Causes of Obesity in Children
"The body stores unused energy as body fat. To maintain a healthy weight, one needs to burn the energy gained from the food they consume. The body stores the extra energy as fat when people consume more than they burn", explains child specialist, Dr. N.S. Rao, Apollo Clinic, Hyderabad.
Here are the primary reasons why children may face obesity, according to Dr, Rao:
Food choices: These include choosing high-fat and sugary foods instead of healthier options.
Lack of physical activity: Children are less active today than they were in the past.
Sedentary pursuits: Children watch, on average, around two and a half hours of television per day, and they also spend time on the computer and other electronic gadgets. It seems that these pastimes are replacing active ones.
Overweight parents: The family's eating patterns can have a major influence on whether the child maintains a healthy weight or not. Some overweight parents may be less concerned about their children also being overweight.
Genetics: Some rare genetic disorders can cause severe childhood obesity. In many people, certain genes acting together can make them more susceptible to obesity. If there is a family tendency of obesity, parents need to be even more careful about making healthy food choices for the whole family.
How to prevent obesity among children
The only way to prevent obesity is to engage the child in a lot of outdoor activities. Parents need to set an example, by being active and join them in outdoor games till they develop an affinity for it. A balanced diet with plenty of fibre diet should be adhered to after the age of 10.
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