One of the biggest problems of our century is childhood obesity. It is a growing issue and research shows that the percentage of overweight children has only doubled in the last decade. The main culprits to this cause are an inactive lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits.
It is important to realize that obesity in children is a serious condition. The perils of this condition not only leads to many health problems but also takes a toll on the emotional well-being of the child. Thus timely intervention by inculcating healthy food habits and exercises has become the need of the hour to protect your child from obesity.
How to Know Whether Your Child is Obese or Not?
Obesity in children occurs when their weight is more than the ideal weight required for their height and age. You can determine whether your child is obese or not by simply consulting your pediatrician. The doctor will rightly diagnose your child by measuring his/her weight and height and computing the body mass index (BMI). The pediatrician will then compare the results of BMI with standard values by further keeping in mind the child’s age and growth pattern.
What to do to Protect Your Child From Obesity?
There are many things you can do to prevent childhood obesity. These include:
Remember, it is a challenge to gauge obesity in children as their growth does not exhibit a fixed pattern. So, to protect your child from obesity it is crucial that you encourage your child to have healthy food habits and an active lifestyle.
With children out of school, physical distancing as the new norm, and children’s rights under threat, the new world order has “turned back the clock” on years of progress made on children’s well-being. However, it’s not all bad. As a human race, we’ve been built to adapt: we’ve seen a tipping point in technology-enabled education and the promise of a new education policy in our country.
