You are looking for ways to fight obesity at a young age. It might be because you are worried about the weight of your child. Well, if yes, the concern is valid as obesity is often associated with a lot of health complications with age. 

From the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight, and causes of child obesity to the ways to manage the same condition, this article touches upon everything in depth. To learn more, continue to read.   

Benefits of having a healthy weight

When you weigh the same as recommended by medical specialists, there are various benefits at your disposal: 

Healthy joints: When you are fit and healthy with no excessive weight, it keeps joint problems at bay. An obese child is likely to develop OA early in life as obesity and osteoarthritis are closely intertwined.   

National Library of Medicine explores the link and states that “OA pathogenesis relates to both excessive joint loading and altered biomechanical patterns together with hormonal and cytokine dysregulation.” 

In case you already have OA, ensure the best orthopedic doctor in India. Only an experienced doctor can make the best diagnosis and offer the most effective treatments. 

Prevention of diabetes: Being fat is also one of the contributory factors for an early risk of diabetes. Keeping weight in check helps in both prevention and moderation if a child is already diabetic. 

No blood pressure issues: A child with a healthy body mass index is more likely to have no high blood pressure issues. 

Avoidance of chronic conditions: Without a doubt, it is now an open fact that extra weight is directly equal to risks of various early health complications like heart problems, breathing issues, medical conditions affecting the respiratory system, and arthritis.  

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also corroborates this fact: “Compared to children with healthy weight, children with obesity are at a higher risk for asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, type 2 diabetes, and risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure.”

No pregnancy issues in adulthood: Not being obese as a girl child most probably indicates better fertility as an adult. Most female children suffering from obesity often grow into the same fatty human beings, even in their adulthood, ridden with fertility issues and being unable to have an easy conception.

Causes of Obesity in Children

A number of contributory factors might be the reason for a child’s obesity. The underlying reason with precision can only be pinpointed by a certified medical authority.  

Diet: Eating a lot of junk food low in nutritional value and high in calories contributes to the problem of being overweight. In addition, a variety of soft drinks also exacerbate the situation as they are always very high in sugar. 

Lack of physical activity: When we eat more calories than what we burn, it leads to the development of obesity over time. But, this situation can be easily corrected with a proper exercise routine if it is because of over-eating.  

As per an article about Pediatric Obesity published on the website of NIH: 

“Children spend a large amount of time using technology such as cell phones, television, computers or video games. On average, children of 8–18 years spend 7.5 h per day using these gadgets and do not participate in physical activities and active play.” 

Hence, physical inactivity has also proven to be a significant factor in making obesity rampant among many children.  

Environment: Besides, physical settings and limitations also play a role. If you are put in a condition where you don’t have access to protein-rich food against carbs, safe spaces for physical activity, and socio-economic status, the chances of obesity in children are higher. 

Psychological factors: A disturbed mind is also medically claimed to set your body to gather unhealthy weight with time. Thus, there is also a positive relationship between mental stress and obesity.

The basic link between these two variables (mental stress and obesity) is also established partially because of the fact that most children tend to eat more when stressed out.   

A lot of things like personal, family and parental problems cause emotional distress, increasing the chances of being overweight.   

Medical conditions: Being overweight can also be a result of certain underlying conditions in advance. It could be anything from 

• Type 2 diabetes
• Fatty liver
• Bulimia
• Joint problems or other orthopedic treatments
• Respiratory disorders, etc. 

Joint problems also affect how much you weigh as they render you physically inactive even though your caloric intake stays the same. So, if your child has knee issues, first see a knee pain doctor in Delhi.   

Genetics: If the parents are both overweight, their child will be the same too on the condition that the latter inherit the same genetic makeup.   

How to reduce weight

If you are a parent concerned about the weight of your child, continue to read. Try the following options as they might help. 

Ensure Adequate Sleep: If your child isn’t getting enough sleep, it might make them obese over time. To a certain extent, it is due to increased mental stress, physical inactivity, and eating!  

Reduce Screen Time: This piece of advice must be put into action immediately. Today, children spend a lot of time looking at one screen or another. As a parent, put it in check and try to utilise the free time to make your obese child more physically active.  

Develop healthy eating habits: Don’t let your child eat unhealthy food items. Make them eat a balanced diet high in protein and nutritional value. Add the following to the diet of your children. 

• vegetables
• fruits
• poultry
• fish
• whole-grain products
• fresh meats
• lentils
• beans
• low-fat or non-fat milk or dairy products
• low-fat cheese and yoghurt
• say no to added sugar and saturated fat.

Avoid Junk Food: Children often follow what their parents do. So, first, you as a parent avoid eating junk food. And, then don’t allow your child as well to consume the same stuff openly available in the marketplace. 

Stay Physically Active: This is the best advice to combat the case of non-genetic obesity in a child due to high caloric intake and the accompanying inactivity at the physical level. Try things like running, cycling, outdoor sports, and even dancing. 

Join a support group: If possible, connect with people who have already managed the same situation of obesity perfectly in their children. You might find a group of such people nearby. Make use of the internet.     

When to consult a doctor

If, even after trying all the options, obesity at a young age is still a problem, make sure you see the right doctor right away. The condition of being overweight at a young age might also be a symptom of some other underlying medical issue.