“Eating less and exercising more is the solution to weight control.” Alas! That advice is no longer working these days. The increase in the number of overweight kids is troubling, as it causes health issues and can lead to social issues as well. Overweight kids are often teased by their friends, lose self-esteem, or develop body-mage problems. When kids are overweight, it requires a great deal of effort and responsibility for them to return to a normal weight.
Extra weight and obesity in youngsters are among the greatest risks to kids’ long- and short-term health. Overweight kids are prone to becoming overweight grownups, and therefore also more prone to heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and osteoarthritis.
Risk Factors for Childhood Obesity
Your body stores unused energy, which is known as body fat. To maintain a healthy weight, you have to burn the energy from the foods you eat. If you eat more than you use, your body will store the extra energy as fat.
Behavior that may make kids become obese or overweight:
- Picking high-fat and sugary foods rather than healthier food
- Absence of physical activities
- Spending most of the time watching TV, sitting around, or playing on computers and with other electronic games
- Overweight guardians can also be a reason: A family’s eating styles can impact kids’ health and weight
- Certain uncommon hereditary issues can also cause serious childhood obesity
Are you a concerned parent who’s worried about your child’s health? Then remember your child’s future is in your hands. What’s required is knowing how to turn it all around.
Below are the reasons why it’s crucial to tackle the issue of childhood obesity
Childhood Obesity Is Increasing at Alarming Rates
Levels of childhood obesity are rising at alarming rates in numerous nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Every year the number of obese children is increasing, even doubling—a trend that urgently needs to be stopped.
Health Problems Arising From Obesity
A large number of the health issues related to obesity nowadays seem to arise in early adulthood. Early indications of these issues are generally also found in kids.
Possible health problems among obese children consist of:
- Type II diabetes—while this condition is normally found in grownups, it is currently being diagnosed in kids
- Dietary issues, for example, bulimia or voracious eating
- Orthopaedic disorders—issues with foot structure
- Liver issues, including fatty liver
- Respiratory disorders, for example, jammed airways and blockage in the chest, which cause shortness of breath during exercise
- Sleep apnea—a condition that causes trouble breathing when dozing. It additionally causes wheezing, frequent waking, and poor sleep. It makes individuals feel tired and adds to poor concentration during the day
- Cardiomyopathy—an issue with the heart muscle, brought on when extra exertion is expected to pump blood
Obesity in Childhood Leads to Obesity in Adulthood
Overweight or obese kids often remain obese as adolescents and become more overweight as they grow. Around 80% of obese teenagers will become obese grownups.
Obesity Is Affecting Kids’ Overall Development
Obesity can exert a major effect on how youngsters feel about themselves and how they interact with others. Obese kids often develop low self-esteem, which may affect different aspects of their lives, such as the development of friendships and participation at school.
Being obese as a child or adult raises the risk of contracting diseases and disorders in adulthood, whether or not the adult is obese. It’s essential to identify and begin to reverse the condition before those kids become grownups. In a perfect world, being overweight and obese can be avoided.
A Grave Challenge for Parents
The parents of overweight and obese kids that are four or five years of age know that their kids’ health can signal long-term problems. As kids grow, their parents face blame directed at them by their own family members or neighbors. They also often feel the pain their kids are going through from being teased and criticized at school.
Most guardians try to address the problem, but many surrender when those efforts prove unsuccessful. However, the fight doesn’t have to be over! We should all accept the challenge of tackling the problem of childhood obesity.
Conclusion
To tackle the childhood obesity epidemic, we must change the lifestyles and dietary patterns of our kids. Following the principles above can get help us curb this serious health risk.
