Obesity means the presence of excess fat in the body, and it is different from being overweight. A person may have excess weight due to increased muscle mass, bone mass, water, or an abundance of fat.
What causes obesity in infants and young children is not their response to the signs of hunger and fullness, which are good. The infant or child stops eating when his body tells him that he has had enough, but sometimes a parent asks their children in good faith to eat everything that is on the plate of food, and this forces them. They ignore the signs of fullness and eat everything that is offered to them. When children eat an amount of food that exceeds their need, the body stores the additional calories in fat cells to use them as a source of energy later. If this pattern continues for a period of time and the body does not benefit from the stored energy, then the body forms cells. Extra fatty and the child may become obese.
Many parents wonder: How do I know if my son is fat or overweight? To determine whether your child is overweight or not, the doctor will measure his weight and height, then calculate the “body mass index” and compare the resulting value with standard values. The doctor also takes into account your child’s age and growth patterns.
The urgent question here becomes: How can I help my son if he is obese or overweight? It can be said that it is very important to make your child feel that you will provide him with support and support if he is overweight. This is the first step, but after that you must start healthy habits from home. The best way to combat or avoid obesity and overweight problems in children is to follow a healthy lifestyle. A healthy life for all family members. Choosing appropriate foods and engaging in a greater amount of physical activity will benefit all family members, regardless of weight, as well as reducing time sitting in front of the screen. Studies have shown that there is a relationship between prolonged time sitting in front of the screen and obesity, so set times Specific time for your child to watch television, play, and surf the Internet. Experts recommend limiting no more than two hours a day. The more time your children watch the television screen, play video games, or use the computer, the less time they will spend on physical activities.
Parents must also provide the opportunity to move and engage in activities for their children, by registering the children in sports programs or other activities after school hours. If the parents have the financial ability, the children can be registered in one of the sports or physical activities.
You should also pay attention to the size of food portions. The portion sizes that you and your family are accustomed to may be two or three times the appropriate size, so determine the portion size to the size of your fist.
The goals of treating obesity in children are to control body weight through appropriate and adequate nutrition for growth. It is known that parents’ selection of foods and their eating behavior greatly influence children’s selection of foods, which is the effectiveness required of the parents.
It is important to choose a healthy diet for all ages.
Good, healthy food is the starting point to help children develop physically and mentally.
