Contents:
- Medical Video: Preventing Childhood Obesity
- Various factors that trigger obesity in children
- How can obesity in parents trigger obesity in children?
- 1. Obesity during pregnancy
- 2. Diet while pregnant
- 3. Nutrition intake in the growth period
- 4. Obese parents as role-model
Medical Video: Preventing Childhood Obesity
Obesity in children is a serious health problem, because it can interfere with the growth and development of children, and trigger chronic diseases at an earlier age. Obesity in children can be caused by heredity, but environmental factors due to parents who are obese can also trigger obesity in children.
Various factors that trigger obesity in children
The correlation between obese parents and obese children has been known for decades. In addition to genetic factors, obesity in children also tends to occur because children live in the same social environment as obese parents.
According to Professor Lesley Regan, an obstetrician,obesity is a pandemic health problem that occurs globally and this has started from the womb. He also explained that obese pregnant women increase the risk of complications that can affect health and developmental disorders in children born.
Pregnant women who are obese can have an impact on the ability to regulate hormones and absorb nutrients after the baby is born. Then, environmental factors such as the provision of nutrition and the selection of food by parents will affect the diet of children in their infancy to adulthood.
How can obesity in parents trigger obesity in children?
The condition of obesity in older people can lead to obesity in children in various ways, including:
1. Obesity during pregnancy
The main impact on children born to obese mothers is the risk of impaired development of the metabolic process and the baby's neuroendocrine system. Disorders of both genetic factors will affect how the child's body adapts to food consumption during development, and is more at risk of triggering obesity.
In addition, obesity during pregnancy is closely related to children's health problems in the long term such as heart disease and diabetes mellitus. Obesity during pregnancy can also interfere with fetal brain development and the emergence of asthma in children, which results in fewer children actively participating in physical activity.
2. Diet while pregnant
The habit of eating a parent can be lowered since the baby is in the womb. This process is because the type of food consumed will affect the amniotic fluid, a fluid that is around the baby and affects the sensory exposure of the baby during the womb.
Amniotic fluid receives a taste response from food during pregnancy and makes the baby accustomed and can adapt to solid foods that have similar taste. That is why unhealthy eating patterns such as high consumption of sugar or fat during pregnancy can make children have a habit of choosing similar foods during development.
3. Nutrition intake in the growth period
Fulfillment of child nutrition has begun since birth, this usually starts with exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of a baby's life. At this time, exclusive breastfeeding aims to form an adaptation of the baby's body to calorie consumption, and breast milk itself is sufficient for the calorie needs of the baby. Conversely, the habit of giving extra food prematurely and passing exclusive breastfeeding will cause the baby to consume excess calories that he does not need, so it is more likely to trigger obesity in childhood.
Furthermore, when children enter the age of children under five, in general children become more choosy about food and are more willing to try new types of food, such as the type of food consumed by parents or those served at home. The diet of parents who are less healthy and the habit of giving foods high in fat and carbohydrates will trigger unhealthy habits and cause obesity in children.
4. Obese parents as role-model
Basically, a child will imitate the surrounding conditions, especially his parents. Habits of unhealthy parents that lead to obesity can also be experienced by children because they live in families with the same environment.
Something research showing children with parents who are obese have a lower proportion of physical activity and are more likely to eat unhealthy foods, and less consumption of vegetables and fruit. In addition, starting a healthy life requires an example, and in this case the role of parents is needed to encourage healthy living behavior and prevent obesity in children.
