Childhood obesity is on the rise, with any child whose body mass index (BMI) is significantly higher than that of other children of his age and sex, considered obese. According to the World Health Organization, if in 1975 less than 1% of children and adolescents aged 5-19 years were obese, in 2016 more than 124 million (6% of girls and 8% of boys).
Hidden dangers of childhood obesity:
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Abhishek Chopra, consultant neonatologist and pediatrician at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals in Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi, said, “The global rise in childhood obesity is due to greater physical inactivity and an unlimited supply of unhealthy ready-to-eat foods. eat high calorie foods that unfortunately kids don’t like the way kids like them. When a child becomes obese, it is through a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors such as socioeconomic status, education level, basal metabolism, diet and lifestyle.’
He stressed: “Childhood obesity is associated with problems with high blood pressure, blood lipids and blood glucose, and these problems follow into adulthood. This combination of factors, in turn, is associated with damage to the arteries and heart that can be reversed by exercise in children, but much less so in adults. Obese children are five times more likely to become obese adults than their peers at a healthy weight. Childhood is an opportunity to fight obesity before the damage it causes becomes irreversible. Compared to children with a low body mass index (BMI), children with a high BMI are 40% more likely to have cardiovascular disease in middle age. Children with a combination of risk factors, including smoking and high BMI, blood pressure and blood lipids, have a two to nine times greater risk of heart attack and stroke in middle age.’
How to protect your child’s future:
According to Dr. Abhishek Chopra, school-aged youth should be doing at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic physical activity per day. He suggested, “Also, muscle-strengthening activities should be done at least three times a week. You should limit sitting time, especially screen time. In terms of diet, children should eat a full breakfast, avoid eating between meals, eat three meals and no more than two snacks a day, limit portion sizes, avoid energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods such as fruit juice or fast food, increase consumption of unprocessed fruit , vegetables and fiber-rich grains, as well as lower fat and sugar intake.’
A number of policies and actions are needed to end obesity and its related problems. The main place in them is occupied by physical activity and nutrition. Dr. Abhishek Chopra suggested that policymakers should:
- Promote physical activity and raise awareness of the need to reduce sedentary time
- Encourage healthy eating habits
- Provide dietary counseling and psychological support for behavior change
- Reducing the marketing of junk food in the media and social networks
- Promote parenting styles that encourage physical activity and healthy eating
- Avoid stigmatization
- Involve schools, family and friends in educational programs
- Increasing the availability and accessibility of healthy food
- Provide playgrounds and green spaces for physical activity in urban environments.
Dr. Abhishek Chopra argued: “Policies to stop cardiovascular disease in later life must go beyond simply telling young people to exercise and eat healthy. When there is no place to be active and nutritious food is unavailable or unaffordable, it is very difficult to change behavior. Some children will benefit from psychological support to understand which habits are problematic and how to develop new ones. And instead of criticizing kids for being inactive and eating junk food, schools and parents can show that being physically active and cooking healthy food is fun.”
He went on to recommend: “Schools should take the lead with healthy school meals, cooking classes, nutrition and activity education and sports clubs. Family and friends should be invited to participate, as both influence the child’s lifestyle and weight. Most children are exposed to the promotion and marketing of products such as fast food and sugary drinks approximately 200 times a week on social media. The marketing of junk food and drink should be minimized or banned, especially in schools, as it affects children’s behaviour.’
We must avoid stigmatizing children who are overweight and obese, as this can push them towards eating disorders and inactivity. Dr. Abhishek Chopra concluded, “For example, at the school level, all children and all families can benefit from prevention strategies, from healthy lunches to active recess. Prevention of cardiovascular diseases should be started on time. Instead of waiting and seeing if today’s obese children become tomorrow’s heart attacks and strokes, an action plan needs to be developed to stop future health problems. We already know that obesity harms children’s health.”
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor for any health concerns.
