Obesity and Prevention

Being overweight, resulting in obesity, is a very common concern today with people of all ages, but also in children. Many people are obese due to various unavoidable circumstances, such as stress, genetic disorders and/or an existing medical condition, however, the most common problem, especially in young children, is overeating and/or eating the wrong types of foods at the wrong time.

Here are some common causes of obesity in young children, as well as some treatments and preventions.

Daily Education

Knowledge is the most powerful weapon you can have against a disorder such as obesity and that can be passed on to your child on a daily basis. Many adults put on weight and get to be obese because they simply don’t know simple facts, like how many calories one should consume in a day, what is the ideal weight in relevance to your height, how to prepare a balanced diet and when to eat what types of foods.

As a parent, it is very important you know all the factors about nutrition first and foremost for your own health and secondly in order to be able to look after your child and, more importantly, so that you can teach your child about it. Make time and educate yourself and your child on a daily basis, read labels and try as much as possible to sit down at the dinner table and enjoy a meal with your family while discussing the importance of eating a balanced diet. One of the main causes of obesity in young children is that they don’t know when to eat what types of food and how much.

The Importance Of Physical Activities

We all lack physical activity because we drive to work, get fast food and coffee in drive through aisles, sit on a chair at work, drive back home and we are lucky if we spend a half-hour standing in the kitchen preparing some dinner before we sit to eat at the dinner table and/or in front of the television for the rest of the night.

Lack of activity is yet another common cause of obesity in young children and it is up to the parents to initiate and make sure it is being carried out. If you do not have the facility to exercise at home or go to a local gym, try and have simple exercises with your children, such as walking, yoga and/or pilates. The good part about exercising with your children is that it will keep you in shape, too, while teaching your children to stay healthy.

Helpful Tip

Obesity in young children usually occurs due to parent’s negligence and lack of knowledge in the right nutrition and exercises required for their child. Speak to your doctor and find out the ideal weight for your child depending on his height and age as well as what types of foods are nutritious and what exercises are best applicable at what time of the day.

Learn everyday about your health and that of your family in order to prevent obesity in young children, as well as to treat it, if your child is already overweight. Try not to make the mistake that many people do and fall from one extreme to the other, and that is from eating everything at any time to being too strict about food, calories and exercises; remember that stress is one of the main causes of obesity and you should avoid it as much as possible.