Fat kids, sitting for long periods of time is the culprit! 5 Tips for Controlling Diet

During the summer vacation, the number of obese children seeking to lose weight in the Yadong Children's Nutrition Consultation Clinic increased by about 20%. Nutritionists have found that most of the children who come to see doctors have poor eating habits and lack of exercise. Some even stay at home all day during the summer vacation playing with 3C products, eating snacks, instant noodles and drinks. The phenomenon of continued weight gain is becoming more and more serious, which deserves attention and solution.

Liang Zujia, a nutritionist at the Pediatric Department of Far Eastern Hospital, pointed out that the problem of obesity among children and adolescents has long been a focus of concern and discussion among parents. According to a survey by the National Health Administration, one in four children aged 6 to 12 in Taiwan is overweight or obese. This golden period is also an important time for children to build their mental thinking. However, obesity not only has negative effects on health and appearance, but is also more likely to affect potential psychological development.

Sedentary behavior is one of the main causes of obesity

Generally speaking, the causes of childhood obesity can be divided into three categories: the first is congenital genetic factors; the second is bad eating habits; and the third is an abnormal lifestyle. About 70% of obesity factors are closely related to eating habits and lifestyle. For example, the longer children sit and watch TV or use computers, the more they want to eat high-convenience snacks and drink large cups of beverages, and their activity level decreases. When you only take in but not spend for a long time and your calorie consumption decreases, your weight will inevitably increase.

Sitting still for a long time will keep certain muscles tense, resulting in poor local blood circulation and accumulation of metabolic waste. In the long run, not only will stiff shoulders and neck, muscle soreness occur, but the accumulation of excessive fat will cause obesity and the formation of visceral fat.

Sugary drinks keep children from growing taller

In terms of diet, nutritionist Liang Zujia emphasized that in modern life where diet is westernized and fast food is prevalent, obesity has become a global crisis for both adults and children. Many parents worry that their children’s short growth is mostly due to being too thin. In fact, the "advanced" development of young children has nothing to do with their body size. However, drinking too many sugary drinks and eating oily and salty foods such as fried chicken and French fries every day will affect calcium absorption and increase the chance of calcium loss.

Studies have shown that if a child weighing 20 kg drinks 350cc of sugary drinks, the secretion of growth hormone will be delayed for two hours. The reason is that sugary drinks can cause blood sugar to rise, which in turn inhibits the secretion of growth hormone, affects growth and development, and causes problems such as high blood lipids and high blood sugar. Therefore, it is recommended to drink more boiled water, unsweetened soy milk, fresh milk and other high-calcium foods to directly help your height.

Increase exercise and take more calcium

In addition to getting enough sleep, try to do more sports that increase muscle endurance, weight training, etc. Under the principle of a balanced diet, you can choose more high-calcium ingredients. In addition to dairy products, sesame seeds, dried fish, dark green vegetables, etc. are rich in calcium and should be consumed more to promote children's growth and development.

5 tips to prevent obesity and control diet

1. Weight control: Children are still in the growth stage and their calorie intake should not be excessively restricted. Reducing calorie intake by 300 to 500 calories per day can reduce weight by about 0.3 to 0.5 kg in a week, which is less likely to have a negative impact on children's health.

2. Regular and quantitative meals: Three meals should be regular and quantitative. Avoid eating snacks or desserts at any time. If you are hungry, you can eat a low-calorie snack between meals, such as agar-agar, grass jelly, white fungus, konjac products, etc.

3. Chew slowly: Avoid eating too fast as it may lead to overconsumption. Choose high-fiber, low-calorie foods, such as oil-free soup or blanched vegetables, to increase your sense of fullness.

4. Natural ingredients: Choose the six major categories of natural foods appropriately and avoid consuming high-fat, high-calorie processed foods.

5. Avoid frying: When braising meat or stewing soup, refrigerate it first, remove the top layer of fat, and then heat it up for consumption. This can reduce the intake of fat. You should choose more cooking methods such as steaming, boiling, and stewing.