Obesity in
children is on a rampage with numbers skyrocketing in the past few years. An
obese childhood paves way to an obese adulthood which is a serious concern for
parents these days. An obese child is most likely to suffer from physical as
well as emotional difficulties in his life. Besides leading a sedentary life,
they will also be bullied by their peers which may dent the child’s
self-confidence.
Factors
responsible for child obesity
- Filthy Eating Habits: Nowadays, children prefer eating junk food instead of fresh fruits and vegetables. Burgers, pizzas and other oily food items have high sugar and fat content which may hamper with your child’s overall body development.
- Lack Of Exercises: With the advent of television, computer games and more importantly social media, children are devoting more time to these rather than engaging in outdoor activities. While they prefer leading such lifestyle, the calories they consume do not burn out. If your child is inclined towards this, it may spell trouble for his adulthood.
- Surroundings: If you pack your refrigerators and kitchen with fat-filled stuff like chocolates and chips along with soft drinks, there is a possibility your child will pick them up. But if you act smart and stock your kitchen with healthy foods, your child will most definitely pick up the same.
- The Genes Factor: If your family carries genes of obesity, your child will also carry them. In a family of obese people, high calorie food and reduced amount of exercise dominates. This will support your child in doing the same.
- Emotional Difficulties: It is common in adults to treat food as a stress buster but sometimes children also do the same. Children encountering anxiety issues are more susceptible to obesity. As a parent, you need to look out for him as he may try to cope with stress by eating more food.
All these
risk factors may harm your child’s present and future leaving him vulnerable to
many more diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
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