Eat right, stay fit

Good health is of importance for every individual and its importance for children cannot be over emphasized. A prerequisite for good health is a healthy lifestyle, which children should be taught from an early age.

Children, given a choice, will always opt for junk food and sugary drinks over fresh fruits and vegetables. The increase- in the availability of such options has led to an increased incidence of childhood obesity being experienced both in the developed and developing countries. More and more children are adopting a sedentary life style with minimum time for sports and physical activity and putting on extra inches at a younger age as com pared to their predecessors. Their eating habits, level of activity, etc. affect how their body uses calories and whether they will gain weight. Parents need to be mindful of these crucial facts in order to help their child develop along healthy lines. -

Weight gain at a young age predisposes a child to a number of ailments which can have adverse effects during this vital growth stage. Mrs. Nishat, a mother of four school going kids says that her children will readily avail an opportunity to eat junk food, while they run away at the thought of eating vegetables and will make all sorts of excuses. Hence you need to be mindful of the food they consume and the habits and activities they adopt. Below are discussed the causes, effects and preventive steps for unnecessary weight gain and how parents need to monitor them.

Causes:

               One can easily put on weight when they take in more calories than they burn off. Calorie rich drinks, oily and sugary snacks and processed calorie laden foods are readily available to children not only in the school canteen but also at fast food joints frequented by them. A check on the dietary habits is necessary to keep a child’s weight in control and maintain a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index), which is an indicator of health and is defined as the individual’s body mass divided by the square of his or her height.

Researchers have also found a genetic link for obesity and it is argued that children having an overweight pa rent or sibling are more likely to suffer from weight gain and obesity. But genetics alone will not cause obesity unless they are consuming more calories than their metabolism is capable of burning. So put a check on it.

It is also argued that under the influence of technology today’s children are adopting a sedentary lifestyle, either watching TV or playing electronic games. Sedentary lifestyle is also a contributing factor in weight gain; to add to this many children are in the habit of snacking or eating while watching TV or doing homework. Parents should discourage this for their better health.

Effects - -

               As a result of weight gain children may be susceptible to constipation, diabetes and high blood pressure. In addition to this they might also experience certain psycho-social problems such as distorted peer relationships, anxiety, depression and poor self esteem.

Preventive measures

               Weight gain does not have a single cause and neither is there a single remedy for it. Children should be made to adapt to a combination of diet and exercise to maintain weight within nor does mal limit. Your support as a parent is of vital importance as the child needs to understand the repercussions of weight gain.

It is understandable that most children don’t like to have fruits and vegetables and junk food is tastier to devour. But one should keep in mind that four servings of fresh fruit and fresh or cooked vegetables per day are necessary. Children should have protein rich food in breakfast and in the evenings and calcium (milk) twice a day. Nowadays the trend to drink sweetened milk is increasing but this should be avoided and normal milk be taken to avoid weight gain. It’s better to replace salty and sugary snacks with fruits and vegetables. Parents must ensure that the children eat home cooked meals regularly and do not skip meals or eat at ire regular intervals; it also helps to go an extra mile and give them home prepared food or fruits as a snack for school.

These eating habits should be adopted on a family level so that the child learns to emulate them. It cannot be expected of a child to adopt them in isolation. Limit watching TV and playing electronic games to a maximum of seven hours a week, and help your child find new friends in the neighborhood so they can play sports in a nearby park or vacant area. Accompany them whenever needed.

Healthy habits ingrained at a young age go a long way in ensuring good health. You as a parent can help your child overcome obesity and/or maintain healthy and normal weight.