…Experts warn against obesity in kids
By HENRY OKONKWO
Most parents in Nigeria love to see their children looking chubby. For them, rotund cheeks and bulging figure in the little ones are just cute. However, parents must be careful, because it is one thing to have an adorable, chubby baby, and a fat slob, an obese kid!
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) a child is said to be overweight or obese when the child is way above the normal weight for his/her age and height. In a recent report of the WHO, childhood obesity is rising at an alarming rate, and has been termed an “exploding nightmare.”
Globally, the trend is high among children under five years of age, with at least 41 million found to be obese or overweight.
An obese baby faces a lot of challenges growing up. This is because the extra weight takes a toll on the child’s health, affecting his physical agility, academic performance and overall confidence. Again according to medical experts, overweight or fat children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and the like at a younger age.
Sadly even with the damning figures and the alarm raised by the WHO, most parents and even public health authorities are blissfully unaware, or choose to play the ostrich. This could be because the major cause of childhood obesity is not well defined.
However, according to experts, poor eating habits and lack of exercise are major causes of rising obesity among the kids these days.
“The number of obese children is increasingly, especially in the urban area”, says Dr. Chidi Nkemneme, a pediatrician. “This is because the physical activity among children has drastically decreased whereas the dependency on junk and packaged food has tremendously increased. Many Nigerian parents erroneously think that their baby is powerful when he/she is chubby. They are quick to call him/her pet-names like ‘orobo’ or ‘biggy’ and that he/she will have stronger immunity and overall better health.
To make matters worse whenever the baby cries, they start feeding him, and this overfeeding continues till the kid becomes so fat.”
Using food to pamper or reward kids is a bad habit with which many parents push their kids towards obesity, they further warned. “It’s easy and convenient for the parents to give buns, puff-puff, biscuits and sweets to make the child listen or obey them. But in the long run, this leads to behavioural issues in the kids. For example, kids start throwing a fit and refuse to eat or study, if they are not given their favourite junk food. And when the child gets into the binging habit, parents believe that he or she will “grow out” of it.
But this is wrong thinking, says Nkemneme. He adds that children who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults.
Dangers of childhood obesity
Nkemneme hints that sedentary lifestyle is the main culprit, which not only makes the kids gain weight at a quick pace, but also puts them at a higher risk of diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases. “There are short term and long term effects. In the short term, the kid’s heart, lungs and joints come under stress due to the extra weight. He would get tired easily. The long term effects include high blood pressure, insulin resistance and cardiac problems. Overweight kids also suffer from sleep apnea, which means they do not sleep well at night, which in turn affects their performance in school.”
“Obesity affects boys and girls differently,” Dr. Mrs. Nnenne Wilson, also a pediatrician discloses. “Obese girls have more incidents of Poly Cystic Ovarian Diesease (PCOD), and this often results to delayed and irregular periods, which cause hormonal changes as they grow. It may also lead to infertility in the long run, while male obese children have more chances of developing Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea.”
Aside the health impact, obesity also takes its toll on the psychology of the growing child. “Being fat is not just unhealthy”, Dr. Wilson says further. “It also makes obese kids an easy target of peers and bullies. These kids are teased by their friends and peers. It kills their confidence and often results in low self esteem. They stop going out and meeting people. And we’ve had several cases of young kids going to the extent of committing suicide, because they were regularly taunted by their folks.
“When bullied, most obese kids suffer in silence,” she adds. “They suffer from poor body image, which leads to increased comfort eating, behavioral issues and poor academic performance. It is often seen that since they are laughed at by friends and classmates at school, they start missing school and instead spend more hours on internet.”
Early intervention
Being overweight and obese, alongsid related diseases can be prevented if the necessary measures are taken right from childhood. Therefore, this health challenge faced today is one of high priority and needs immediate attention. If parents like to see their kids smart and healthy, they need to toe the line and lead by example. “Early intervention is the key both in establishing healthy eating habits and physical activity,” nutritionist Dr. Godwin Obiora counsels.
Try not to focus on weight loss. Instead, help them understand the importance of eating a balanced meal and regular exercising. The good bit is that in most cases, unless there are other existing medical conditions, a big overhaul in the diet is not required. The kids can eat whatever they want, more or less. But they also need to be mindful of exercise and physical activity. “You can’t expect kids to reduce their calorie intake as it is crucial for their overall growth. Start by removing the foods that come with empty calories such as junk food and beverages,” Obiora suggests.
“Moreover, parents should encourage kids to go out and play. Encourage kids to take up and pursue at least one sport. Also, help the kids improve their sleep patterns by reducing their screen time,” Dr. Wilson advises.
According to experts, the early you start, the better it is. “Six months is the right time to introduce your baby’s developing palate to healthy diet. Start with vegetables and avoid giving them sweet food. Help them develop a better relationship with food by cooking and eating with them as they grow,” she says.