The Dangers of Overweight in Children – Having chubby children is certainly fun for you, especially if your little one is the center of attention in the neighborhood. However, don’t be happy with the bundle, because fat doesn’t mean your little one is healthy, because it could be that he is obese.
For obese children and children with malnutrition / lack of nutrition, Indonesia has the same percentage, which is 12%. This is based on research in 2016 conducted jointly by UNICEF, WHO and ASEAN. Obesity in children is when the body weight exceeds normal weight. This situation is certainly dangerous because it will increase the risk of your little one experiencing chronic disease.
Well, as parents it is important to know the various factors that trigger obesity, the dangers of obesity in children and how to prevent obesity in children. To find out more clearly, you can immediately refer to the discussion below.
Trigger Factors for Obesity
Many factors can cause obesity. Some of them are as follows:
Lifestyle
An unhealthy diet with excessive calorie intake and inactivity can cause obesity. The main cause of obesity is thought to be consuming foods that contain saturated fat and sugar, fast food and soft drinks. In the younger generation, eating patterns accompanied by the habit of sitting for a long time in front of a TV or computer screen is known to be the cause of obesity. (Also read: Healthy Child Diet )
Psychological Factors
Obesity is sometimes experienced by children and adolescents who use food as an escape because of psychological stress due to boredom, studying at school and so on.
Genetic Factors
Children with parents or family members who are obese have a higher risk of obesity.
In addition, feeding infants and children who are not paid attention to poor nutritional content can trigger obesity.
The Dangers of Obesity in Children
Children with fat bodies do look cute and adorable. However, obesity in children can pose several dangers. Here are the dangers of obesity in children that parents should be aware of.
Heart disease
Obesity that occurs in baby and children are characterized by the accumulation of fatty tissue in all or some parts of the little one’s body. You need to know, this is one of the factors that will increase the risk of children developing heart disease.
More blood is needed by children who are obese. Automatically, the heart will work harder to pump blood. Over time, this condition will make the heart bigger so that it can flow a lot of blood to all parts of the body. This increased blood flow can cause high blood pressure which is the first cause of heart disease.
Hormonal Problems
The increasing body weight of children will make it more difficult to regulate hormone production in the body. So as a result, the amount of hormone produced will be abnormal. This situation can cause health problems related to hormones in the future. For example, in girls this condition can cause irregular menstrual cycles. Meanwhile, in boys it can cause gynecomastia, which is an abnormal growth in the breast.
Asthma
Based on the research states that about 38% of obese people have asthma. The thing that causes this condition is because the lungs are surrounded by excess fat tissue which makes them more sensitive to air. Over time this will cause inflammation of the respiratory system which will lead to asthma. (See also: Asthma Treatment in Children )
Sleep Apnea
Sleep anea is a problem or sleep disorder when breathing stops suddenly while sleeping. People who are obese, including children and babies, are prone to experiencing this one sleep disorder because there are body fat deposits blocking the airways, as a result, breathing will become obstructed. So your little one will not get good quality sleep and the next day he will be tired.
Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
Obese children and infants have a higher risk of developing blood sugar. This is because your little one’s body will have difficulty digesting glucose optimally. As a result, glucose in the blood has increased, then it develops into type 2 diabetes when your little one grows up.
Experiencing Muscle & Bone Problems
If the body weight exceeds the normal limit, the muscles and bones will get a big load. The reason is, the muscles and bones have to work extra extra to support body weight. Because of this, children who experience problems with their weight often experience pain in the muscles and bones compared to other children who are of normal weight.
Apart from the above dangers, obesity in children will also have an emotional and social impact. Children will experience behavioral disorders because they tend to be more difficult to socialize, and easily worry about other people’s opinions about their weight. Children will feel insecure in their interactions. Even feelings of discomfort and insecurity make children prone to depression.
How to Prevent Obesity in Children
To avoid the dangers of obesity in children, it is important for parents to know how to prevent obesity in children, such as the following:
Limiting Sugar Supply
As a step to prevent obesity in children, you can limit the intake of sugar in your little one’s food and drinks. You can give low sugar milk. Even so, that doesn’t mean you don’t meet other nutritional intake from milk. We recommend that you choose low-sugar milk that contains nutrients, especially milk that is rich in omega 3 and omega 6 which are beneficial for your little one’s brain development.
A stable calorie intake will help control weight. So that weight will be maintained and your little one will avoid weight problems or obesity. With low sugar milk, but still rich in nutritional content, all of your little one’s nutritional needs will be fulfilled.
Provide food with balanced nutrition
To prevent your little one from obesity, you can start with light things. You can provide food that contains balanced nutrition for your little one, food sources containing carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. However, make sure you give it within healthy limits.
Get used to implementing a healthy lifestyle
You should adopt a healthy lifestyle in children as early as possible. You can set a good example for children such as choosing healthy foods and exercising regularly.
Pay attention to children’s sleep time
You have to make sure that your little one has enough and quality sleep. Lack of sleep is the cause of obesity and other health problems. It’s best not to place the TV in your little one’s room so as not to disturb his sleep.
Don’t Force Your Little One To Finish His Food
You should not force children to finish their food. You must recognize clues to hunger in your little one. If your little one feels full, you should not force them to continue eating.
This article is reviewed by Midwife Pevi Revina sTR. Keb
