. There are multiple risks associated with childhood obesity, including:

• Excess deposition of visceral fat around the abdomen
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Type-2 diabetes
• Sleep disorders like sleep apnea
• Asthma
• Depression

Most children who are obese also report having poor self-esteem and self-confidence along with body image struggles, especially due to bullying and other negative remarks that they face on a daily basis.

How to Avoid Childhood Obesity?

Children are often subjected to a lot of things when it comes to preventing obesity. Strict diets, activities, exercise, and calorie counting, all of these might provide results when they are done cooperatively and with consent. Forcing a diet or forcing a rigorous exercise routine on your child isn’t going to help them lose weight in the long run.

1. Divert Your Focus from Weight Loss

The easiest way to maintain a healthy weight and BMI in your child is to focus on healthy eating instead of focusing on active weight loss. When you force your child to lose weight by putting them on strict diets or exercises, the same can negatively affect their mental well-being. Traditional weight loss techniques might not be effective for children’s bodies, especially because they are still developing. Putting a child on a strict or calorie-restrictive diet might make them lose weight but prevent them from getting the optimal nutrition and energy that they need for active growth and development. Instead of focusing on weight loss for overweight and obesity situations, focus on putting your child on a balanced and nutritious diet. Encourage them to adopt healthy eating habits. Also, consult about your child’s eating habits with your pediatrician for better guidance.

2. Encourage them to Stay Active

There is no alternative to leading a physically active lifestyle when it comes to weight loss. Indulging in sports and other physical activities has scientifically proven benefits including:

• Reducing high cholesterol
• Reducing risks of high blood pressure
• Reducing stress
• Reducing anxiety
• Ensuring weight management
• Improving self-esteem
• Improving body image issues
• Improve social skills

Staying active for 30-60 minutes every day has proven benefits in supporting healthy growth and development in children as well. Even the CDC suggests that parents need to actively ensure that the couch time of children isn’t more than 2 hours per day. As harsh as it sounds, being a couch potato is a leading contributor to childhood obesity. As for the kind of aerobic activities that children can indulge in, the options are quite diverse, including:

• Running
• Playing a sport
• Gymnastics
• Swimming
• Jumping rope, etc.

Encourage your kids to pick an activity that they find fun and would not get bored of doing on a daily basis. Never put your choices on them since that can have negative consequences.

3. Focus on Healthy Snacking

If you are wondering about overweight synonyms, “unhealthy snacking” is a pretty standard answer to that. Children have a tendency to prefer snacking over their actual meals at times and that’s fine until they are eating healthy. Children who rely on high-calorie and high-sugar enriched snacks like chocolates, French fries, etc. are at heightened risk of gaining weight in an unhealthy pattern. This is one of the reasons why focusing on your child’s snacking habits is a necessity and not a meager option at this point. We understand that having healthy snacks on hand at all times can be difficult. So, why not keep a batch of snacks premade in your fridge? You can also include fresh fruits and vegetables in your snack compartment for the kids. Add a healthy dip like hummus, cream cheese, or peanut butter on the side and your kids are going to gobble them down without any complaints. It’s all about modifying the foods but ensuring they are palatable for your kids.

4. Ensure Quality Sleep

One of the main factors contributing to unhealthy overweight BMI in children is the lack of quality sleep. Studies have time and time shown that children need a lot more sleep than adults do. Besides the duration, ensuring that your child is getting good quality sleep is also important. There is scientific evidence that showcases a correlation between lack of sleep and obesity. Researchers believe that the main reasons are due to the fact that lack of sleep contributes to overeating, unhealthy snacking habits and reduced energy – all of which actively contribute to weight gain.

5. Encourage Mindful Eating Habits

Another potent contributor to childhood obesity is overeating. But, parents don’t realize that the medium they are using to make their kids eat their meals is what leads to overeating. Putting your kids in front of the television when they are eating distracts them and prevents them from realizing when they are full. Even studies support this take that kids are more likely to overeat when they are distracted by the television or iPad. Not just that, studies also depict that children who have a television in their bedrooms are more likely to lounge in there instead of partaking in activities and being more social.

FAQs

• What Foods Can Help Prevent Obesity?

Feeding a healthy, balanced, and nutritious diet can actively prevent childhood obesity. Foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats from nuts and fish are considered good sources of foods that help with weight loss and reduce the risks of obesity.

• How can Schools Prevent Childhood Obesity?

Since children spend the majority of their day at school, taking active measures like encouraging physical activities, introducing healthier meals at the cafeteria, and raising awareness are some ways school authorities can help.

• Which Foods Cause Childhood Obesity?

Common foods that generally contribute to childhood obesity are high-fat, high-sugar, and high-sodium foods. Sweets and treats and meals containing refined food groups also contribute to the issues.

Conclusion

Childhood obesity is a risk factor for several chronic diseases down the line. Conditions like heart diseases, asthma, type-2 diabetes, sleep apnea, etc. are some of the consequences that await in the future. Taking precautionary steps is thus essential for the physical and mental health of the child in question. If you notice an unexplained weight gain despite healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle, it could be a sign of an undiagnosed complication in the child. Consult your pediatrician and prioritize comprehensive testing for a conclusive diagnosis. Sometimes, not being mindful can result in something drastic later.