 Obesity is a serious chronic disease that affects more and more children and adolescents as well as adults.
Just try to imagine that rates of obesity among children in the US have doubled since 1980 and have tripled for adolescents.
15% of children aged from 6 to 19 are considered overweight compared to over 60% of adult people who are considered overweight or obese.
Early onset of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity-related depression in teenagers is being seen by healthcare professionals.
It has been proved the longer a teen is obese, the more important obesity-related risk factors become. Obesity itself and its related conditions are difficult to cure. That’s why the prevention of obesity is very important.
The main reason of why children and adolescents become overweight or obese is because they don’t get enough physical activity along with poor eating habits.
Teens’ weight status also depends upon their genetics and lifestyle.
Look through the recommendations for prevention of overweight and obesity during childhood and adolescence:
- Concentrate on changing of family eating habits and activity levels rather than on a teen’s weight.
- Parents have to be the role models. Parents who eat healthy food and are physically active set a good example. Due to this a child is more likely to do the same.
- Stimulate the interest of physical activity. 60 minutes of moderate physical activity are necessary for normal physical form and health of teen. More than 60 minutes of activity may contribute to weight loss and following maintenance.
- Curtail time that your teen spends in front of the television and computer to less than 2 hours per day.
- Teach your child to eat when hungry and to eat slowly.
- Don’t use food as a reward or withholding food as a punishment.
- Your refrigerator should be stocked with fat-free or low-fat milk, yoghurt, fresh fruit, and vegetables instead of soft drinks and high-calorie snacks.
- Try to serve at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
- Accustom your teen to drinking water rather than beverages with added sugar like soft drinks, fruit juice drinks and sports rinks.
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