Obesity restricts movement and impacts one’s mind, besides having severe health implications. Unfortunately, children are inclined towards indoor gaming (read video games). They thus miss out on physical exertion and become lethargic.
6 simple steps to minimize the chances of obesity in childhood itself:
- Diagnose obesity early
Uncontrolled hunger and low metabolism rate lead directly to the storage of body fat and consequently, to obesity in the long term. Watch if your kid tries to avoid moving around at home or loves to sit at a place for a long time. This, coupled with an unusual increase in weight, are telltale signs of obesity.
- Encourage sports and outdoor activities
Encourage your children to shed that laziness by giving them a lot of playtime. Explain to them how they can be far more energetic, livelier and happier than what they are now. Once children realize the need to change, they will take all steps necessary to be one among those happy groups and manage to reverse obesity along the way.
- Help them overcome fear of social exclusion
Obesity is a curable biological condition. Don’t mind how other children will treat your obese kid. Instill confidence and positivity in children before and after playtime, so that they can battle on-field bullies, make friends and earn respect in their circle. They might turn out to be fabulous sportspersons. So insist that they go out on the field and build their way into societal circles.
- Check harmful diet cycles
Are you keeping a tab on the amount of junk food your children consume? Consult a dietician to control those high-calorie meat items and sugar-rich beverages that do more harm than good. Also, add a lot of fibre-rich food to reduce body fat.
- Find out if the children are depressed
Children going through depression show some specific kinds of behaviour: they put on a lot of weight in a very short span of time. Or they keep quiet most of the time. Or they laugh less. If you notice any such symptoms, get to the root of the problem. Find out what your child is going through. Parents are the most dependable counsellors to children. Be supportive and understanding. Let them confide in you and you’d know if depression is the reason for obesity.
- Remind them to drink a lot of water
Water does not merely hydrate our body. Among its countless merits include reduction of body fat. Drinking a lot of water lowers your appetite, thus stopping you from munching on that extra burger. It also helps in regular bowel movement and reduces body waste. Water hydrates you, pushes you towards to do more physical activity and thus helps burn calories.
These are 6 well-recognized ways to combat child obesity. Let us know if you’re familiar with more ways.
Watch also: Yoga For Kids Obesity – Bhujangasana For Weight Loss – English
