When Fat Isn't Cute Anymore
by Shakira Andrea Sison
Fatso, blimp, porky, and blubber-bin. These are only a few of the cruel words that overweight kids have to live with every day. For most of them, obesity will be a ghost that will haunt them even in their adult lives, and unlike their physical appearance, their emotional scars will never be a joke.
Child obesity is a growing problem all over the world, and research shows that in the United States, one out of four children are overweight. Whatever happened to the problems parents had with children who did not want to eat? Somehow, modern society has caused not only adults but also children to develop habits that are probably worse than not eating anything at all.
The increased number of fast food chains and junk food on the market, coupled by the inactive lifestyles of today’s children have been found to be the main culprits for this alarming event. According to Rhoda Sutherland, consultant nutritionist at Chalybeate Hospital in Southampton, instead of active play, it is very common for children to spend hours in front of the computer or television. The typical modern diet does not help either, with most children hardly eating any fresh fruit and vegetables but live entirely on high-fat, high-sugar convenience foods.
The funny part is that parents of overweight children usually fail to recognize that their young child is overweight. Among parents of severely obese children, only 3% considered the child to be overweight and in fact, a much higher percentage (8%) actually considered them to be underweight, with the remaining vast majority thinking that their child's weight was normal.
With the unnecessary weight kids put on going unnoticed, an increasing percentage of the population of children are at risk with obesity-related health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and others. Studies also show that overweight children are predisposed to having more allergies, physical injuries, and asthma attacks. But that is not all overweight kids have to worry about.
Obese children get teased and insulted more often than their fit counterparts, resulting in emotional damages they carry until their adult years, whether or not they are able to control their weight later in life. Especially with school-aged children who spend most of their time with their peers, having a supportive and doting family will not be enough to counter these personal attacks.
The hand that rocks the cradle
Aside from genetic factor, nutritionists have recently put the blame on the parents. According to the American Dietetic Society, many children are picking up their parents' bad habits, with family time equal to communal television-watching, with matching potato chips. Also, because of the adults’ busy schedules, most of today’s kids have been raised on a diet of easy-to-prepare food such as burgers, crisps, and sodas.
Of course, majority of parents will not accept the reality that it is through their own hands that their kids have been put to harm. However, because child obesity continues to cause unnecessary health and emotional problems in today’s youngsters, solutions must be made before we become a society over-eating and easily-dying individuals.
Simple steps for the big ones
Fortunately, there are some very easy ways to help your child lose weight and/or eat better. First of all, cut out all junk food from the diet. This will benefit not only your child’s clothes size, but his/her health and disposition as well. Decreasing the amount of fat and refined sugars has been known to cause weight loss and prevent childhood ailments such as allergies, earaches, and the like.
The best action you can take to encourage your child to eat healthy food is to set a good example with your own diet, and choosing healthier foods and preparations. Most of the time your child won't be able to tell the difference. For example, remember to cut the excess fat off meat, grill instead of fry, and use low-fat milk, cheeses and snacks.
Exercise, exercise, exercise! With the lure of computer games, the Internet and TV, it can feel like a losing battle to get your child up and about. Encouraging your child to exercise need not be expensive. Just walking can burn up to 175 calories an hour, while swimming, football, hockey, squash and skiing can all burn up around 400 calories an hour.
Last but not the least, develop your child’s habits such that he eats to live, and does not live to eat. Although a child’s chubby cheeks are probably the softest things in the world, and it certainly feels better to hug a fat child than a thin and scrawny one, keeping your kids fit will be better for everyone in the long run.
About the Author:
To find more health related articles visit our friends at DoctorGeorge.com
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