Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in developed as well as developing countries. Being overweight and obese in childhood impacts physical and psychological health significantly. Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age. The mechanism of obesity development is not fully understood, and it is believed to be a disorder with multiple causes.
Childhood obesity is when a child is significantly overweight in age and height. The severe and adverse consequences of childhood obesity are now proven beyond doubt. Respiratory obstructive and restrictive diseases, hypertension, childhood T2 diabetes, and hepatic steatosis are severe obesity.
Currently, 20 per cent of children in western countries are obese, and even developing countries are reporting unprecedented levels of childhood obesity. In India, 22 per cent of children in well-to-do families are obese. Body mass index is used to measure obesity, and BMI charts for children are used to find out the severity of obesity. Increasing incidence of heart diseases and diabetes in Indians liked to childhood obesity.
The reasons for obesity in children are:
- Unhealthy eating patterns (junk food, soft drinks, etc.).
- A sedentary lifestyle (due to TV and mobile).
- Inadequate play areas.
While a lot of external factors cannot be controlled by parents or even society, the following actions will help us in controlling this epidemic of obesity in children.
- Healthy eating involves fruits, vegetables, and whole grains cereals—regular meal timings, including breakfast. A simple Indianized message of a day’s food composition as a thali wherein 50 per cent (half) is full of vegetables, salads, and fruits, and a quarter (25 per cent) should be made up of cereals such as rice and chapatis. The remaining quarter should be protein-based (dal/milk/egg/animal protein). Fried snacks and sweet dishes should be just for special occasions.
- Avoiding energy drinks, fatty and salty foods like prepacked snacks, ice creams, chocolates, soft drinks
- Increasing physical activity levels in children should be encouraged, not only for weight control but also for general well-being. Physical exercise should be incorporated into a child’s daily routine, like walking or cycling to school and playing with friends on the grounds. For one hour a day, Vigorous activity should be a norm for school-going children.
- In our country, sedentary behaviour is watching television and mobile. These should be restricted to not more than one hour a day.
- Avoiding overfeeding
Tackling obesity, especially in children and adolescents, is not easy and requires considerable planning and coordination between patients, families, and healthcare facilities. A few strategies are mentioned below that can help tackle the issue of obesity for target-specific groups:
Infants and young children
- Promote exclusive breast-feeding for six months
- Avoid adding sugar sugars and oils to feeding formulas
- Monitor the weight and height of the child
- Mothers should accept their child’s appetite and never force-feed them
Children and Adolescents:
- Promote active lifestyle
- Promote sensible eating, eat more vegetables and fruits
- A celebration should be in the form of outdoor picnic/play rather than fast food joint parties
- Educate adolescents about the evils of alcohol and tobacco
~Authored by Dr Rajesh Kumar Singh, consultant paediatrics, Fortis Hospital, Anandapur, Kolkata
