Obese child

”Emphasize Providing, not Depriving”

A child is determined as overweight by measuring their height and weight. Although children have fewer weight-related health problems than adults, overweight children are at high risk of becoming overweight adolescents and adults.

Children become overweight for a variety of reasons. The most common causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors. In rare cases, a medical problem, such as an endocrine disorder, may cause a child to become overweight.

Obesity and restrictive eating are of great concern because of the potential physical and physiological consequences. Dieting during childhood and adolescent years can compromise growth, cause nutrient deficiencies, and as more evidence shows, lead to obesity. Ignoring hunger cues and meal skipping are forms of dietary restriction that have been associated with overeating in adolescents.

Parents need to take an active role in teaching their children to develop healthy attitudes about food. If they begin during the preschool years, they can help their children avoid problems with childhood obesity and eating disorders in the years to come.

Health Risks: Children who are overweight are more likely to become overweight adults. They may develop type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other illnesses that can follow them into adulthood. Overweight in children can also lead to stress, sadness, and low self-esteem.

New Diet Approach May Fight Childhood Obesity

A diet that focuses on changing how and what a child eats rather than just counting calories and fat grams may help obese children and adolescents lose weight and lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

AVOID: Simple carbohydrates, such as white bread, white rice, sweet cereals, and sugary foods. And these foods cause blood sugar levels to surge after eating.

INCLUDE: Complex carbohydrates, such as whole-grain bread and cereals, brown rice and vegetables.

How to be Your Child’s Weight Loss Ally

• A variety of fruits and vegetables should be included in the diet as they are rich in nutrients. Using good amount of green leafy vegetables will increase the dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, Folate and vitamin C.

• Protein rich foods should be included in the diet as they are very necessary for growth and development. Eggs are a complete protein and loaded with nutrients and vitamins. The other sources being pulses, fish, oats etc.

• Calcium is used to build bones, especially during adolescence. It is important to include three or more good sources of calcium in your diet every day. Cow’s milk, dairy products and green leafy vegetables contain calcium.

• Iron requirements are relatively high. To increase the amount of iron absorbed from a meal, eat a food containing vitamin C as part of the meal. Citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes and broccoli are all good sources of vitamin C.

• Limit solid fats like butter, cheese, mayonnaise etc.
• Carefully cut down on the amount of fat in your family’s diet.
• Guide your family’s choices rather than dictate foods.
• Encourage your child to eat slowly.
• Discourage eating meals or snacks while watching TV.
• Try not to use food to punish or reward your child.
• Set a good example.

• Take control of the food you keep in your house. Don’t keep any junk food in your cabinets, and don’t be afraid to say no when your child asks you to buy these foods at the supermarket.

• Increase your child’s physical activities by supporting and joining her efforts to help her get started.
• Eat healthy, exercise and enjoy life!

The primary institution of the society which is a family has the responsibility of childcare Educating women about healthy eating and exercise strategies, as well as the physical and psychological impact of obesity on herself and her children, are important steps in improving lifelong health.

Query:

Hello Sanjana,

I have gone through your articles in Nutrihealth. They are really good (Thanks). I have a small question about boiled egg yolk… Is it safe to feed my 1 1/2yr  kid  “boiled egg yolk regularly.. My parents say that it is not good…. but I am not sure about that. Please advise me regarding this…..

My reply:

Egg yolks supply cholesterol, which is needed for mental development. Remember, babies need fats. I have seen many mothers omitting fat out of their babies diets. This is not acceptable. Eggs also contain omega-3 fatty acids that stimulate brain development. Feeding Your baby one egg yolk every day from the age of five or six months will provide these essential nutrients.

It also provides the mineral Iron, reserves of which get exhausted in the body after the age of 6 months. If Iron is not supplemented through diet, then anemia can occur. The common signs of anemia are pale skin, lack of energy, loss of appetite, brittle nails( this indicates protein intake is also poor). But these symptoms may not be seen at all.

It also contains Vitamin A which is needed for good eye sight, better immunity and healthy skin. Vitamin B12 also present in yolks too can prevent anemia. This vitamin is not readily available in all the foods, hence yolks for babies can be a boon.

It is rich in protein too, hence will help your baby to grow well.

Do not forget to “Hard boil the egg” and start feeding your baby with a teaspoon of yolk only. If your child is digesting it well, then you can gradually give a whole yolk to the baby. You can either crumble a hard-boiled egg yolk and mix it with other foods or scramble the yolk in a pan with coconut oil or butter. If your toddler has already started eating solid food, you can apply the yolk puree on bread. You can add it to custards as well.

Do not give your baby raw eggs or soft-boiled eggs because of the slight chance of salmonella contamination.

Avoid the whites until the age of 2 years as whites are the main culprits of allergies. Egg yolk allergies are rarer.

So now you know why your baby needs eggs.

The brain requires adequate energy to function well and this can be provided with good nourishment through good food intake and regular physical activity. When your child is involved in strenuous mental activities such as exam preparations, planning for extra curricular activities, then your child will require extra energy.

Along with regular intake of healthy food, there are a few main foods which you need to include which will provide minerals such as zinc, lecithin, manganese, omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamins such as Vitamin E.

