| Let us prevent child overweight |
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| By Monina Oliveros, Registered Dietitian | |
| Saturday, 31 January 2009 | |
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Statistics point to the fact that overweight among young people has gone up. In about three decades, rates of childhood overweight have more than doubled for preschool children aged 2 – 5 years, and have tripled among children aged 6-11 years. As a consequence, hypertension and other heart risk factors and Type 2 Diabetes which were once considered adult diseases are now starting to show up among young children as early as 5 years old. Overweight children also are at risk for sleep apnea, asthma, and psychosocial difficulties arising from being obese, including shame, and low self-esteem, all of which may impair academic and social functioning and carry into adulthood. Child overweight is caused when a child consumes more food and beverages than what a child uses to support normal growth and development, metabolism, and physical activity. The imbalance between calories consumed and calories used is a result of a number of factors, including genetic, behavioral, and environmental which are intertwined among each other. Studies have shown some of the causes of the imbalance as lack of physical activity, large portions of food for age, and inadequate parental supervision when it comes to feeding and physical activity. Long hours of television viewing, consumption of sweetened drinks (e.g. soda and fruit beverages) which are less satiating, and frequent consumption of fast foods which are usually high fat are correlated with the prevalence of overweight. Family meals have often been replaced by munching continuously throughout the day. Cookies, chips and other high-calorie snack foods are readily available for children to fill up on. What are some strategies to curtail childhood overweight ? Monitor child’s weight and height or body mass index on a regular basis to identify if child is overweight or not and assess possible complications.. Encourage breastfeeding among infants and avoid early introduction of solid foods until the infant is developmentally ready. Implement the 5-2-1-0 guidelines at home as a family which are: eating 5 servings or more of fruits and vegetables daily (portions vary with age), watching no more than 2 hours of TV or playing of computer games, engaging in 1 hour of physical activity or active play, limiting fast foods and sugar-sweetened beverages which includes pop or fruit drinks to preferably zero. Teach the concept of “daily “foods and “sometimes” foods to the children and avoid large portion sizes. As parents, monitor and model positive eating behaviors. Avoid using food as a reward for good behavior .Eat meals together as a family whenever possible. Avoid force feeding children but instead give your child a chance to know the signals for hunger and feeling full. That way, your child will be able to control how much he or she eats. Children should have set mealtimes and snack times to avoid unlimited access to foods throughout the day. Parents should also strive to have healthy foods handy. Be involved in school wellness policies by looking into school lunch menus, physical education or activities Recommend healthier food choices in the lunch room, vending machines, in school stores, in academic incentives, rewards and fund-raising. Have your child participate in different community wellness programs/activities appropriate for their age, e.g. Jump for Heart, Diabetes Walk & YMCA programs. If your child is already overweight, take a good look at what is consumed by your child during the day and track physical activities performed by the child. Determine which behaviors need to be modified, set goals for behavior changes one at a time, and determine how success of reaching these goals will be determined. The whole family must be ready to make some behavior changes. New behavior changes should not be instituted until previous changes have been accomplished and maintained. Ask your physician for help. The physician may do a health assessment and also refer you to a dietitian who will assist with the nutrition assessment, intervention, monitoring, and evaluation; or to resources that promote weight management, nutrition, and physical activity. |
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