What Is Obesity?
Obesity in kids is a serious health concern. Nowadays, it has reached an alarming level and is spreading like an epidemic disease. Though there are many ways to decide whether a child is fat or not, the standard yardstick has not been established like the one used for adults.
Body mass index for age percentiles is widely used to count for obesity level in kids as well. The other common standard is the one in which the body weight is compared with the healthy weight of any particular age or body fat percentage measured against set standard which is 25% for boys and 32% for girls, above this the child is declared obese.
Obesity has an intense effect on a child’s life. It leads to many health problems which further result in emotional and social complications. The risk of having cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol always remain intact unless serious steps are taken to reduce weight.
Obesity has some psychosocial affects as well. Obese children are usually considered to be dull and slow, and thus, become the element of discrimination. These attitudes of society may lead to low self-esteem and confidence in obese children.
Childhood obesity results from different factors like genetic, behavioral or may be environmental, too. In infancy, early intake of solid foods or decreasing intake of mother?s milk is a key factor. Besides this, eating snacks that are high in fat content, less physical activity, more television viewing and no exercise routine are the vital points that make children obese.
If your child starts to lose interest in physical activities, shows drowsy attitude, and craves much for fatty edibles, then you must start paying more attention to him. The best thing that can be done at this stage is to be encouraging and helpful in understanding his problem.
If your child starts gaining weight and it seems impossible for you to manage then do not hesitate to consult a physician. More importantly, for kids, a monthly medical check-up is something good to be adopted.
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