More than 20% of school children have pot-shaped waists and suffer from chronic diseases when they grow up

Is your baby a fat child? Chinese people are accustomed to using BMI (body mass index) as a standard for assessing obesity, and neglect to pay attention to waist circumference. Children have long lacked awareness of their body shape, resulting in 26% of school children having a "waist-to-height ratio" greater than the recommended value of 0.5. They have had bucket waists since childhood, and if they do not strengthen health management, they may become the culprit of obesity and chronic diseases in adulthood.

The survey found that only 7% of schoolchildren in the country have the habit of measuring their waist circumference, and long-term neglect may lead to abdominal obesity.

Greasy belly? Quickly calculate waist-to-height ratio

In recent years, the issue of overweight and obesity among children has gradually received attention. The Tung Foundation and Sanshang Smith Barney Life Insurance have cooperated to conduct a survey on the health posture and lifestyle of 1,091 elementary school students in grades 4 to 6 across Taiwan. The results showed that children of the same age, gender, height and weight had very different waist circumferences, with a maximum difference of 11 cm. In terms of "waist-to-height ratio", the overall average was 0.464, but 26% of the students had a waist-to-height ratio greater than the ideal value of 0.5, indicating a problem of abdominal obesity.

Compared to the traditional BMI index for judging overweight or obesity, the "waist-to-height ratio" incorporates abdominal fat factors and is more suitable as a method for body posture assessment and health management. The formula for calculating waist-to-height ratio is: waist circumference (cm) / height (cm). A waist-to-height ratio of less than 0.4 is considered too thin; a waist-to-height ratio of 0.4 to 0.5 is normal; a ratio of 0.5 to 0.6 is overweight; and a ratio greater than 0.6 is obese.

How to be a fat boy: not measuring waist, not exercising, not getting enough sleep

Abdominal obesity may increase the risk of obesity and chronic diseases in adulthood, but what is the reason for excessive waist circumference in school children? Tung Foundation nutritionist Lu Huiru pointed out that in addition to abdominal obesity, the survey also found that children's "three happiness index" (happy eating, happy moving, happy living) was below 60 points, and health management needs to be strengthened. Common main reasons include schoolchildren's lack of self-awareness of their body shape, almost no waist measurement, parents rarely accompanying their children during meals and exercise, poor eating and exercise behavior, and poor sleep time.

A survey conducted by the Tung Foundation found that 26% of school children in the country have a waist-to-height ratio that exceeds the ideal value, which is related to habits such as lack of exercise and lack of sleep.

The survey found that only 7% of schoolchildren have the habit of measuring their waist circumference, and schoolchildren almost have no habit of measuring their waist circumference. As a result, 30% of children with a waist-to-height ratio greater than 0.5 did not realize that their waist circumference exceeded the ideal value, and 3% of them even thought they were thin or very thin. Nutritionists remind us that obesity cannot be judged solely by the BMI index. Schoolchildren do not have enough knowledge about their own body shape, and education is needed to cultivate the habit of measuring waist-to-height ratio regularly to improve their health awareness.

Poor sleep duration can also increase the risk of obesity! The survey found that schoolchildren with a waist-to-height ratio greater than 0.5 sleep 25 minutes less during holidays. Nutritionist Lu Huiru reminds parents to pay attention to their children's sleeping habits and recommends that children maintain a fixed schedule and get enough sleep, 7 to 9 hours a day, and go to bed at the right time.

Get rid of the title of fat boy and help your child with diet and exercise

In addition, the survey also shows that the proportion of schoolchildren who cook and eat with their parents is lower than that of those with a waist-to-height ratio greater than 0.5. It was also found that only 23% of parents would accompany their children for exercise. When parents accompany their children less, it will indirectly reduce the children's willingness to exercise. It is recommended that parents accompany their children from an early age to develop correct concepts of diet and exercise.