Sunday, December 23, 2007

Tips to avoid children obesity

There are many stories in the news these days about children who are obese. In fact, I saw pictures of young children who have more weight than an adult. These children are really obese.

Obese Children may have many of the same health risks as adults, ranging from diabetes to heart problems. They are more likely to have health problems even when they become adults.

There are many factors that lead to today's prevalence of childhood obesity:

1. First, children are not as physically active as they were there just a decade. You are more likely to find them sitting at the computer or playing Xbox as running or swimming.

2. Families are eating in restaurants more. Like most mothers who work outside the home, it's just easier for them to take a Kentucky Fried Chicken to cook a healthy meal.

3. The children eat snacks that are higher in fat and refined sugar. These snacks are still available from vending machines in their schools, although some schools are finally adding fruits and vegetables to their machines.

Children and adolescents are heavier than they were two decades ago. But how do we know if they're heading toward obesity? Obesity is not measured the same for children as for adults. The periods of growth and their metabolic rate, it is difficult to obtain an accurate measurement using the normal BMI (body mass index) method. The BMI of children should be used in combination with their age and sex for better precision.

Obesity is measured differently depending on a child's sex. The boys are considered obese when his body fat is 25% or more of their total body weight. A girl is considered obese when their body fat is 27% of its total body weight. Girls and women normally have a higher percentage of body fat than boys and men. Normal body fat for a man is about 15% and 27% for a woman.

The same rules apply to children who are trying to lose weight than adults: eat less and exercise more.

If you think your child weighs more than he or she expected, a trip to the pediatrician is in order. The doctor can help you develop a safe diet and exercise program for your child. Here are some other things you can do:

1. Plan family activities such as hiking, camping or swimming that your child will get more physically active.

2. Cooking meals more healthy place home brining fast food for dinner.

3. Remove candy and chips of your home and replacing them with vegetables and fruits.

Get your overweight child support as soon as possible to avoid health problems in the long term.

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