The most common method to calculate the amount of fat in children is to use the body mass index which is also known as the BMI. While the BMI is accepted as relatively accurate it is important to consider ethnicity, age and gender. The BMI is probably the most accurate measurement of fat when a child is about one or two years old. After that results become less dependable but, there are times when a BMI really isn’t necessary to tell whether obesity is a problem or not.
- How Healthy Family Lifestyle Can Help Obese Children Lose Weight
- Create a Perfect Diet Plan for Fat Loss
The reasons for childhood obesity are numerous and quite complex. They have been generally linked to the environment children live in, nutrition, physiology and psychology. There are some who are beginning to believe that obesity can be inherited and this possibility has been explored. While there may be some validity to the theory it’s important not to dismiss all the other factors such as lack of exercise and eating unhealthily. Parents cannot be led to believe that because they are obese then they can allow their children to submit to being in the exact same state as they are.
Obesity becomes a huge risk when the diet consists mostly of high-calorie foods with a high amount of carbohydrates without balancing it out with any other nutrients. If children are constantly eating out at fast-food restaurants it is especially detrimental to their health and it is up to the parents to pay attention to how the children are eating and what they should be eating is a balanced diet. Sugar is a highly tempting component in fast-foods which really hook children in. This cannot be prevented from happening if parents believe that their children’s fate is doomed then they may not put as much effort into helping and supporting their children in maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The reason why obesity has become such a medical crisis is because of all the diseases and risks that come with it. The conditions that follow obesity are nothing less than life-threatening, they can shorten a life-span by numerous years and could lead to a life of danger and suffering. Conditions such as diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, sleep apnea, high blood pressure become realistic threats if somebody lives an unhealthy lifestyle consisting of unhealthy foods and little exercise. There are other problems that could influence the liver, such as liver disease and because of the pressure to lose weight it could trigger other sorts of eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, skin infections or any other respiratory problems, for example asthma. It is not presumptuous to assume that children who are overweight for most of their childhood will grow up into overweight children and die as overweight adults. It is also not presumptuous to assume that the life-span of those people will be far shorter than those who lead a healthy lifestyle.
As explained, an obese lifestyle is one filled with physical suffering which can be exacerbated by a number of diseases such as type two diabetes, heart diseases, sleep disorders, a number of cancers and they are in constant danger of actually suffering a stroke. The physical repercussions are not the worst part of being obese for many overweight people. It is the emotional suffering that really gets to people the most, the feeling of alienation, loneliness and worthlessness which keeps people from moving forward in their lives.
The emotional problems that come along with childhood obesity can be intensified by bullying, harassing, teasing and constant aggravation by other children because of their physical looks. This constant negative attention hurts a child’s self-image and could immediately shock a child into a setting into a social cocoon, never daring to truly challenge themselves socially. This is what stops children from learning how to grow up as adults and deal with people in the future. Low self-esteem is something many overweight children deal with and it is much more difficult to change a person’s low image of themselves than it is to humble them. It could also lead to deep depression and this can result in suicide.
It is important to understand the triggers to a child’s obesity, only then can the child begin to move forward and lose this weight to a lead a healthier lifestyle with the support of their parents. While healthy people are not automatically happier than unhealthy people they do have the advantage of not worrying about dying or constantly going to the doctor. It also generally hurts a child’s social chances and we live in societies to be able to communicate with people is a crucial life skill. Helping a child lose weight is most effective when the family comes together to solve the problem and show that they can be a reliable safety net.