What parents can do to fight obesity in children

Obesity in children

When there is an excessive body fat amount, it is defined as obesity. However, despite the fact that there is a general agreement what is considered to be obesity in adults,when it comes to children, there isn’t any.

In the past, obesity in children was rare condition, but in the present, the number of children who are obese and overweight is constantly increasing. Obesity has many negative effects on the life of every child who has theproblem with the body weight. Apart from increasing the chances for thedevelopment of many health problems, obesity also makes certain emotional andsocial problems.

The role of the parents

The parents play a central role when obesity in children is treated. Parentsshould be the ones who will prevent their obese children to gain additional weightand they should also keep the weight of their children within a healthy range. The parents are the ones who prepare meals and who serve them to their children, which is why the amount of food and the choice of what is eaten are the thingsthat the parents decide. The children will certainly show their disapprovalwhen the junk and fast foods are forbidden, but the parents should bepersistent and help their children to have a normal body weight.

The servings of food should be smaller. Along with smaller servings, the children should not drink sugareddrinks and fruit juices. The reason why these beverages should not be consumed is related to the fact that they contain sugar, which is transformed into fat and stored if it is not used up ina physical activity. Moreover, the children should not eat very fast; instead, they should chew properly every bite.One way to do it is to engage them into conversation while they are eating.

The junk food should not be present in the house, since many children willreach for it immediately when they see it. Naturally prepared foods should begiven to the children, as well as fruits and vegetables. It is recommended thatthe children should feel enough hunger so that they will eat whatever theparents serve and thus, the parents can give them healthy food.

The children should be engaged in some physical activity almost all the time, since sitting and watching television, as well as playing video games, are thefactors that contribute to the occurrence of obesity in children. As we see, the parents can manage the weight problems in children and all it takes is some discipline and creativity.