Unhealthy food is not the only issue an obese child will suffer from. There are all types of life- threatening consequences that a parent wouldn’t want to go through with their child, if they don’t change those bad habits. Type 2 diabetes is a consistent condition that affects the way your child's body metabolizes sugar. No parent should want to see their child have to stick a needle in themselves every day. This disease was classically seen in adults over the age of 40 but now is being diagnosed in obese children and teens. Metabolic syndrome isn't a disease itself, but a bundle of circumstances that can put your child at risk of developing heart disease, diabetes or other health problems. (By Mayo Clinic Staff 1) “High blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). In one study, 70% of obese children had at least one CVD risk factor, and 39% had two or more”. (J Pediatr 3). Your child can foster high blood pressure or high cholesterol if he or she continues to eat a poor diet. These factors can “contribute to the buildup of plaques in the arteries. These plaques can cause arteries to narrow and harden, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke later in life”. (By Mayo Clinic Staff 1) Extra weight on your child's body can cause issues with the maturity and health of your child's lungs, which leads to asthma or having other breathing problems. Another issue your child will have is trouble sleeping at night. Your child will have a condition in which your child may snore or have abnormal breathing when he or she sleeps. Make sure to pay attention to the breathing problems your child may have while he or she is sleeping.
Overweight children tend to have a social and emotional complication. Other kids very often tease or bully their overweight peers to the point they suffer a loss of self-esteem and an elevated risk of depression as a solution. Low self-esteem can create shattering feelings of hopelessness in some overweight children. When a child loses hope that their lives will develop, they may become depressed. A depressed child may lose interest in normal life. They sleep more during the day or hiding somewhere shedding tears. Some depressed children hide their sadness and appear emotionally reclining instead. Either way, depression can be serious in a child just as it would be in an adult. If you think your child is depressed, you should take some time to have a one on one so they know they’re not alone. Overweight children hold more anxiety and have poorer social skills than a kid that’s considered normal-weight. These problems may lead overweight children to step out and disrupt their classrooms.
After conducting a short research on childhood obesity, I feel it is wise to inform parents on how to prevent Childhood obesity, which can be stopped. It doesn’t take high-tech treatments or cutting-edge medications to make it happen. It starts with a healthy diet. Say no to fast food and increase your child’s intake of fruits and vegetables. Instead of fountain sodas and sugary energy drinks, substitute them with fruit juices, seltzers and water. Parents with children under 6 should especially be aware of what they feed them. For those who believe it’s okay to eat fast food every day or often, should greatly cut down how often they do. Young people are consumed in consumerism everywhere with movies like Good burger or enticing McDonalds commercial’s on TV.
Parents should educate themselves and their children on the nature of the ingredients in those delicious chicken nuggets. It is important for people to understand how unhealthy and poor quality this type of food is. Parents should set boundaries when it comes to eating out. You should start off by not bringing fast food inside of your home. It’s okay if your child decides occasionally with their friends to get fast food, but its different from supporting them to go and eat fast food. If your child doesn’t learn from you who are the parents, they will end up learning habits from the fast food culture, food advertisements, etc. In an article I read called What Are the Benefits of Quitting Junk Food? “Quitting junk food can significantly reduce the total amount of calories you consume during the day. When you exclude junk food from your diet, there is room for nutrient-dense foods that will supply vitamins and minerals you need for good health. Having the right amount of key nutrients supports a healthy skeleton, heart, brain and digestive system as well as boosting you immune system”(2). A parent should never put restrictions on what their child should or shouldn’t eat because the child will go against what the parent says, as well as pressuring a child to eat something they don’t want to.
Eating breakfast is critically important to help jump start our metabolism first thing in the morning. It also prevents excessive hunger over eating later on in the day. Buying cereal that has at least 4 grams of fiber and saying whole wheat on the front of the box is the best thing to eat to start off your day. The parent should be 100% apart of their child’s progress to not being obese. Modeling is the natural way that children learn how to behave. The parent should set the best example for their child because your kids always look up to you, so if you’re not being active, your kid will think its ok not to be active. If you’re eating fast food all day, your child will think it’s okay to do the same. Exercising is another way to prevent your child from obesity. Instead of letting your kid watch TV all day on a Saturday morning, make them go outside to breathe in fresh air. A child’s body is really not deigned to run on a treadmill for 20 min like an adult. But if they run around in the park they are bound to lose more weight doing physical activity than running on the treadmill. Neither making up some physical activity shouldn’t be hard at all but nor going overboard. Physical activity is not exercising.
Work cited
(1) http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/childhood-obesity/basics/complications/con-20027428
(3) http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/basics.html
