Question

what could healthcare providers and parents do to help prevent childhood obesity?

Answer 1

Obesity is a condition during which there is excess accumulation of fat in the body. This increases the risk for several serious health problems. Body mass index (BMI) is used in measuring and diagnosing obesity. BMI is calculated using a person’s weight and height to measure the total body fat. A person with BMI of 30 or more is considered to be obese.

Obesity is a major risk factor for several chronic health problems not only in adults but children as well. Some of these health issues include:

• Heart diseases and strokes
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Cancer
• Osteoarthritis
• Gall bladder stones
• Gout
• Breathing problems
• Sleep apnea
• Asthma
• Fatty liver disease
• Kidney disease

Earlier obesity was considered as a health problem in high income countries, but now it is highly prevalent in middle and low income countries as well.

Lifestyle is one of the major factor for obesity. But other than that genetic factors, hormonal conditions, effect of certain drugs, etc. can also lead to obesity during childhood.

Some of the impacts of obesity during childhood are:

• It can affect physical health of children
• It can affect their social and emotional wellbeing
• It can affect their self-esteem
• They are more likely to suffer more from social isolation and depression.
• It can result in low quality of life
• It can affect their academic performance.
• Obesity during childhood may carry over to adulthood as well and can lead to lifelong health and mental problems.

As parents, they can take up following measures to prevent childhood obesity:

• Encourage healthy eating habits

Diet rich in fibers, fruits, and vegetables must be adopted. Low or non-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils, etc. must be given. Avoid serving large portions and encourage drinking plenty of water. Consumption of sugar in any form must be restricted. Excessive use of unsaturated fats must also be avoided.

• Encourage physical activity

Children must be encouraged to engage in physical activity. Hence, regular physical activity must be made a part of life. If children has to stay active at home, the parent itself must add physical activity to one’s own daily routine and encourage the children to join. Participate in activities like bike riding, hikes, active games, etc.

• Avoid excessive sedentary time

Limit the amount of television watching, playing videogames, and working on computers.

• Since children mimic their parents in many ways, it is highly essential that they set the right examples for their children by adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Some of the measures that healthcare providers can adopt to prevent childhood obesity are:

• Routine check of BMI at every child visit. This is important for children above the age of 2 and measure weight-for-length percentile.
• Prenatal healthcare providers can encourage the to-be parent to breast-feed the baby to avoid future weight problems.
• Advise the parents to limit television watching and other sedentary activities.
• Counsel parents on the importance of healthy eating habits and necessity of physical activity.
• Compel the children as well as the parents to limit consumption of sugar products especially sweetened beverages.
• Avoid consumption of junk food to the maximum. Limit eating from outside, especially fast food restaurants and encourage them to take healthy food prepared at home.
• Counsel the parents and children to achieve at least 60 minutes of daily moderate physical activity.
• Children who are overweight or obese must be routinely counseled, regularly followed up, and appropriate treatment plan must be adopted for them.