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Childhood Obesity – Effects on Physical and Mental Health

With the escalating obesity epidemic it is no doubt that allowing this to thrive in the life of our children is disastrous to say the least. In fact childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents indiscriminately. Ordinarily this occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height what would be measured using the BMI.

Childhood obesity is predominantly worrying because the additional weight often introduces our innocent children on the path to health problems that were once confined to adults, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Childhood obesity does not only bring health complications but it can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression conditions which are equally not good for the health of children. It is important to note that one of the best strategies to reduce childhood obesity is to improve the diet and exercise habits of the whole family.

Treating and preventing childhood obesity should be prioritized because it helps protect the health of your child now and in the future. If you are struggling with weight and obesity in your young ones then you need to seek for help from the experts. For instance doctor Dalal Akoury made a decision to create a medical center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Her practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. Calling her for help would be the starting point towards bringing up healthy children and the whole family.

Symptoms

There are certain facts to evaluate because not all children carrying extra pounds are overweight or obese. Some children have larger than average body frames. It is important noting that children normally carry different quantities of body fat at the various stages of development and therefore it may not be practically possible to know just by looking at your child if his or her weight is a health concern. Getting to know this is very important and seeing your child’s doctor would be necessary to help certain any fears of your child possessing any health problems associated with weight. Again in this respect you may also need the services of doctor Akoury who is fellowship trained and certified in anti-aging functional and regenerative medicine, as well as having more than twenty years of accumulated experience in emergency medicine, pediatrics, and a master’s degree in public health. She has also served fellowships in pediatric hematology/oncology and has performed research in leukemia and the effects of smoking. Your children’s health must always come first and only real experts and professionals like Dr. Akoury can be of help to you so call to schedule your appointment today.

Causes Obesity in Children

There are very many reasons that can lead to our children become overweight and obese. Some of the most common causes may include genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors. Even though this can be caused medically, it is important to note that only in very rare cases is being overweight caused by a medical condition such as a hormonal problem. A physical exam and some blood tests can rule out the possibility of a medical condition as the cause for obesity.

Although genetically weight problems run in families, not all children with a family history of obesity will be overweight. Children whose parents or siblings are overweight may be at an increased risk of becoming overweight themselves, but this can be linked to shared family behaviors such as eating and activity habits. Therefore it is necessary that a child’s total diet and activity level play an important role in determining a child’s weight. For instance many children spend a lot time being inactive, the average child today spend approximately four hours each day watching television. As computers and video games become increasingly popular, the number of hours of inactivity may increase.

Health Effects

Overweight children, as compared to children with a healthy weight, are more likely to develop many health problems such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which are associated with heart disease in adults. Type 2 diabetes, previously considered an adult disease, has increased dramatically in overweight children and adolescents. Children at a healthy weight are free of these weight-related diseases and less at risk of developing these diseases in adulthood.

Mental Health Effects

The most immediate consequence of being overweight as perceived by children themselves is social discrimination, stigma and low-self-esteem. A 2003 study asked 106 children between ages 5 to 18 to rate their quality of life based on things like their ability to walk more than one block, play sports, sleep well, get along with others and keep up in school. The study found that obese children often rated their quality of life with scores as low as those of young cancer patients on chemotherapy. The results indicated that teasing at school, difficulties playing sports, fatigue, sleep apnea and other obesity-linked problems severely affected the children’s well-being. Interestingly, parents answered the same questionnaires, and their ratings of their children’s well-being were even lower than the children’s self-ratings.

As a Parent what can you to help your child

Children will always learn from what they see in their surroundings meaning that what you do as a parent will impact either positively or negatively on your children. Therefore adopting positive lifestyle and activities is very important. You can choose to do the following:

Schedule a thorough medical evaluation of their child by a pediatrician to consider the possibility of a physical cause. If no physical disorder is found, parents should work with their children to reduce the number of calories being eaten and to increase the child’s or adolescent’s level of physical activity.
Emphasize healthy eating, keep fatty and sugary snacks to a minimum and keep fruits, vegetables and low-fat snacks available
Increase their child’s physical activity, perhaps by taking a few brisk walks with your child each week
Let your child know he or she is loved and appreciated whatever his or her weight. An overweight child probably knows better than anyone else that he or she has a weight problem. Overweight children need support, acceptance, and encouragement from their parents.
Be a good role model for your child. If your child sees you enjoying healthy foods and physical activity, he or she is more likely to do the same now and rest of his or her life.