How can I help my obese child?
Obesity means the presence of excess fat in the body, and it differs from being overweight, as a person may have an increase in weight due to an increase in muscle mass, bones, water, or an excess of fat.
What causes obesity in infants and young children is not their response to signs of hunger and satiety, which are good. To ignore the signs of satiety and eat everything offered to them, and when children eat more food than they need, the body stores the extra calories in fat cells to be used as an energy source later, and 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 ask, How do I know if my son is obese 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 is 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 assistance if he is overweight, which is the first step, but after that, healthy habits must start from home. The best way to combat or avoid obesity and overweight problems in children is to follow a pattern A healthy life for all family members, choosing appropriate foods and practicing more physical activities will benefit all family members regardless of weight, as well as reducing the time sitting in front of the screen, as studies have shown that there is a relationship between the length of time sitting in front of the screen and obesity, so set times Specific for your child to watch TV, play, and surf the Internet, and experts recommend setting no more than two hours a day. The more time your children watch TV, play video games, or use the computer, the less time they spend in physical activities.
Parents must also provide the opportunity to move and engage in activities for their children, by registering children in sports programs or other activities after school hours, and if parents have the financial ability, children can be registered in one of the sports or physical activities.
You should also pay attention to the size of the food portions. The portion sizes that you and your family are used to may be two or three times the appropriate size, so limit 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, and it is known that parents’ selection of foods and their behavior in eating greatly affect children’s choice of foods, which is the required effectiveness from parents.
It is important to choose a healthy diet for all ages.
Good, healthy food is the starting point for helping children develop physically and mentally.
