Obesity in Children

Obesity in children is easy to diagnose but difficult to treat. The weight gain due to incorrect eating habits and low physical activity is accountable for numerous cases of obesity in children. Obesity in children often leads to overweight in adulthood if they do not keep to healthy eating and sufficient exercise.

Even few additional pounds may show a trend to easy weight gain and may require changes in dieting and exercise. Doctors diagnose obesity in children if their weight is 10% higher than recommended the height, age, and sex. Obesity in children frequently begins at the age of 5years.

The causes of obesity in children are numerous and include genetic predisposition, biological factors, behavioral and cultural particularities. Obesity in children develops if kids consume more calories than their body burns. If one parent is obese, the probability of obesity in a child is 50%. When both parents are obese, the likelihood of overweight in children is 80%. Obesity in children may be associated with overeating, insufficient exercise, endocrine and neurological disorders, stress, low self-esteem, depression, and some medications such as steroids.

Obesity in children bears numerous risks and complications like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and sleeping problems. Obesity in children may lead to serious emotional problems such as anxiety and obsessions.

Obesity in children requires deep medical assessment. Obesity in children presupposes reducing the number of consumed calories and increasing the level of exercise. Effective weight loss is reachable only with good self-motivation.

Treatment includes setting reasonable and attainable goals of weight loss, effective management of dieting and physical activity, changing of behavior patterns, as well as family participation. Obesity in children may become a long standing problem. Many children and adolescents gain the lost weight due to returning to old eating habits. Obese kids and teens have to consume healthy foods in reasonable amounts against the background of regular exercising to maintain the desired weight.