Ten Effective Strategies To Prevent The Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity remains a major public health concern in the United States and across the world. The behaviour that children pick up from their parents and caregivers is a major factor in childhood obesity. You may help your child avoid childhood obesity by teaching them appropriate eating habits and encouraging them to be physically active. Low physical activity levels and an imbalanced diet are two of the leading causes of juvenile obesity that are completely avoidable.

Setting a good example for your children by keeping active and eating nutritious meals will help them understand and appreciate the value of a healthy lifestyle while also lowering their risk of obesity. 

What Exactly Is Childhood Obesity?

Childhood obesity is a complicated disorder that occurs when your child’s weight exceeds the normal weight for their age and height. Childhood obesity is defined medically as having a body mass index (BMI) that is at or above the 95th percentile on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) particular growth charts. The BMI factors for children differ from those for adults. Because children’s body compositions change as they grow, BMI is age and gender specific. They also differ between children who were born male and those who were born female.

Start applying these 10 strategies to prevent childhood obesity, listed below right now to keep your children healthy.

1. Increase Your Activity

Establish a daily time for your children to exercise or spend time outside playing with other youngsters. Give children enjoyable sports equipment and games that encourage physical exercise, such as kickballs, footballs, bicycles, jump ropes, and Frisbee. 

Alternatively, have them work toward particular training goals such as push-ups, pull-ups, and sprinting, then conduct weekly fitness tests to assess their progress. Children who see their parents exercising are more likely to develop healthy fitness habits that they will carry with them throughout their lives. Stay active by engaging your children in exciting family sports and games such as tag, croquet, and badminton.

2. Sugar And Desserts Should Be Limited

Many children and adults develop the habit of eating dessert every night after dinner, which contributes to obesity. Consider restricting after-dinner treats to the weekend or only one or two nights each week, and severely reducing daily sugar intake. Sugar is commonly present in sodas, sports drinks, fruit juices, and a variety of tempting processed foods such as crackers, yoghurt, sauces, granola bars, and morning cereals.

Eliminate sugary treats that your children may easily access, such as lollipops and popsicles, and restrict portion sizes on nights when they have dessert. Allowing your children to eat sugary meals and sweets before lunch and supper might lead to less room for healthy choices.

3. Consume More Water

Staying hydrated can help keep hunger away, especially because hunger can be a sign of dehydration. So, if your children are frequently hungry when they shouldn’t be, such as immediately after a meal, have them drink water to see if their hunger symptoms subside.

Water is also a cheap and nutritious alternative to sugary drinks such as sodas and fruit juices, many of which are marketed and aimed towards children. Sugary beverages are heavy in calories and additives, which can contribute to childhood obesity while also increasing the risk of cavities, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a variety of other health issues.

Stop buying sugary drinks for your children and restrict their liquid consumption to water. If your children dislike the taste of water, consider buying natural, healthy sweeteners such as limes, lemons, and oranges to enhance the flavour. This way water helps to improve your overall health. 

4. Make Favorite Dishes More Healthful

Almost every meal, even your children’s favourites like pizza, hamburgers, and macaroni and cheese, may be made healthier in one or more ways. Pizza, for example, may frequently be prepared or ordered with a cauliflower or wheat crust, and hamburgers can be served with a wedge of lettuce or a whole-wheat bun in place of the cheese. There are also plenty of methods to make macaroni and cheese healthier and less greasy, such as substituting yoghurt or vegetable purees for part of the cheese, using whole-wheat noodles, and adding broccoli or spinach.

Begin making incremental, healthy modifications to your children’s favourite meals, including more veggies in practically every dish. In other cases, your children may not even realise that you have changed their favourite foods.

5. Encourage Good Sleep

Children are affected by sleep deprivation and low quality sleep in the same manner that adults are. Sleep deprivation, for example, might cause your children to feel sleepy and weary during the day, causing them to be less active and more sedentary. Sleep deprivation also causes hormonal abnormalities, including the hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin, which control eating. Hunger hormone imbalances can lead to overeating and poor dietary choices.

