Is your child obese?  Is obesity really affects child health?  As a parent, what are the things should do in able to help them?

Childhood obesity is a severe health condition that occurs particularly in children and adolescents.    It is a condition wherein the child exceeds the average weight for his height and age due to excessive body fats.   It is considered a serious problem for it can cause negative effects to a child’s health like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, skin infections, liver ailment, asthma and other related respiratory problems.  Childhood obesity can also cause emotional problems like depression and poor self-confidence.  Medical studies revealed that obese children are more possible to become overweight when they reach their adulthood.  It was also found that childhood obesity raise fatality rate in the period of adulthood.

The method to know if a child is considered already an obese is Body mass index or BMI.  A child can be considered obese if his/her BMI is greater than the percentile of 95.

There are many factors that cause childhood obesity.  It is divided into two, the environmental and genetic causes.

Environmental Cause

• The first environmental cause is children nowadays find more pleasure time in watching television and playing computer games which obviously only few calories are consume during these inactive activities.  The percentage of children participating in school sports or other physical activities tends to slow down.
• Excessive or too much snacking of a high-calorie food is another cause to be considered.  Early introduction of extreme intake of sugared soft drinks to children can also lead to obesity.
• Extreme consumption of fast food in restaurant is another possibility cause.  Children and adolescents are attracted to eat in fast food chains wherein they keep endorsing attractive promotions like all-you-can-eat and other stuff.
• Another cause to be considered is the family or parental manners in poor eating habits which can lead to a poor nutrition.  The behavioral patterns of the parents pertaining to eating, cooking buying groceries and exercise gives an essential affect on a child’s health.

Genetic Cause

• Genes influence a vast quantity of weight-related substance processes inside the body.  To mention a few these are the blood glucose metabolism, metabolic rate, fat storage, hormones have an effect on by the genetic inheritance. There are studies conducted that adopted children usually have a weight problems the same with their biological parents than adoptive parents.  Another study showed that baby born to obese mother is likely to be less energetic and have a tendency to be heavier by the age of three months unlike to the baby that born to a mother with a normal weight.

How can we find ways to battle all these factors affecting childhood obesity that may threaten a child’s health?  The following are the natural way in dealing childhood obesity.

Natural Treatment of Childhood Obesity

Medications are not always an optional in dealing with childhood obesity especially if the children are in the age of seven and younger and even older than seven years of age still not frequently recommended.

Healthy eating

1. Fruits and vegetables

Buy fruits and vegetables instead of cookies and crackers wherein there is a high sugar and fat content.  Never make use of the food as a prize for them.  Always prepare a healthy meal for the children.  One of the vegetable that can be considered as a fat inhibitor is cabbage.   This vegetable has an important content, the tartaric acid which is responsible in inhibiting the transformation of sugar and some carbohydrates in fat resulted to a greater weight reduction.  A cabbage salad would be the most preferable meal can prepare to get the healthful benefit that this vegetable can offer.  Another one is the tomatoes, if taken one or two in the morning minus the breakfast for a couple of months will bring a great help in reducing weight.

 2.  Sugared beverages

 

Sugared or sweetened beverages are normally no nutritional supplement can contribute to a child health but only high calories.  It can only make a child feel too full enough not to eat better foods.

 3.  Family meals

Make it a point to have a family meals altogether, a moment to share stories with the family members.  Don’t let them eat their meals in front of the television or computer for it will only lead to fast eating causing slower digestion of food and reduced knowledge of how much food they’re already eaten.

 4.  Fast-food restaurants

 

As much as possible don’t make it a habit to eat at fast-food restaurants for mostly of their foods offered a high in fat and calories.

 

 

 

Physical Activity

1.  Computer and television

 

Limit the leisure time of watching in computer and television.  Let them use it with not more than two hours a day.

 2.  Physical Activity

 

This physical activity does not have to be an exercise program but rather a free-play activity that can help not only to burn calories but also make the bones and muscles stronger.  Example of these activities is the jumping rope and the hide and seeks.  Find to know what activity your child inclined to where he or she can perform effectively.  One more thing to be considered is find activity wherein the whole family can participate altogether.  In this way, a child may find it more enjoyable and at the same time helping him or her in reducing the excess weight.

The natural and easiest ways in treating childhood obesity is in the hands of the entire family.   The parents should make the diet and exercise make better for the health of your child not only for today but for the future.