Traffic lights for fat kids to lose weight! Less sodium, stay away from high blood pressure

Being fat is not a blessing, especially childhood obesity can easily increase the risk of developing high blood pressure. Doctors point out that high blood pressure is not exclusive to the middle-aged and elderly. In addition to obesity, eating too much salty food can also increase the risk of high blood pressure. It is recommended to reduce the daily intake of sodium salt, or make more use of the "red, yellow and green light traffic signal food classification", choose to eat more vegetables, and exercise to lose weight, so as to stay away from the nightmare of high blood pressure.

Doctors warn that childhood obesity can easily increase the risk of developing high blood pressure.

Fat children are not a blessing, they have a higher risk of metabolic syndrome

Zhu Nianfeng, director of the Taitung Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and a weight loss specialist, said that one in four school-age children in the country is overweight or obese, and those who are overweight are more likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high blood lipids, as well as diabetes, cerebral stroke and cardiovascular disease. Especially when they are too fat at a young age, if they are still obese in adolescence, their risk of developing hypertension is usually 2 to 3 times that of children of normal weight.

In addition to obesity or being overweight, sodium salt intake is closely related to systolic blood pressure. The more sodium salt you eat, the higher your systolic blood pressure tends to be, which may increase the risk of high blood pressure in children and adolescents, especially overweight and obese children and adolescents, who are more likely to develop high blood pressure problems due to eating too much salt, causing metabolic syndrome.

Sodium salt levels affect vascular wall calcification

In fact, the daily salt intake of elementary school children in Taiwan is already twice the recommended daily sodium intake for adults (2,400 mg). The amount of salt consumed by children may be enough to "fill up" a 250-gram bag of salt in less than a month, not to mention adults. The most important thing is that sodium salt can easily affect the calcification of blood vessel walls, indirectly affecting the contraction of heart vessels and easily increasing the chance of high blood pressure.

The sodium salt intake of children in China is relatively high, which can easily increase the risk of developing hypertension.

"Smart Classification to Control Calories": Food Traffic Lights for Young Children

Dr. Zhu Nianfeng emphasized that the "Red, Yellow, and Green Light Traffic Signal Food Classification" is based on a balanced diet. Food is classified according to calories and nutrients, and the concept of "go when the green light is green, stop when the red light is red, and be careful when the yellow light is yellow" is transferred to food. As long as it is consumed appropriately and the intake and frequency of use are controlled, everyone can eat the health they want.

1. Green Light Foods:

It contains essential nutrients for the human body, can promote good health, and is a must-have food for daily consumption. Including grains and tubers, milk, eggs, beans, fish, meat, vegetables and fruits that are low in oil, salt and sugar. For example, rice, steamed buns, low-fat milk, cold tofu, steamed fish, roast chicken, lean meat with mashed garlic, blanched vegetables and fresh fruits.

2. Yellow light food:

It contains essential nutrients for the human body, but it is high in oil, sugar and salt, so it is a food that must be limited. Contains grains and tubers, milk, eggs, beans, fish, meat, and vegetables and fruits that are high in oil, sugar, and salt. For example, fried rice, sweet and salty bread, whole milk, fried fish, stir-fried vegetables with lots of oil, fruit salad, etc.

3. Red Light Foods:

It only provides calories, oil, sugar, and salt, but contains very little other essential nutrients. Including high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar grains and root vegetables, milk, eggs, beans, fish, meat, and fruits and vegetables. For example, French fries, potato chips, fermented tofu, salted fish, bacon, sausage, bacon, fried tofu, fried chicken, fried pork chops, pickles, candied fruit, sweet juice, candy, chocolate, soda, cola, etc. It is best to keep a safe distance.

【Doctor's Tips】:

To reduce the risk of high blood pressure, obese young children need to first adjust their lifestyle, eat less salt and oil, reduce the intake of sugary drinks, exercise more to get the body moving, and develop a habit of regular exercise. If changing lifestyle still cannot control blood pressure, antihypertensive drugs will be given and the drugs must be used according to the doctor's instructions.