The ballooning problem of childhood obesity

Obesity can affect a child’s physical, social, and emotional well-being, writes Dr PANKAJ AGGARWAl, and suggests ways to deal with it

Today, childhood obesity is a serious medical condition. It occurs when a child or an adolescent is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height. Childhood obesity is particularly troubling because it could lead to diseases such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Childhood obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression.

Your child’s doctor will consider his/her history of growth and development, your family’s weight-for-height history, and where your child lands on the growth chart. This can help determine if your child’s weight is in an unhealthy range. Obesity can have complications for your child’s physical, social and emotional well-being.

Combating obesity: Treatment for childhood obesity is based on your child’s age and if he or she has other medical conditions. Treatment usually includes changes in the child’s diet and level of physical activity. In certain circumstances, treatment may include medication or weight loss surgery.

DIET: Children aged 6-11 who are obese may be put on a diet for gradual weight loss of no more than 0.5 kg a month. Older children and adolescents who are obese or severely obese may be put on a diet that aims for weight loss of up to 1 kg a week.

The methods for maintaining your child’s current weight or losing weight are the same: The child needs to eat a healthy diet — both in terms of type and amount of food — and increase his or her physical activity. Success depends largely on your commitment to helping your child make these changes.

Healthy eating: Parents are the ones who buy groceries, cook meals and decide where the food is eaten. Even small changes can make a big difference in your child’s health.

• When food shopping, choose fruits and vegetables. Cut back on convenience foods such as cookies, crackers and prepared meals, which are often high in sugar, fat and calories. Always keep healthy snacks available.
• limit sweetened beverages. This includes those that contain fruit juice. These drinks provide little nutritional value in exchange for high calories. They also can make your child feel too full to eat healthier foods.
• limit fast food as it is high in fat and calories.
• Sit down together for family meals. Make it an event, a time to share news and tell stories. Discourage eating in front of a screen such as a TV, computer or video game, which can lead to fast eating and lowered awareness of how much you’re eating.
• Serve appropriate portion sizes. Children don’t need as much food as adults do. Allow your child to eat until he or she is full, even if that means leaving food on the plate. And remember, when you eat out, those portion sizes are often significantly oversized.

Physical activity: A critical part of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, especially for children, is physical activity. It not only burns calories but also builds strong bones and muscles and helps children sleep well at night and stay alert during the day. Good habits established in childhood help adolescents maintain healthy weight despite the hormonal changes, rapid growth and social influences that often lead to overeating. Active children are more likely to become fit adults.

To increase your child’s activity level:

• limit TV and recreational computer time to no more than two hours a day. A good way to increase your child’s activity levels is to limit the number of hours he or she is allowed to watch TV each day. Other sedentary activities like playing video and computer games or talking on the phone should also be limited.
• Emphasise on activity, not exercise. Children should be moderately to vigorously active for at least an hour a day. Your child’s activity doesn’t have to be a structured exercise programme, the object is just to get him or her moving. Free play activities such as playing hide and seek, tag or jump-rope can be great for burning calories and improving fitness.
• Find activities your child likes to do. For instance, if your child is artistically inclined, go on a nature hike to collect leaves and rocks that your child can use to make a collage. If your child likes to read, then walk or ride a bike to the neighbourhood library.

Medication: In some situations, medication may be prescribed for adolescents as part of an overall weight loss plan. Homoeopathy has such medication but which one depends on the child’s symptom pattern.

lifestyle: Your child’s best chance to achieve and maintain a healthy weight is to start eating a healthy diet and exercising more. Here are some steps you can take at home to help your child succeed:

• Be a role model. Choose healthy foods and active pastimes for yourself. If you need to lose weight, doing so will motivate your child to do likewise. Children are good learners and they often mimic what they see.
• Involve the whole family. Make healthy eating a priority and emphasise how important it is for the whole family to be physically active. This avoids singling out the child who is overweight.

Coping and support: Parents play a crucial role in helping children who are obese feel loved and in control of their weight. Take advantage of every opportunity to build your child’s self-esteem. Don’t be afraid to bring up the topic of health and fitness, but be sensitive that a child may view your concern as an insult. Talk to your kids directly, openly, and without being critical or judgmental.

The writer is a Delhi-based homeopathic physician