HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY IN CHILDREN
An obese child is more likely to become an obese adult, and the repercussions of this metabolic disease in the adult are well known. It is the main consequence for the health of childhood obesity.
“What we have been observing is an earlier appearance of excess weight in younger children and also of more extreme obesities in younger ages. That means that we begin to see in child and youth age some of the consequences that were previously only seen in adults: hypertension, hyperglycemia, sleep disorders, skin lesions, etc., in addition to the psychological repercussions – what has come to call the stigma of obesity-”.
Cases of type-2 diabetes (DM2) begin to be seen in childhood, although the prevalence in obese adolescents in some countries such as Spain is much lower than the US data.
What happen when they reach adulthood?
Almost half of the overweight adults were overweight children, and, in turn, two-thirds of the children with the highest body mass index (BMI) are then the youngsters with the highest BMI.
“When comparing long-term mortality, adolescents with higher BMI have 30 percent higher mortality rates when they are young adults, when compared to their peers with normal weight. In general, that high risk occurs due to a higher incidence of hypertension, type-2 diabetes, a higher cardiovascular risk…. That is, because of its association with the so-called metabolic syndrome”.
Therefore, “there is increasing interest in looking for what early markers we can find to act accordingly. And when we talk about early markers of obesity risk later it means that they appear before 4 or 5 years of age, such as high weight at birth, having obese parents, absence of breastfeeding and excessive weight gain in the first two years of life ”.
Guidelines to prevent the childhood obesity
Not all factors that influence the risk of obesity are modifiable (for example, the genetic conditioner or some environmental factors), but there are many actions that can be taken from very early ages. Some are individual or family actions and others are the responsibility of all social actors, including media, school or public administrations.
It is indicated that the parents should be the first to set an example of good eating habits, in order to accompany the child in the process, for this it is recommended:
Eat healthier:
- More fruits and vegetables and whole grain cereal a little processed.
- Control the portion sizes.
- Have order at meals. Avoid pecking and sit all together to eat the more times the better.
- Avoid or limit caloric foods with low nutritional interest: sweets, industrial pastries and sugary sodas.
More physical activity:
- A maximum of 1 or 2 hours a day in a screen, tablet, order, and so far Recover outdoor games.
- In older children, at least one hour of intense physical activity daily.
- Go to school walking or cycling
How important is breakfast?
Breakfast is the food that sets the tone of the day, acts as the clock or, better, as the alarm clock of the cycles of hunger and satiety on which the food is based on the human being. Not being the main meal of the day, it provides a small amount of nutrients with a small group of foods.
For these reasons, the absence of breakfast has been associated with a more increased risk of developing obesity in children and adolescents. It is estimated that the risk of overweight or obesity is 20 percent higher in individuals who do not have breakfast, when compared with their peers, and factors such as socioeconomic status, level of education of parents, and so on are taken into account. «Seeing the picture on the reverse: making a full daily breakfast decreases the risk of developing obesity.»
For more information, visit your doctor; not self-medicate; or write us.