What Causes Fat Children? How to prevent?

Medical Video: Top 10 causes of obesity in children - Boston Children's Hospital - Top 20 Health Challenges

For some people, fat children do look funny, but that doesn't mean good. Yes, now more and more children are experiencing obesity. Even the World Health Organization states that there are as many as 41 million children under five who are overweight in 2016. Even though this can put him at risk of developing chronic diseases in the future. What causes fat children? Is it certain that the diet? How to prevent obesity in children?

What can cause a fat child?

There are many reasons that children can be overweight (obese). The most common things are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these three factors.

1. Genetic factors

Children who have parents or siblings who have more than normal weight will also be at high risk of being overweight. Although weight problems occur in your family, not all children with a family history of obesity will automatically suffer from obesity. Genetic factors can indeed increase a child's risk for obesity, but family behavior, such as eating habits and activities, has an important role to influence weight.

2. Lifestyle

Food and child-run activities are important factors in determining a child's weight. Popular TV, computers, tablets, smartphone,and video games increasingly supporting an inactive lifestyle towards children. On average children in America spend 24 hours each week watching TV. This time can actually be used for other physical activities.

Not to mention the children's snacks that are high in calories, make the intake of food that is too much but does not use it for activities. This then makes the child fat and eventually runs the risk of experiencing various chronic diseases.

What to do if a child is fat?

Immediately contact your pediatrician if you feel that your child is overweight. Doctors are the right person to determine your child's weight problems. Your doctor will measure your child's weight and height to determine whether your child's weight is within reasonable limits. Your doctor will also consider the age and growth pattern of your child to determine whether your child's condition is indeed a sign of obesity or not. To determine obesity in children is very difficult because children grow quickly.

For example, it is normal for boys to have faster weight growth which will later be followed by high growth after puberty. Your doctor will determine the diagnosis investigated whether your child's weight will return to normal. If the doctor finds that your child is overweight, he will ask you to change your diet or activity in your family.

How to prevent?

Parents and caregivers can do various things so that children are not obese, by means of providing healthy food and snacks, doing physical activities every day, and providing education on good nutrition. Healthy foods and snacks will provide nutrients to the body that are growing and improve healthy eating habits.

Increasing physical activity can reduce the risk of contracting the disease and help regulate body weight. Education about nutrition can develop children's awareness of good nutrition and healthy eating patterns. The following tips can you do so that your little one can more easily adopt a healthy lifestyle:

Focus on healthy living, not the ideal body weight. Teach positive attitudes towards food and active activities without thinking about weight.
Focus on family. Don't differentiate overweight children. Involve the whole family in changing healthy eating patterns and family physical activity.
Arrange meals and snacks every day, and make it a habit to eat together as often as possible. Provide a large selection of healthy and high-fiber foods.
Give portions that suit your child's needs. If you have difficulty in determining the appropriate portion, you should consult a nutritionist.
Always eat and snack at the dinner table. Don't let your child eat food or snacks while they watch TV. Eating in front of the TV will make it difficult for them to feel full and will accustom them to overeating
Give foods with low calories and high nutrition. Make the child understand that sweet and fatty foods are high (like candy, cookiesor cake) is not food that can be consumed every day. These foods can be consumed occasionally.
Involve Children to plan, buy, and make food. Use this activity to understand the foods your child likes, teach about nutrition, and support them to try more diverse foods.
Support children's physical activity. Participate in family physical activities as a routine schedule such as walking, riding a bicycle, or playing together. Support your child to plan physical activities that your family will do.
Limit watching time, playing video games, and play computer become 1-2 hours a day. The average child in Indonesia spends more than 24 hours a week watching TV. Reducing these activities can increase your child's physical activity.