Unhealthy Weight At An Early Age

As you all know, obesity in any age is not good and desirable at all but especially for children, it is extremely alarming. Obesity in kids has reached epidemic levels. There is no standard criterion to define obesity for children as there is in case of adults.

Like for grown-ups, body mass index for age percentile is one of the standards to measure obesity in children. Apart from this, comparing the body weight against healthy weight according to the age and fat percentage has some set limits to determine whether a child is obese or not. Any fat percentage above 25 percent for boys and 32 percent for girls is considered overweight.

Obesity has an intense effect on a child's life. It leads to many health problems which further result in emotional and social complications. The risk of having cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol always remain intact unless serious steps are taken to reduce weight.

Obesity has some psychosocial affects as well. Obese children are usually considered to be dull and slow, and thus, become the element of discrimination. These attitudes of society may lead to low self-esteem and confidence in obese children.

There are many contributing factors towards making children obese such as genetics, behavioral and environmental. To keep the weight of children in optimal range, parents need to be very much attentive to their babies. For infants, breastfeeding is necessary. Delaying intake of solid food, developing the habit of exercising in children, limiting the time for video games and watching television are some of the very important tips to be considered and implemented.

If your child starts to lose interest in physical activities, shows drowsy attitude, and craves much for fatty edibles, then you must start paying more attention to him. The best thing that can be done at this stage is to be encouraging and helpful in understanding his problem.

If your child starts gaining weight and it seems impossible for you to manage then do not hesitate to consult a physician. More importantly, for kids, a monthly medical check-up is something good to be adopted.

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