Childhood Obesity – What to Do About It

Obesity is among the fastest increasing diseases affecting children nowadays. A child that is overweight can face a lot of other health challenges. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics the probability for overweight children to become overweight adults is high. In order to avoid future health concerns associated with Obesity from happening, it should be the responsibility of our local communities as well as national organizations to educate and inhibit forthcoming health problems resulting from obesity from taking place later on.

Obesity has been identified as one of the leading causes of Hypertension as well as Diabetes. A child suffering from Hypothyroidism or Asthma is very likely to become overweight as well. Children with an incorrectly functioning thyroid gland will have a lower overall body functioning. If a child has a respiratory issue, this can also reduce the proper functioning of his/her body resulting to labored breathing and inactive movement. Children, who are too exhausted to exercise or else complete their activities every day, are likely to gain weight. It is possible that an overweight child may already be suffering with or will be suffering from these health issues at a later date.

A child should live an active lifestyle to become physically fit and to stay healthy throughout maturity. The recommendation from the American Medical Association is for people to perform no less than 30-minutes of continuing cardiovascular exercises on a daily basis. This does not exempt children who tend to spend most of their day sitting in front of a computer screen, if not video games, and the like. By exercising daily, children are not just fit but they also have stronger immune system to combat infections and other health issues that may plague their bodies. Urge your children to participate in swimming, jogging, playing tennis or any other sports activity that can increase their metabolism and as a result they are able to burn calories and lose weight in the process.

Healthy eating habits likewise reduce the risk of Obesity in children and reduce their likelihood of turning into an overweight grownup. All of us should be eating the right food servings from each one of the five basic groups as well as refrain from using too much grease or oils in cooking our foods. Eating the exact portion amounts will lower excessive intake of calories and it makes you responsible for your food consumption from every food group. The best way to cook food is to use natural seasonings, like bell peppers, onions and garlic to cut down adding more salt to your diet.

With the right education along with motivation, we can beat childhood Obesity. Parents are supposed to take the children to their pediatrician as well to have their regular examinations in order to monitor their health. This will help reduce the percentage of adult obesity, therefore lowering the total cost they spend for medical care in addition to raising their life value. If we act now, we will be able to bring about a different future for our children by making changes to their lifestyle and as well in to their eating habits.