This is done by providing optimised nutrition with low calories, improving metabolic rate by maintaining a safe level of activity and avoiding toxic exposure including medications that may promote weight gain which reduces the stress associated with weight reduction.The stress of obesity stems from inability to perform many activities associated with the age and the management of this is also a part of the treatment goals. A child with Overweight \/ Obesity should also be looked at from the point of any associated medical conditions as added precaution.<\/p>\n
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\nChildhood obesity often exhibits a distinct start time which is normally related to a change in lifestyle and may be associated with stress.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nThe most dangerous challenge of Childhood Obesity is the feeling of most parents of obese children that the child will lose weight naturally as he\/she grows up and it would not have any health impact on them.<\/strong><\/p>\nChild hood obesity begins with overfeeding of the child as bottle feed or semi solid calorie rich weening food by the age of six months and agrevated by gifting sweets, soft drinks and frys in later life.<\/strong><\/p>\nOften the initial weight gain is often mistaken by ignorant parents as a sign of positive growth as they expect children to have quite a bit of fat and relatively less muscle. This growth soon reaches a stage when the child is not able to control hunger and thirst for calories and becomes a victim of Hyperpalatable Foods.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe stress created in children as a result of obesity makes them \u201cVictims of Lifestyle\u201d and then it is like a trap that promotes itself and soon is not in a position to listen to parents who may have realised their mistake. <\/strong><\/p>\nVery often if not under clinical supervision weight loss can be confused with water loss and muscle loss in the body.<\/strong><\/p>\nVery few parents and children understand that their hunger and fatigue are not satisfied by the nutrient deficient foods they were currently consuming and a change in nutrition would be needed to satisfy their real body needs.<\/strong><\/p>\nPerceptions like the above promote short cut solutions for quick results which often have minimum benefits over time. These repeated efforts make it difficult to identify practical solutions to reduce the risks associated with the condition before becoming a victim of such diseases. Soon obesity becomes a chronic and complex condition. <\/strong><\/p>\nThe second challenge is to understand how the individual can use lifestyle optimisation to control further damage, return to a perceived healthy target weight and protect against other lifestyle related diseases and maintain a desired quality of life.<\/strong><\/p>\nA full understanding of health optimisation has helped many children with obesity to reduce weight to desired levels under clinical supervision. This makes weight reduction less stressful, improving on body composition and prevents weight gain later as the person\u2019s attitude changes with the confidence of success. Most importantly the parents and the child starts to evaluate healthy options in food and activity like never before.<\/strong><\/p>\nThis helps to protect against associated health conditions like high triglycerides, prediabetes, hypertension, respiratory problems, certain cancers, etc.<\/strong><\/p>\nSymptoms<\/strong><\/h3>\n\nSymptoms of overweight and obesity are often ignored as the issue is taken as a sign of growing up and only a temporary phase of little future impact. Soon it becomes the area of conflict between parents and the child. In public it ends as excuses by parents while children suffer for now and the future.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nDiagnosis of Childhood Obesity can be made from body mass index calculation. It is best to have a clinical evaluation for children. Most important aspect for prevention, treatment and reversal of obesity is to understand what is the ideal weight for height at the corresponding age. Generally overweight and obesity is considered a sign of health and is more common among old people and lower socioeconomic strata. This misconception plays a major role in increased incidence of obesity as the parents and grandparents want their children and grandchildren to look plump as a sign of health. It is good to remember that in the last century, a good number of the population especially children suffered from hunger and had relatively thin and many a time an emaciated look. This can be seen in old black and white photos. Presently we see such images in areas of severe famine.<\/p>\n
\n- Recognise overweight and obesity:<\/strong> Unhealthy weight should be recognised by parents and guardians. They are responsible to monitor it and act on it before the development of resultant health challenges.<\/li>\n
- Restriction on activities:<\/strong> When children are not able to perform activities which are of common nature because of overweight special care should be taken. This may be a warning.<\/li>\n
- Lack of flexibility:<\/strong> Reduced flexibility at an early age also requires special attention as otherwise it can lead to muscle atrophy and obesity which will create a poor lean mass fat mass ratio.<\/li>\n
- Childhood Obesity requires immediate attention:<\/strong> Childhood Obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents and if not corrected can lead to poor quality of life, health and performance.<\/li>\n
- The beginnings of Cardiovascular risks:<\/strong> The beginnings of plaque deposits starts in childhood and the relationship between obesity and circulatory fat (Lipids) is very strong.<\/li>\n
- Children are becoming victims of adult lifestyle disorders:<\/strong> Childhood Obesity is particularly troubling because the extra fat often starts children on the path to health problems that were once considered adult problems \u2014 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.<\/li>\n
