It has long been thought that children's fatness is a sign of health, but this statement is actually quite controversial. Every year there are more and more overweight children, and now pediatricians are sounding the alarm. Therefore, parents should definitely pay attention to whether they are making mistakes that can form the child's wrong eating habits.
5 common parenting mistakes, or what not to do if you don't want your child to be overweight.
1. To feed just what, if only to eat
Does the child not eat soup, meat and other healthy foods? Why not offer him then sausages with dumplings. Doesn't eat fruits and berries? Maybe peel the skin, mash the pulp in mashed potatoes and sprinkle well with sugar … In fact, this is not necessary! Fast food and convenience foods can never be a quality substitute for normal food.
2. Make you finish eating
"A spoon for mom, a spoon for dad …". Stuffing the child with food and forcing him to eat everything that is on the plate is the second common mistake parents make. The habit of eating when the body is full increases the risk of obesity in adulthood by 25%.
3. Blame hormones for everything
Some parents of obese children, instead of adjusting the diet, blame hormones and take the child to see an endocrinologist. However, in 95% of cases, the doctor does not find any hormonal disorders.
4. Blame heredity for everything
“My husband and I are not thin, and the child has no one to be slim”. Indeed, the risk of developing obesity in a child increases if at least one of the parents is overweight. However, the point here is rather not in heredity, but in family food traditions. In a house where they like fried foods, starchy foods, and also a hearty meal at night, it is very difficult to stay slim.
5. Close our eyes to the problem
"He's not fat, just sturdy!" - many parents say. Unfortunately, sometimes they are wrong. You can determine if a child is overweight using a special table.
Important! 10-20% of normal children may not fit into the readings of the table.
- Overweight by 20-30% - 1st degree of obesity
- by 30-50% - 2nd degree of obesity
- 50-100% - 3rd degree of obesity
- more than 100% - 4th degree of obesity
If you find that your child is overweight, be sure to consult a pediatrician. The doctor will help you choose a diet and exercise, and in some cases, give a referral to a nutritionist and endocrinologist.