Make your children go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to promote excellent sleep in your home. Check that their rooms are maintained dark during the night and that they are not regularly waking up due to disturbances from outside or within your house. Consider using light- and noise-blocking drapes or a white noise machine to help your children sleep better.

6. Reduce Boredom And Stress

When individuals are worried or bored, many people, including children, go for comfort foods. When confronted with issues or challenging situations, these people may turn to food for temporary solace. Eating to relieve stress and symptoms of mental illness, on the other hand, can often raise the risk of obesity and eating disorders, which need long-term treatment and counselling.

Communicate with your children on a daily basis and take measures to keep them from feeling stressed or nervous, as these feelings should not affect young children. You may assist children with schoolwork and projects, as well as chat to them about issues they may be facing at school or in your community, such as bullying and peer pressure. Introduce your children to new activities or hobbies that will keep them active and productive if they tend to eat out of boredom.

7. Exercise Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is the act of paying attention to the current moment while eating, such as chewing each piece of food gently to relish and appreciate its flavour. This mindfulness exercise helps people avoid eating unhealthy meals and may even aid in weight reduction. Mindful eating might be difficult for young children to comprehend, but there are simple actions you can do to help your children eat thoughtfully. First, avoid watching TV while eating. 

Given that your attention is diverted from your plate and instead focused on the television, watching television while eating might result in overeating. Then, have your kids name the components of their food, including the spices and flavours that call for careful chewing and attention to each bite. Talk to your kids about the dish while encouraging them to take modest portions. These behaviours may help your kids have a better connection with food over time and lower their risk of obesity and overeating.

8. Get Rid Of Processed Foods

One of the numerous processed snacks for kids that also happens to be quite fatty is pudding. Other processed snacks for kids include flavoured yoghurt, fruit candies, pretzels, and cheese crackers. Many of these snacks are laden with unhealthy elements that lead to obesity, such as excessive levels of sugar, salt, preservatives, and other artificial additives. Remove these manufactured snacks from your house and replace them with an abundance of fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds.

Healthy foods that are easy to grab and consume on the move include apples, carrots, celery, berries, raisins, and peanuts. Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese are two more protein-rich foods that can enhance your children’s energy levels and keep them active. If you buy processed snacks for your children, check the ingredient labels carefully and pick items that are low in additives such as sugar and salt.

9. Analyze The Use Of Medicine

Obesity and weight gain are adverse effects of many different types of drugs, including those that are taken by children. Birth control pills, corticosteroids, and antidepressants are a few examples of drugs that might encourage juvenile obesity. Children who are overweight or obese are more likely to use drugs for respiratory problems like asthma, illnesses of the central nervous system, and endocrine diseases. 

Before your child’s physician prescribes any drug, inquire about potential side effects such as obesity, as well as other medications or therapies for your child’s disease that will not raise the risk of obesity. For example, if your daughter wishes to use birth control tablets to manage her monthly cycle, talk to her doctor about lifestyle changes she may make to regulate her period naturally over time, such as regular exercise and limiting her sugar intake.

10. Limit Your Screen Time

Childhood obesity and an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle are promoted by television shows, movies, video games, and cellphones. These channels frequently expose youngsters to marketing for junk foods and other contemporary technologies that promote inactivity and obesity.

Limit your children’s screen time to less than an hour each day, especially during the school week, so that they may devote their time to more useful activities like study, housework, and exercise. Consider having kids mute the TV during commercials to reduce their exposure to influencing advertising or play exercise-based video games like dance, tennis, and boxing games when you allow screen time.

Wrapping Up

Obesity in children is a complex illness that can have long-term consequences. Being a parent of a child who struggles with weight may be difficult. No matter how heavy they are, you should always support your child. 

By concentrating on their health and motivating them by outlining why you want them to maintain their health. If you suspect your kid is fat, consult with a medical expert. If your child’s weight is a cause for concern, their provider can assist you in making that determination. They can help you develop a plan to get your family back on track with a healthy diet and increased activity.