How To Treat Childhood Obesity

When one thinks of a child, they tend to apply the descriptive terms energetic and active. While this would be the ideal situation for a child, it is not the reality in all cases. Roughly one in five children suffer from childhood obesity. It has become such a significant and widespread issue that individuals and groups have taken to placing the blame on businesses and the media. While there are easy to choose options for a child that would lead to obesity, the blame cannot be placed on any outside source. Childhood obesity is extremely dangerous and requires the child to begin some form of treatment immediately. Of course, there are underlying circumstances as to what will and will not work for each child, but there is an array of options available to try.

Modify Eating Habits

First and foremost, childhood obesity has the greatest link to the foods the child consumes. It has been found weight is directly linked to calories. So, to gain weight, a person must consume more calories than they are burning. The specific caloric amount necessary will be based on age and gender. For example, a moderately active child between four and eight years old will need 1400 to 1600 daily calories. Regardless of specifics, making changes to the diet of an obese child will, without a doubt, make a difference in their health. Unhealthy options, such as junk food and fast food, will need to be cut out and substituted, which may mean changing the lifestyle of everyone in the home. Pushing fresh vegetables and fruits as snacks and offering healthy meal options along with portion control will aid in treating childhood obesity.

Continue reading to learn about physical activity and treating childhood obesity.

Encourage Physical Activities

Physical activity, or lack thereof, is nearly as important as nutrition when it comes to childhood obesity. As mentioned during the section about modifying eating habits, weight is based upon calories consumed versus calories burned. Every physical movement burns some number of calories. It is typical for an obese child to refuse any extra physical activity outside of everyday movements. There are a few things parents can do to encourage physical activities. If the child feels as though they will be left out, such as if the whole family or a group of friends are partaking, they have a higher chance of taking part in the activity themselves. This can include going to the park, walking, or taking part in fitness classes.

Continue reading to learn about what to do with television and video games to fight against childhood obesity.