Contents:
- Medical Video: Top 10 causes of obesity in children - Boston Children's Hospital - Top 20 Health Challenges
- Health risks faced by obese children
- 1. Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- 2. Asthma
- 3. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- 4. Risk factors for heart disease
- 5. Mental health disorders
- 7. Problems with muscles and bones
- How to prevent and overcome obesity in children?
- How do you know my child is fat or normal?
Medical Video: Top 10 causes of obesity in children - Boston Children's Hospital - Top 20 Health Challenges
Not always fat children are always healthy. You as a mother may be happy to have a fat child, maybe you think you have successfully fed and supported growth. People around your child are also happy to see your cute and adorable child. Eits ... but wait, fat children do not mean a sign that the child is healthy.
Health risks faced by obese children
Many health risks are caused if the child is too fat, both short and long term health risks, including:
1. Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Obese or obese children increase the risk of impaired glucose tolerance, so children who are obese have a risk of contracting type 2 diabetes mellitus someday. Research by the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the United States shows that pre-diabetes rates in overweight children (overweight) equal to 2.6 times higher than children who have normal weight. Research by the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health also shows that the risk of diabetes is higher in adults who in adolescence are obese compared with new adults who are obese.
2. Asthma
Usually obese children experience respiratory problems, one of which is asthma. A study shows that children who are overweight or obese have an asthma risk of 40-50% higher than normal children. Other studies conducted on children and adolescents aged 6-19 years showed that a high Body Mass Index (BMI) affects the development of asthma and can also cause more severe asthma.
3. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Research that links obesity with obstructive sleep apnea shows that the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea in obese children and adolescents can reach 60%. A study in Taiwan showed that the risk of obstructive sleep apnea was higher in children who were obese than children who had normal weight. Obstructive sleep apnea is a respiratory disorder that occurs during sleep, where breath sometimes stops suddenly for a few seconds while a person is sleeping.
4. Risk factors for heart disease
The Bogalusa Heart Study study in the United States shows that 70% of children aged 5-17 who are obese are found to have at least one risk factor for suffering from heart disease. Risk factors for heart disease that can be found in obese children are high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and abnormalities in glucose tolerance. Other studies have concluded that obese children not only increase the risk of heart disease as an adult, but also are associated with heart damage during childhood.
5. Mental health disorders
Lower levels of physical activity, low self-esteem, dissatisfaction with his body, and impaired eating behavior are some of the factors associated with mental health in obese children. There is strong evidence to suggest that there is an increased risk of low self-esteem associated with impaired quality of life in obese children. Research conducted by the Millennium Cohort Study shows that obesity in children is associated with emotional and behavioral problems from a very young age, with obese boys having certain risks.
7. Problems with muscles and bones
Being overweight puts more pressure on the muscle and bone system. So, many obese children have complaints of muscle and bone. Research in children aged 2-17 years in the Netherlands shows that children who are overweight or obese more often experience muscle and bone problems, especially in the lower body, compared with their peers who have normal weight. Pain in muscles and bones is found more in children who are overweight.
How to prevent and overcome obesity in children?
Based on the 2013 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas), 11.9% of children under five had obese nutritional status. This amount is greater than underweight toddlers. It seems that nutritional problems are not just about skinny toddlers, but also fat toddlers.
Obesity in children occurs because the incoming energy exceeds the energy that comes out, so that energy is stored in the body. Too much eating and little physical activity causes children to gain weight and eventually children will be obese and obese.
During the growth period, children should eat foods with balanced nutrition, consisting of foods that contain carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Usually, children rarely even like to eat fruits and vegetables, even though both types of food are very important for children. Also limit children in consuming soft foods and drinks, most of these products contain many calories but zero nutrients. In addition, make it a habit for children to do physical activities for at least 60 minutes every day to maintain a child's physical fitness.
How do you know my child is fat or normal?
Fat children or thin children are not only seen from their body shape. It could be that the child looks thin or looks fat, but actually still has a normal weight range.
To find out that your child is fat or thin, you can see a growth chart on the child's Health Towards Card (for children under 5 years). If the chart follows the green line, it means that your child has a normal weight, if it is above the green line it means that the child has excess weight, and if it is below the green line, the child has less weight.
Therefore, it is best to take the child to the Posyandu, Puskesmas, midwife, or doctor every month to weigh. It aims to determine the nutritional status of children and also to find out how far the growth and development that occurs in children every month.
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