Obesity in children and adults can be caused by a range of factors, ranging from biological, genetic, nutritional, behaviural or cultural
factors. The bottom line is that obesity is caused when people consume more calories than what the body can use as fuel. The excess is stored as
fat. Obesity is mainly caused by excessive consumption of food and lack of exercise.
Studies have shown that that children are becoming more and more obese at an alarming rate and this article will be a guide to child
obesity treatment.
The Definition Of Obesity
The excessive accumulation of fat in the body is defined as obesity. When fat makes up 25% or more of total body weight in a boy he is defined
as obese, and when fat makes up 32% or more of total body weight in a girl she is defined as obese. Children are measured by
weight-for-height, and if the measurement is larger than 120% of the ideal, the child is defined as obese. Measures of skinfold are also used to
determine the presence of excess fat.
Obesity should be treated and prevented as early as possible, before it becomes clinically severe obesity or morbid obesity, which means that
a person is weighing more than a 100 pounds more than his ideal body weight. This is defined as a serious chronic disease.
The Problems Related To Obesity
The biggest problem of childhood obesity is that obese children tend to become obese adults. The results of obesity are certain illnesses such
as hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease and others. Other results are low self esteem and too much stress on the weight-bearing
joints.
Treatment For Childhood Obesity
Any child obesity treatment guide has a weight loss program for children with its goal not to encourage weight loss, but rather to slow
down weight gain in order for the child or adolescent to grow into his ideal weight over a period of time. Early and appropriate intervention is
essential in the treatment of childhood obesity.
An important part of weight control is exercise. The child should adopt a formal exercise program, to become more active, burn more fat,
increase energy expenditure and thereby help to maintain weight, or rather to prevent weight gain. Exercise alone will not solve the problem of
overweight, but it can go a long way to support a weight loss program.
Another important aspect of treatment for childhood obesity is the management of food intake. Extreme calorie restriction and fasting is not
recommended for children, as it could lead to too much psychological stress on the child. The normal growth of the child may be affected, and it
may distort the child’s view of normal eating patterns even more. Children should be taught about and provided with food that is healthy,
nutritious, and in balanced quantities. Moderate calorie restriction is recommended, but the focus should be on the nutrition of the food
consumed, and not on the quantity.
Childhood obesity treatment can only be effective if the eating habits of the child is improved on, together with an exercise program. You
know the types of fast food that should be avoided if your child is overweight or obese. Yes it is all the normal culprits. Very few fast foods
are nutritious and healthy, seek them them out when you want to treat your child.
Behavioural strategies that are used to treat obesity in adults may be implemented in a child obesity treatment guide as well. They
include making a list of all foods consumed in a day, keeping a record of exercise, slowing down the rate of eating, using incentives and rewards
for goals achieved, and introducing limitations on where and when to eat. These strategies can only work if the whole family gets involved.