childhood obesity - brief overview

Childhood obesity

 Childhood obesity is a condition in which a child is significantly overweight for his or her age and height. Childhood obesity is a medical condition that affects children and teenagers. Everyone has a body shape that is just right for him or her changes  but sometimes we can store excessive body fat. If a child or adult stores too much fat they can be classified as overweight or obese. A sign of childhood obesity is a weight well above the average for a child’s height and age.

If left unchecked, research shows that these children are more likely to become obese adults and thus more likely to experience compromised health due to chronic disease, contributing to growing personal and health care costs.

The commonly asked question:

Which children are at risk of becoming overweight or obese?

Most childhood unhealthy weights are caused by children eating too much and not exercising enough. A complex and interacting system of factors contributes to increasing rates of overweight and obesity – biological, behavioural, social, psychological, technological, environmental, economic and cultural – operating at all levels from the individual to the family to society as a whole.

                                           

Children at risk of becoming overweight or obese include children who:

·          Have a lack of information about sound approaches to nutrition

·          consume food and drinks that are high in sugar and fat on a regular basis

·          are not physically active each day

·          spend more time in front of T.V and computers

·          live in an environment where healthy eating and physical activity are not encouraged

·          eat to help deal with stress or social problems

·          come from a family of overweight people where genetics may be a factor, especially if healthy eating and physical activity are not a priority in the family

·          come from a low-income family who do not have the resources or time to make healthy eating and active living a priority

·          are exposed to the aggressive marketing of energy-dense foods and beverages to children and families

·          have a lack of access, availability and affordability to healthy foods

·          have a genetic disease or hormone disorder such as Prader-Willi syndrome or Cushing’s syndrome

 

In my up-coming article I will be talking about how to make favourite dishes healthier ... so just keep waiting.. Till then cyaa soon!!!