Preventing children from becoming obese during summer vacation: Parents' attitude is the key to weight loss

Being obese in childhood is not a blessing! As the long summer vacation is about to begin, the issue of childhood obesity has once again become a concern. Doctors point out that one out of every three children in Taiwan is overweight, the highest prevalence rate in Asia. In fact, obesity is like a chronic disease that requires a long-term battle. In addition to changing lifestyle behaviors, parental attitude is even more important.

Lin Yucheng, attending physician of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Department of Asia Eastern Hospital, pointed out that many parents ignore childhood obesity, thinking that it is okay for children because they are young and they can lose weight when they grow up. However, they do not know that childhood obesity can have adverse effects on children's cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and skeletal muscles.

3 kids and 1 fat guy, the best in Asia

According to a survey conducted by the National Health Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the rate of obese and overweight children under the age of 12 in our country has reached 31.3%, currently the highest in Asia. It can be said that "one in three children is fat." In addition, since obese children have a 50% chance of becoming obese adults, the public should not ignore the problem of childhood obesity.

The clinic once admitted a second-grade junior high school boy who was 180 cm tall and weighed over 100 kg. Accompanied by his parents, the doctor found that the boy ate chicken steak and bubble milk tea almost every day and stayed at home with little exercise. Examination revealed that he had severe fatty liver and his liver inflammation index was 4 times higher than the normal value. Afterwards, the doctor used behavioral therapy, adjusted improper diet, and encouraged exercise. Within half a year, the weight dropped to 80 kilograms and the symptoms of fatty liver disappeared.

The obesity problem among children and adolescents in Taiwan is becoming increasingly serious and requires everyone's attention.

Obesity standard body mass index

Dr. Lin Yucheng emphasized that childhood obesity is different from that of adults. Adult obesity is caused by the enlargement of fat cells, while childhood obesity is caused by the increase in both the size and number of fat cells before the age of 2. It is only after puberty that the fat cells become larger. Therefore, if a child reaches obesity before school age, the chance of becoming an obese adult in the future will increase significantly.

However, the current assessment of children's obesity level is mainly based on BMI (body mass index). The body mass index is determined based on different standards according to age and gender. Parents can use their children's BMI to assess whether their children are at risk of obesity. If it is confirmed that the child does need to further control his weight, the cause of the child's obesity should be understood first.

Childhood obesity is related to unhealthy lifestyle

Analyzing the causes of childhood obesity, generally speaking, genetic factors only account for about 30%. 70% of the factors are related to lifestyle, mainly due to low physical activity. For example, when watching TV or using a computer, or playing with a mobile phone or tablet, the body is not moving and consumes less calories. In the long run, even the basal metabolic rate is reduced, and fat is slowly accumulated.

In addition, if children watch TV while eating dinner, the problem will be exacerbated, especially during summer vacation when children watch TV much more than usual, so the obesity rate of children has increased after school starts. In addition, a preference for fried, high-calorie foods and excessive consumption of sugary drinks are also important causes of childhood obesity.

Dr Lin Yucheng (pictured) stressed that parents' attitude is crucial when it comes to children losing weight. (Photo provided by Far Eastern Hospital)

Healthy lifestyle changes require the participation of parents

Dr. Lin Yucheng further pointed out that it is not easy for children to establish a healthy lifestyle on their own. Therefore, the attitude of parents is very important. It is recommended that parents should also establish good eating habits together instead of letting children face the task of controlling weight alone. Moreover, it is generally not advisable to use medication to help children lose weight, as it may have a negative impact on their growth and long-term health.

Therefore, establishing a good and healthy lifestyle is the fundamental way to prevent and treat childhood obesity. For example, do not put too much food in the refrigerator to prevent children from thinking that there is too much food and taking it without restraint. In addition, if parents can accompany their children in the weight loss process, it will be easier for them to succeed. Children should also lose weight gradually. Do not expect them to lose weight quickly or impose too many dietary restrictions on them from the beginning, as this will cause them to feel disgusted.

Build up your mental strength step by step

In particular, compared with adult obesity, it is more difficult to control the weight of obese children. Many parents are too radical when asking their children to lose weight. They immediately stop all the high-calorie foods their children like to eat, leaving the children no time to adapt. This can easily cause a psychological backlash in the children and distort the parents' good intentions of expecting their children to establish a healthy lifestyle.

Therefore, it is recommended that when changing their diet, parents should gradually reduce the number of times their children consume high-calorie foods, avoid sugary drinks, and consume more fruits and vegetables to allow their children to slowly adapt; at the same time, in terms of exercise, parents should also encourage their children to do more outdoor activities, and parents should also accompany their children in exercise, so that normal diet and exercise become part of their children's lifestyle habits.

[Doctor's reminder]:

Weight loss for children is different from that for adults because children are still growing. If they consume too few calories, their growth will be hindered. Therefore, for children's weight control, the main focus will be on reducing the frequency of high-calorie food intake, such as snacks, candy, chocolate, soda, etc. It is recommended to replace snacks with healthy desserts. At the same time, the dietary principles of low oil, low salt, low sugar and high fiber should also be adhered to. Sugary drinks, such as cola, soda and shaken cups, should be avoided as much as possible. In addition, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables every day is also a key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.