Overweight Children: Causes and Management
In the past, obesity was a major concern in adults and it was more common at the age of fifty years and above. Studies indicate that researchers noticed a great number of overweight children in the twentieth century and this was uncommon since obesity had been rare in children. In the current century, obesity has become a common phenomenon in children and adolescents across the globe.Overweight Children: Causes and Management
Introduction
Childhood obesity has become one of the alarming healthcare problems in the current century. The issue has been reported to be common in both developed and developing countries, especially in the urban areas. Research indicates that the number of overweight children under the age of five was forty three million worldwide in the year 2010 (Kitsios &Papadopoulou, 2013).
Similarly, obesity is not new to me, as I know from my own experience that it can be a deadly health threat. In my primary school time, obesity made me be scared to death as a close friend of mine, who by the age of ten years weighed more than 40kg, could not walk a long distance, ran fast, and one day he collapsed as we were playing. Once taken to a medical care center for check-up, he was diagnosed with obesity. Since then, my main goal is to keep my body fit and healthy through jogging, gym, and healthy eating.Overweight Children: Causes and Management
Causes
Studies indicate that obesity is caused by imbalance between the energy consumed and the energy used by the human body. In the research conducted by Kipping, & Lawlor, (2008) it has been noted that there are several factors that contribute to the causes of overweight in children such as lack of exercise, unhealthy eating and genetic predisposition.
Kitsios & Papadopoulou (2013) agree with Kipping & Lawlor, (2008) that lack of exercise, poor eating habits have been noted to be the major factors that cause obesity, and their studies have shown that children with bad eating habits are more likely to be obese when at the age of thirteen to fifteen years. For instance, many children like taking such unhealthy foods like French fries, hamburger and hotdogs which are rich in fats.
In addition, it has also been stated by Kitsios & Papadopoulou (2013) that lack of physical exercises in the presence of poor eating habits leads to increased rate of weight gain among children. Although there are school based physical activities meant to help children keep fit, studies have shown that such exercises have proven to have very little impact on the body mass of the children.
Weight management
Weight management is linked with the attitude that parents and the adolescents have towards the issue of gaining weight. Weight management is a lifetime process since it involves the intake of energy that an individual consumes and its output in one’s lifetime. Vigorous exercises like running for about three kilometers a day help in reducing the calories in the body as well as in increasing of the metabolic rate in a human body and this helps an individual to remain healthy. A well balanced diet is also another approach used to manage weight since the type of food one eats helps in determining the amount of fats and carbohydrates the body receives (Kitsios & Papadopoulou, 2013).Overweight Children: Causes and Management
Conclusion
Analysis shows that parents are the people who can help their children understand the risks associated with high rates of weight gain as well as the benefits linked with one keeping fit. Adolescents are also capable of managing their weight if they have the interest of keeping fit as well as avoiding the risks associated with cardiovascular and diabetes diseases.
References
Kipping, R. & Lawlor, D. (2008). Obesity in children. Epidemiology, measurement, risk factors, and screening, 10, 15 337-404. Web.
Kitsios, K. & Papadopoulou, M. (2013). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels and metabolic disorders in obese and overweight children and adolescents. J Clin Res Pediatr endocrinol, 1, 31, 256-298. Web.Overweight Children: Causes and Management