Causes of childhood obesity and how to prevent it
when excessive amount of fat gets deposited in our body then it is called obesity. When the BMI is more than normal and falls into the obese category then the person is said to have obesity. Being obese is not healthy and could be due to various causes like excessive eating, genetics etc. it can lead to occurrence of many medical problems.
Symptoms of a child being obese
women eating food
Having extra weight is not an issue but the extra weight should match your body type. If that is high, then a person is obese. Mere a heavy looking child is not obese. Various other tests can be run by your doctor to check for obesity.
Causes of Childhood Obesity
child eating burger
Childhood obesity could occur due to many factors. Below are a few mentioned factors.
When the child eat more than what is required. When the body does not utilise the calories instead the excess fat gets deposited in our body.
Lack of exercise or physical activity and when the calories don’t get utilize then it leads to fat deposition.
If the family has the history of obesity then the child is more prone to it. it is mainly due to poor eating habits and a bad lifestyle.
Complications caused due to Childhood Obesity
Doctor doing test
Various complications can be caused by obesity. It can trouble you medically and mentally.
Medical Complications: diabetes, cholesterol, disorders of sleep, blood pressure problems and breathing problems.
Mentally it can impact your self esteem, can lead to depression and anxiety. Obese children are self conscious and tend to stay away from the society. They become socially weird and aloof.
Prevention of obesity in children
person on treadmill
If your child is overweight or obese or even if he/she is on the verge of it, you can follow the below mentioned tips and keep their weight in check.
Make sure your child does not consume excess sugar or bakery products
They should follow a health diet with fruits and vegetables
Avoid eating junk food as much as possible
Restrict eating out
Limit your portion size
Have frequent but less quantity of food
Children should exercise daily, be it swimming, cycling or any form of cardio
They should not watch television for long and not eat food along with it
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