Child Obesity|Nestlé Nurturing Nutrition

It would be impossible not to notice that obesity has become a common problem that now affects children as well as adults. But just what are the reasons for this worrying trend?

	Genetics Whether we like it or not, our genes affect our weight and shape. In a study, it was found that when one parent was overweight, 40% of children were fat. When both parents were overweight, the figure doubled to 80%. But even when both parents were of normal weight, 10% of children were still overweight.
	Poor Eating Habits Menus, both at home and outside, feature many fried and fatty foods. While these may be tasty, because they are salty and savoury, they also tend to be high in calories and can lead to weight gain.
	Lack Of Physical Activity Children nowadays spend more time watching television or playing computer games than exercising or playing active games. If children consume more calories than their bodies need, the surplus calories are stored as fat, even if the food eaten is healthy.
	Personal Or Family Problems These can cause a child to be sad, worried, bored or angry, and trigger overeating or bingeing which causes unwanted weight gain.

Tackling Child Obesity
Obesity in children should be nipped in the bud because it can bring on a host of health and social problems:

Social Problems
Overweight children could be teased by peers or excluded from group activities. This can lead to low self-esteem and cause an inferiority complex into adulthood.

Health Risks
Overweight children are at higher risk of future heart diseases, and may encounter difficulty breathing and respiratory problems. In addition, the extra weight carried by obese children puts more strain on their joints. Weak bones may also be a problem due to lack of exercise.

Child obesity needs to be managed very carefully because children are still growing and have special nutritional needs.

Don’t put your overweight child on a restrictive diet, without a doctor’s supervision. Start by getting into a good meal pattern that has 3 main meals and 2-3 healthy snacks each day.

It’s also important to limit TV and computer time. Try instead to get your child to burn off excess calories through physical activity – such as walking, swimming, cycling or taking up a new sport.

Serving Suggestions
To help in the battle against child obesity, serve only balanced, nutritious food, and seek ideas and inspiration from our list of top ten tips.

	Discourage foods high in sugar or fat.
	Include sufficient amounts of whole grains, vegetables and fruits.
	Trim off visible fat from meats and discard the skin from chicken and duck.
	Use oil sparingly.
	Modify cooking methods; steam, boil, bake and grill rather than fry or roast.
	Serve smaller portions of food.
	Encourage him to drink water instead of sweetened beverages and carbonated drinks.
	Never use food to bribe, reward, punish or comfort.
	Do not allow your child to skip breakfast.
	Don’t let your child gobble down meals. Set a good example by eating slowly.

Helping a child overcome obesity requires a lot of understanding and patience. They didn’t grow obese overnight, and will need time to overcome the problem. Most importantly, don’t stress your child over this issue. In handling it calmly and positively, you will teach your child essential life skills that will last a lifetime.