Many parents, especially grandmothers, believe that a child's nutritional status is an indicator of his health. In fact, fatness is not always synonymous with obesity; there are certain norms for making a diagnosis in children. If a child's weight is 20% higher than the average weight for a certain height, then this is already obesity.
In the case of obesity, the child shows visible signs of obesity - these are folds in the arms above the elbow and thighs. The main reason for this is overfeeding. Excess weight leads to a weakening of children's immunity, the child often catches a cold, there is a risk of developing asthma, his cardiovascular system and joints suffer.
Causes of childhood obesity
Eating a lot of foods that are high in calories, the excess of which is stored as body fat. Such food, with all its calorie content, does not saturate well, and after a short time the child again experiences a feeling of hunger. The stomach begins to get used to large amounts of food.
Refusal of children from the consumption of healthy, not always tasty products. As a result, a deficiency of certain vitamins and elements occurs in the child's body, this leads to a constant feeling of hunger, which occurs despite the large amount of food consumed.
A sedentary lifestyle is also an important factor in the development of childhood obesity.
Ways to normalize the weight of a child
Wean your child to eat on the go, sitting in front of the TV or reading a book, this leads to the fact that, being carried away, the child eats much more than he needs. Eliminate snacks between meals, as a last resort, if it is difficult to refuse it, then offer your child fresh fruit. At lunchtime, give your baby a smaller portion than usual, increasing the number of meals. Teach your child to leave the table with a little feeling of hunger.
Limit your intake of unhealthy foods such as chips, cold meats, popcorn, salted peanuts, chocolate bars, fast food, and soda. Also exclude foods high in sugar from the baby's diet - cakes, cookies, sweets, etc. Minimize the consumption of high-calorie foods sour cream, cream, butter, pasta, potatoes, dumplings, mayonnaise.
Adhere to the rules of separate meals, in one dish, use foods that go well with each other, for example, cook meat or fish with vegetables and herbs, and not with potatoes. Try to season salads with vegetable oil. Don't forget that a salt-free diet can help you lose weight in no time.
Eat vegetables that help burn body fat - these are carrots, beets, cabbage. Introduce more lean meats, fish, poultry, fresh vegetables and fruits into your diet.
Pay attention to physical activity. Enroll your child in the sports section or play sports with the whole family. Go cycling, skating, or rollerblading. Walk more outdoors. Start visiting the pool. Lead a healthy lifestyle with your whole family, and you will never have health problems and excess weight.