Good sources of these nutrients are whole wheat products, brown rice, oats, soya beans and legumes, eggs, milk, curds, cheese(yes it is safe to give cheese as a snack), nuts, unrefined vegetable oils. Flax seeds and fish too are good sources of omega 3 fatty acids.

Besides these nutrients, adequate sleep and exercise is required. Exercise helps in stimulating fresh oxygen to the brain and sleep helps to relax and unwind the brain.

Involve your child in brain racking activities such as chess and also make your child do puzzles, crosswords and memory games.

Let us have a look why kids are getting fatter?

The main cause is high calorie intake and lack of exercise. Face the fact, that children hardly have any exercise. Its mainly TV viewing and playing video games. An inactive kid engaged in such activities will be involved in mindless eating and gaining weight consistently.

Some of the children tend to eat when emotionally disturbed or are on steroidal medications.

Firstly no vigorous “dieting” or very low calorie diets as they are very harmful to child’s development as nutritional deficiencies can set in. Weight loss should be gradual. Just, Figure out the culprits.

Common culprits are soft drinks, juices,thick shakes,sports drinks, fried foods such as chips, french fries, excessive use of butter and cheese, high intake of breads, biscuits,candies, ice creams, chocolates, pizza, burger, pav bhaji etc. This are the food culprits which you need to eliminate strictly as there are nutritionally poor and can add unnecessary calories.

Skipping breakfast is another strict no-no as the body demands fuel in the morning and regular missing of breakfast will not help in meeting the daily energy needs. This can hamper your child’s concentration and cause poor energy levels leading to low activity levels.

Now how do you help your child lose weight?

• Make sure your child eats breakfast regularly and include homemade foods such as idli, dosa, parantha etc. Try to avoid giving your child commercial breakfast foods such as cornflakes, frosties etc. as they contain high levels of sugar.
• Remove all the culprits I have mentioned above from the diet and provide 3 main nutritious meals and 3 healthy snacks in a day.
• Healthy snacks can be nuts, milk and milk products, salads and fruits.
• Keep fats through bakery products and fried foods to bare minimum and provide healthy fats such as nuts, unsatusated oils used in cooking.
• Minimise the use of sweets and do not use food as bribes for children.
• Encourage your child to drink enough water thorugh out the day. You can check this depending on the number of toilet trips made by your child.
• See that the whole family sets an example, so that the child will not feel “different”.
• Introduce exercise and play for the child. Encourage them to participate in sports and join school teams.
• Limit Television viewing for less than an hour and keep fixed times for such activities.

Introduce each of these tips over a period of time. Do not keep reminding the child that he/she is fat as this can seriously affect the child’ outlook. Instead introduce a good eating pattern involving all kinds of home made food and proper exercise routine.

Now how can you as a parent plan your child’s diet?

These are the following major nutrients that you need to include in the diet-

• Carbohydrates- They are very important as they provide the major source of energy as calories. Foods from this group provide starch or complex carbohydrates for energy and also provide vitamins, minerals and mainly fiber. Include whole grain cereals like brown rice, whole wheat products, oats, ragi, jowar, bajra etc. Idli, dosa, chapatti, poha, upma, mueseli etc should be included in your child’s diet. Avoid refined cereals like cornflakes and other breakfast cereals which contain high sugar content and bad for the teeth and also for weight control.

• Proteins- Proteins are the building blocks of our body. Hence a child will need enough protien for rapid growth. Protien is also needed for good hair, skin, nails etc. Majorly, good quality protien comes from milk and milk products like yogurt, buttermilk, cheese and cottage cheese or paneer and also from fish, chicken, eggs etc. Include atleast one serving from fish, eggs, lean meats etc and 2-3 servings from milk and milk products. Cheese can be a whole snack by it self rather than in a burger or on a pizza. Protiens also come from vegetarian sources such as nuts and seeds, beans and legumes. These are the protein sources high in fiber and also in various vitamins and minerals. Including a protien source in every meal is very important. Avoid high fat milk sources such as ice cream, pastries as they are high in fat and sugar.

• Vitamins and minerals(Fruits and vegetables)- The fruits and vegetable food group is very essential as they are the richest sources of vitamins and minerals. They provide major vitamins such as Vitamin A,C and K and also minerals such as calcium, potassium, sodium etc which are all required various organ functions and also for teeth and bone health.A variety in the diet provides a variety of this group. The major minerals needed at this phase are calcium, iron etc and vitamins such as Vitamin A for eye sight, growth, Vitamin C for immunity, Vitamin D for healthy bones and Vitamin E for brain development etc. They also provide fiber, serve as healthy snacks and improve the immunity by ten fold. Include this food group in every meal for better health.

• Fats- Good fats are very essential for the child for both energy levels as well as for brain development. Fat content should come from good fats such as oils, seeds and nuts. Saturated fat which come from whole milk products, cheese should be given in limited quantities. Fats such as hydrogenated fats coming from all confectionery items such as biscuits, cakes and also the hydrogenated fats from chips and french fries are not good fats.

• Water- Water is the elixir of life. A child should be well hydrated always. You should encourage your child to drink enough water during the day, especially after rigorous play.

Try to cut down sugar, excess of salt, junk food such as maggi noodles, chips, soft drinks etc. More information on junk food will be posted in the coming week.

If this simple fundamentals of a diet are followed, then your child is on the path to better health.