- Future of obese children:<\/strong> Many obese children become obese adults, unless steps are taken to manage at the earliest.<\/li>\n
- Obese parents and child obesity:<\/strong> The link between parental obesity and children is common, especially if one or both parents are obese. The lifestyle factor in such families can also play a major role.<\/li>\n
- Childhood Obesity associated mental stress:<\/strong> Childhood Obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression which can lead to undesired behaviour patterns.<\/li>\n
- Family health optimisation:<\/strong> The best method to reduce Childhood Obesity is to improve the eating and exercise habits of your entire family. Treating and preventing Childhood Obesity helps protect your child’s health now and in the future and helps unleash the full potential.<\/li>\n
- BMI for children:<\/strong> The body mass index (BMI), which provides a guideline of weight in relation to height, is the accepted measure of overweight and obesity. Ideal body weight for a child is to be found out based on the height, physical activity and age. It is always best to have a clinical evaluation for children rather than depend on BMI.<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Body elemental composition changes from fat excess:<\/strong> Human body is composed of around 65% water at molecular level and 65% oxygen, 18.5% carbon, 8.5% hydrogen and 3% nitrogen at elemental level. When fat accumulates body composition changes and percentage of carbon increases, oxygen and water percentages decrease.<\/li>\n
- Fat composition matters:<\/strong> The type of fat accumulated also has a major impact on health problems associated with obesity. If the accumulated fat is in the form of trans fat and omega 6 fat which promote inflammation and chance of inflammatory diseases like allergies, asthma, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer is high.<\/li>\n
- Obesity and self confidence:<\/strong> Obesity in children may lead to low self-esteem and depression.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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\nIn Child Obesity the primary root cause is in poor nutrition and poor physical activity.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nChildhood Obesity can start at intrauterine level and most important causative factor in this stage is exposure to hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia induced increase in fat cell numbers in the foetus.<\/strong> Environmental and genetic factors also play a role in initiation of overeating, reduced physical activity and excess fat accumulation leading to obesity in children. Low calorie optimized nutrient food and physical activity can prevent obesity in children, promote weight loss, reverse obesity and associated health issues.<\/p>\n\nExcess body fat in the abdominal area is an energy store but has a negative impact on various body organs and systems by acting as an endocrine gland producing hormones that control our food intake, our immune functions and various metabolic activities which leads to many disease conditions.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n- Hyper palatability and its dangers:<\/strong> The focus on addictive foods in modern life and corresponding excess calorie intake through food as carbohydrate, fat and protein above the daily requirement is converted into fat and deposited in the adipose tissues leading to weight gain and obesity.<\/li>\n
- Nutrition and fat deposition:<\/strong> High calorie low protein, low fibre diets also promote weight gain.<\/li>\n
- Gut bacteria derailment:<\/strong> This can be caused by foods having preservatives, tastemakers, colouring agents, imitation foods, highly processed non nutritious foods and by medications which damage the environment in the gastrointestinal tract leading to obesity.<\/li>\n
- Hormonal imbalance can cause obesity:<\/strong> Hormone imbalance in production or at receptor level can lead to obesity. Insulin, thyroid hormone, steroid hormones, leptin and ghrelin among others have a major role in the control of appetite and metabolism.<\/li>\n
- Number and size of fat cells can increase:<\/strong> In Childhood Obesity both the number and size of fat cells are increased and fat accumulation occurs in and around viscera and in subcutaneous tissue.<\/li>\n
- Lack of physical activity lowers metabolic rate:<\/strong> Sedentary life indoor life, lack of physical activity, addiction to digital games, digital media, taste enhanced food etc play a role in Childhood Obesity.<\/li>\n
- Composition of fat:<\/strong> If the deposited fat is in the form of inflammation inducing omega 6 and trans fat the health issues related to obesity and inflammatory disorders will be more intense.<\/li>\n
- Associated hormonal changes:<\/strong> Hormonal imbalance also leads to obesity. Insulin, thyroid hormone, steroid hormones, leptin and ghrelin has major role in control of appetite and metabolism. Obesity induce hormone imbalance and in reverse hormonal imbalance promote fat deposition and obesity.<\/li>\n
- Gifting of unhealthy foods unknowingly:<\/strong> Gifting children with sweets is a common practice. Many of them are highly unhealthy, rich with sugar, hydrogenated fat, preservatives, colors and taste enhancers and make children addicted to them, leading to obesity, inflammation, immunological imbalance resulting in diabetes, allergies, asthma and a host of diseases.<\/li>\n
- Antibiotic use in excess:<\/strong> Repeated use of antibiotics in childhood and food with preservatives alter the intestinal microbial flora which may play a role in Childhood Obesity, autoimmune diseases, allergy and asthma etc.<\/li>\n
- Many drugs used as medications like anti epilepsy, anti asthmatic medicines etc can induce weight gain and obesity in children.<\/li>\n
- Mental health:<\/strong> Stress associated overeating, eating disorders, deficiency of essential nutrients like vitamins, insufficient or poor-quality sleep, certain genetic disorders, psychological disorders etc also predisposes to obesity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n