What is Obesity? Causes of Childhood Obesity and Preventive Measures

What is obesity? Obesity or overweight is generally considered the consequences of an increased intake of calories and fat in food. Likewise, too much sugar intake by soft drinks and gradually leaving physical activity also increases the rate of obesity in children all over the world.

In developed countries, obesity in children has reached the epidemic level. About 25% of children are over-weight in United States and 11% are obese. Both obesity and over-weight in children have significant impact on their physical and mental health. The mechanism of developing obesity and over-weight in children are not completely understood but it is considered a disorder consequent from multiple reasons.

Causes of Childhood Obesity

Junk food is one of the causes of Childhood Obesity.

(Photo credit Robert Owen-Wahl)

The biggest problem of mothers regarding children is their diet. Mothers who want their children fat by feeding their favorite foods, often increase their own weight by taking ‘left meals' of their children. Children are innocent, often they take only that food they like but they should not be allowed to eat as long as they want.

Sometimes, mothers give their children those junk foods and other foods that are not useful for their health and it push them to obesity. Mothers make it their routines to feed their children too much or frequently after a specific period of time. Such children become very obese and it is not better for their health. Increasing food habits add not only to obesity but also proves to be a tremendous period of severe diseases with increasing age.

As a global health issue in children, World Health Organization has warned that if a smooth and integrated plan is not taken to prevent children's growing obesity, this problem can take a serious situation. A report stated that number of children (below 15 years) around the world was ‘one billion’ in 1960. Presently, this number is ‘1.9 billion’ (27% of world population). If current situation continues, population of only kids around the globe will be ‘1.9 billion’ in 2050. It is said that children should have a right strategy to prevent growing obesity.

To stop the rate of obesity in children, it is necessary to give them healthy food, and try to influence their diet from beginning. For example, parents must strive to give fruits and vegetables to their babies from the age of one year. This process will influence babies to like fruits and vegetable to eat, and more likely, this habit will continue till life. Experts say that feed your children with those who themselves are eating.

Some experts say that during first one year age there is no need to be more concerned about weight of the child. But it is important to understand difference between a breast-feeding child and a young adult or a big teenager. Apart from this, it must be known that child's brain growth during the first two years of age requires fat in diet. But at which stage child health care should be concerned?

Experts say that if there is obesity in a child at the age of 4, then parents should think about its treatment. The problem is whether weight of baby is more and more when child has increasing fat. According to experts, height and weight of your child should be as per scale that experts have developed keeping in view height and weight proportion. If the baby's weight is not accurate than that of its height, then it should be referred to a doctor.

Parents should have a positive thinking about their child's diet. So feed them, but please not let them feed their favorite foods or get angry with them and lose their favorite diet. If children are given less fatty food due to risk of obese, their growth will be in danger. That is why, it is necessary for the mothers to choose a balanced food for their children.

According to a research, one of the main reasons for childhood obesity is prohibiting children from different exercises and games. Parents must focus on their exercises.

Research has shown that often chubby children are not only bad tempers, but they feel themselves as lesser. The parents must talk about problems of their child so that they feel that someone is trying to understand and solve their problems.

How to Prevent Obesity in Children

Childhood Obesity can be reduced by starting different exercises. (Photo by Lau Wan Yu)

Obese and weight problems in children are increasing day-by-day which can be prevented through supportive policies and guidelines, providing better environment in schools and colleges and educating mothers and fathers as well as youngsters for making healthy choice of meals and ordinary physical activity. 

World Health Organization recommends following measures to prevent obesity in children:

Starting the breast-feeding within one hour of child birth. Exclusive breast-feeding to baby for early 6 months of age.

Starting nutritionally adequate solid food at 6 months with continuous breast-feeding up to two years of age or beyond.

Current Obesity Problems in Children

You must be aware of these Facts:

As Cancer is a dangerous and fatal disease, similarly Obesity is also a menace of this world. In this way, some Slimming Centers as traditionally been conquered major cities all over the world, also use drugs or medicines along with exercises as well as food addictions, which make humans less obesity but victim them with fatal diseases.

Obesity has become a serious problem all over the world today, and this problem is related to both our lives and deaths. At least, 2.8 million People die annually due to obesity each year. There are some facts of obesity that you must know about:

At present, around 925 million people in the world are hungry, but the number of overweight or obesity is 1.5 billion.

Interestingly, both obesity and hunger suffer from lack of nutrients – these two types are found to reduce the amount of Vitamin ‘A’ / Iron or Iodine.

Most overweight people are found in developed countries; 1 of every 3 American residents is having obesity.

Those who avoid eating breakfast and dinner, risk of weight loss is found twice as much as the average person.

According to a recent report, most overweight people in the world are found in United States and then Mexico on second.

Obesity or overweight is 5^th biggest cause of death worldwide – 2.8 million people every year die only due to obesity.

Lack of sleeping at night is also a major cause of obesity; when you sleep at night, your body repairs its internal organs, but in the wake this process is disturbed.

Although juice is healthy but water is more favorable for your body. You can only reduce enough calories in your body through drinking water.

An American citizen eats 25 pounds of Candy a year, and this is causing damage to him.

In case of a car accident, death rate of obesity increases by up to 80%.