Parents' waistlines are soaring, and children are obese. 3 steps to control waistline

Are overweight parents likely to raise fat children? According to foreign research, if one of the parents suffers from metabolic syndrome, the child's chance of obesity is nearly 1.7 times higher; if both parents suffer from metabolic syndrome, the child's chance of obesity is 4.6 times higher! Doctors point out that a waist circumference of more than 80 cm for women and 90 cm for men indicates a high risk of metabolic syndrome. If both parents are in waist circumference risk, the risk of obesity in their children will increase sharply. Parents are urged to maintain good eating habits, measure their waist circumference and weight regularly to be alert to themselves, so that they can also urge their children to stay away from the crisis of obesity.

Studies have shown that if parents' waist circumference increases (greater than 90 cm for boys and greater than 80 cm for girls), the child's chance of being overweight is as high as 4.6 times. (Photography by Huang Zhiwen)

[Overweight parents are more likely to raise overweight children]

Zhu Nianfeng, director of the Millennium Love Health Foundation and an internist, said that the age group threatened by metabolic syndrome is decreasing year by year, and parents with metabolic syndrome may be accomplices. Foreign studies have pointed out that when one parent in the family suffers from metabolic syndrome, the child's chance of obesity is nearly 1.7 times higher; if both parents suffer from the disease, the child's chance of obesity is 4.6 times higher, which means that if the parents are overweight, the child's BMI value will be higher, and the child's eating behavior and the parents' eating education will also affect each other.

According to a questionnaire survey conducted on campus activities by the Millennium Love Health Foundation, more than 40% of parents do not care about the oil and salt content in their children's diet, and 65% of parents think it is okay to indulge their children occasionally. Dr. Zhu Nianfeng further emphasized that in the face of the upcoming Lunar New Year, parents should educate their children on how to develop good eating habits during the long holiday, and suggested that parents and children can help each other measure their waist circumference once a week to avoid the health threats brought by metabolic syndrome.

【3 steps to control waist circumference】

To reduce waist circumference and lower your risk of metabolic syndrome, you can take 3 steps:

1. Develop good eating habits: A balanced diet can provide sufficient calories and nutrients to ensure growth and achieve a moderate weight, thus avoiding metabolic syndrome. For example, in your daily diet you can choose more fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and foods rich in fiber such as whole grains. When you are thirsty, choose water, tea or soup, and try to avoid canned soup, soda and sugary drinks such as paper-wrapped juice, lemon tea, etc. The three meals of each day, breakfast, lunch and dinner, should be evenly distributed and eaten at regular times.

2. Maintain regular exercise every week: Exercise can increase metabolism, burn calories, and is beneficial for weight control. Exercising at least 3 days a week, each time for more than 30 minutes, with an exercise intensity of more than 130 heart beats per minute (you will be out of breath, but not completely unable to speak), can effectively prevent metabolic syndrome. You can also walk instead of taking a car to your destination, try not to take the elevator or reduce the number of floors you take, and instead climb stairs to increase exercise time.

3. Measure your waist circumference every 3 days: In addition to the above two points, the best way to fight against waist "danger" is to measure your waist circumference every 3 days to see if it exceeds the standard (waist circumference for men ≧90cm, for women ≧80cm). By always being vigilant, you can avoid the crisis of metabolic syndrome.