Lately the childhood obesity epidemic is more and more prominent on the news. If a child is obese it can lead to serious health issues for the child like diabetes, dyslipidemia, heart health issues, lack of sufficient bone density, sleep disorders and problems, psychological symptoms and gastro-intestinal problems. Such disorders can be expected to continue into adulthood. Recent studies have shown that if a child is obese it is extremely likely that adult obesity will follow.

Nonetheless, it is possible for parents to make a positive impact on the lifestyle of their offspring and give them the guidance that will ensure a happy and healthy adulthood.

What is the role needed from parents to make a contribution to the prevention of obesity in their child? Parents must address the causes of child obesity. Parents must give their children a lot of attention and help them to feel wanted. If your child is neglected by you there is an increased possibility of obesity compared to other children. Your kids should not be pressured into eating more than they want to during meals, you will train your child’s metabolism to function at a higher level than what would be healthy for the child.

The amount of food eaten is not what is most important. Of far more importance is that the child should eat properly and then get adequate exercise. Your kid will acquire abnormal eating behaviours if you are going to be constantly fussing about food intake.

Your child should not spend so much time in front of the telly. As your child spends more time in front of the TV so he or she will be more obese, watching television is obviously going to reduce physical activities by the child, and then it naturally also reduces the body’s metabolism. Children also watch the commercials on television and it affect them, and they are encouraged to eat more junk food and drink soft drinks that will have one result only and that is increased weight.

If you are thinking that your child weighs more than his or her ideal weight and that there is a risk of obesity, you should go to the doctor as soon as possible, and stop obesity in its tracks immediately. It is a myth that mothers to be have to eat for two people, if you eat too much while you are pregnant there is a good chance that both you and your unborn child will become obese. The young infant must be breastfeeded for at least one year. While the child is still very small, a greater emphasis should be on fruits, grains and other fresh produce while closely watching to see if the child is really hungry before being fed.

If the risk that your child will become obese is high, you should consider using fat free milk instead of full cream milk. Avoid cane sugar and snacks that contain excessive fat, because they are high in low nutritional value calories. If your kid is still at school, put in place steadfast rules as to how much they are allowed to watch television, snacks must be nutritious, treats can be allowed occasionally and generally good food habits must be encouraged.

The child obesity epidemic is not static, it keeps on increasing with each passing year and, since the early eighties, there has been a dangerously high increase. The child obesity epidemic poses a great risk to our children’s children, and it must now be halted in its tracks all over the developed world.

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