The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on our healthcare systems and populace on a scale never seen in peacetime. COVID-19 has resulted in major changes in children’s and families’ everyday lives, some of which will have far-reaching consequences for the worsening picture of childhood obesity.
Childhood Obesity
Obesity is a major medical issue that affects children and teenagers. It’s especially troubling because excess weight can lead to health problems that have typically been associated with adults, including diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. Obesity in youngsters can lead to feelings of unhappiness and low self-esteem.
Risk Factors
Many factors, most of which act in concert, raise your child’s risk of becoming overweight:
Diet: Eating high-calorie items on a regular basis, such as fast food, baked goods, and vending machine snacks, might lead to weight growth in your child. Candy and pastries can also contribute to weight gain, and there is growing evidence that sugary drinks, such as fruit juices and sports drinks, are to blame for some people’s obesity.
Lack of physical activity: Because they don’t burn as many calories as children who exercise regularly, they are more prone to gain weight. Sedentary activities such as watching television or playing video games contribute to the condition as well. Ads for unhealthy meals are frequently seen on television shows.
Factors of psychology: Personal, parental, and family stress can all contribute to a child’s obesity risk. Some youngsters binge eat to deal with difficulties or emotions like worry, or to avoid boredom. It’s possible that their parents share similar habits.
Medications in particular: Some pharmaceutical medicines have been linked to an increased risk of obesity. Prednisone, lithium, amitriptyline, paroxetine (Paxil), gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise, Horizant), and propranolol (Propranolol) are among them (Inderal, Hemangeol).
Factors of a socioeconomic nature: Particular people in some communities have limited resources and grocery access. As a result, they may opt for shelf-stable convenience items like frozen meals, crackers, and cookies. Additionally, persons who reside in lower-income areas may lack access to a safe environment to exercise.
How can we treat Childhood Obesity?
Obesity treatment for children and adolescents differs from that for adults. An important component of treatment is involving the family in a child’s weight management program. Family can help you achieve your weight-loss objectives by acting as a support system.
It’s critical to discuss treatment options for childhood obesity with your doctor. Obesity in children and adolescents is treated in a variety of ways, including:
- Diet therapy
- Physical activity
- Behavior Modification
- Surgery
Diet Therapy
When treating an overweight child, it is frequently recommended that they meet with a nutritionist who specializes in children’s requirements. Nutritionists are the ideal people to help kids learn about good eating habits and how to incorporate them into their long-term diet.
Nutritionists do not usually advise calorie restriction for children in all instances. The information supplied to improve a child’s eating habits is usually education on how to read food labels, cut back on quantities, grasp the food pyramid, and take smaller chunks at a slower pace.
Physical Activity
Increased physical activity is another way to address obesity in youngsters. Physical activity is a critical long-term component for children, as research has connected childhood inactivity to a sedentary adult lifestyle. Increased physical exercise can reduce, or at least slow, the growth of fatty tissues in obese children.
Behavior Modification
At a young age, people’s lifestyles and behaviours are formed. Parents and children must continue to be informed and focused on adopting long-term healthy lifestyle choices.
Changing eating habits, increasing physical activity, becoming educated about the body and how to nourish it appropriately, participating in a support group or extracurricular activity, and setting realistic weight management goals are just a few of the ways that children and adolescents can modify their behavior for healthier outcomes.
Surgery
While surgery has been used to address obesity in adolescents in extreme circumstances, it is only considered for those who have serious medical issues that can be treated by surgery.
Prevention
To help prevent excess weight gain in your child, you can:
- Set a good example: Make a healthy diet and frequent exercise a family affair. No one will feel singled out, and everyone will gain.
- Have healthy snacks available: Air-popped popcorn without butter, fruits with low-fat yoghurt, baby carrots with hummus, and whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk are all good choices.
- Offer new foods multiple times: Don’t be discouraged if your youngster doesn’t like a new cuisine right away. To gain acceptance of a food, it usually requires several exposures.
- Choose non-food rewards: It’s a bad idea to promise sugar in exchange for good behavior.
- Be sure your child gets enough sleep: According to multiple studies, getting too little sleep might lead to obesity. Sleep deprivation can lead to hormonal abnormalities, which can result in an increase in appetite.
About Ziqitza Rajasthan
Since 2005, Ziqitza Healthcare Ltd (ZHL) has been one of India’s most prominent participants in the Emergency Medical Services sector. In order to keep the workplace safe, Ziqitza Rajasthan has embraced Medical Room services. Integrated Emergency Services and Corporate Health Solutions are part of Ziqitza‘s “one-stop integrated healthcare solution” for corporations and governments. In India, there are 3,300 ambulances, cutting-edge Helpline centres, and medical mobile units, with two customers, served every second. In India and the Gulf, they deal with 75 corporate firms and state governments. The Global Real Impact Awards and the Times Social Impact Award were both given to Ziqitza Limited Rajasthan.
ZHL Rajasthan mission is to save lives by providing world-class facilities of fully equipped Advanced and Basic Life Support Ambulances in underdeveloped countries. Their commitment to fulfil international standards of quality in emergency medical services and to be available to everyone, regardless of income, reflects their vision.
Please contact Ziqitza Healthcare Ltd or visit their website, Ziqitza Limited, if you have any more questions.