Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition and a widespread problem worldwide. It exposes children to serious health issues that affect them now and in the future.
There are many causes of childhood obesity, mainly excessive use of technology, a sedentary lifestyle, and low physical activity, which lead to buildup of excess fat.
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Reasons why kids suffer from severe obesity:
1. Behavioral factors:
Eating a lot of high-calorie foods, spending most of their time in front of computers, and lack of exercise or activities.
2. Environmental factors:
Kids have fewer daily activities due to lack of parks or playgrounds in some communities, plus easy access to fast food that's high in fat and calories.
.3. Genetic factors:
There is a chance kids get obese if at least one parent is obese, but it doesn’t mean the kid will definitely be obese. There’s a lot you can do to lower the risk.
4. Medical conditions:
Thyroid problems, growth hormone deficiency, and Down syndrome can also lead to obesity.
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The most common obesity symptoms in kids:
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Stretch marks appearing on hips and belly.
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Dark velvety patches around the neck and other spots.
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Fatty tissue showing up on the chest area.
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Fat distributed unevenly in the body.
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Eating disorders and constipation.
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Shortness of breath and tiredness during any physical activity.
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Obesity might cause sleep apnea.
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Gastroesophageal reflux disease.
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Irregular and disrupted menstrual cycle in girls.
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Harms of obesity in children:
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It can cause high blood pressure and abnormal blood fat levels.
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Metabolic syndrome is a condition of insulin resistance linked to high blood pressure, high triglycerides, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
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Obesity can lead to asthma.
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Breathing problems during normal sleep can cause sleep apnea.
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Obesity causes skin infections, especially fungal infections in skin folds.
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Kids can get pain in the back, knees, thighs, and hips from very little physical activity.
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Risk of liver disease and pancreatitis.
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Gallstones.
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Girls can have menstrual issues like irregular or missed periods, which might cause polycystic ovary syndrome.
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It can cause kids bad headaches, along with vision problems.
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Diagnosing severe obesity in kids:
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The doctor uses the child's BMI to check if the obesity is severe or not.
- BMI is a measure of weight compared to height squared.
- If the child's BMI is at or above the 95th percentile, unfortunately the child has severe obesity, and then these things might be checked.
- The child's family medical history about heart disease, blood vessels, high total cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity in the parents.
- The child's BMI should be monitored year to year.
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Treatment of severe obesity in children:
- Following a healthy, balanced diet for the child and family in general.
- Avoid using rewards and punishments with food and sweets.
- Avoid sugary drinks and soda.
- Stay away from fast food high in fats and calories.
- Don't eat meals in front of the TV or computer screens because it makes the child unaware of how much they eat.
- Always encourage and reward the child when they stick to healthy habits.
- Always encourage the child when they do any healthy habit the right way and don’t let them skip it.
- Organize the child's meals according to the healthy diet that suits them.
- Learn how to make sweets your child loves at home in a way that's low in fat and calories.
- Exercise with your child daily for 60 minutes to encourage them to like sports, like playing football or swimming.
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For genetically overweight kids, treatment has three main options to tackle genetic obesity:
Changing daily lifestyle, medicine, and surgery. The goal is to lose weight and keep it off long-term.
The goal of healthcare for overweight kids is to slow weight gain. So don't force them on a hard or unsuitable diet without a nutritionist's advice. At Fitness Garage, we're ready to offer guidance and tips to help you handle your child in a healthy, right way.
