Overweight in Children

The indices of overweight in children and adolescents have significantly increased during last decades from about 4% to 17%. At present 1 of 3 American children and teenagers suffers from excessive weight. It is understandable that overweight in children is the main health concern for many parents and doctors. Experts even affirm that due to growing numbers of overweight in children, unhealthy eating and insufficient physical activity the new generation risks be less healthy than the previous one.

Overweight in children leads to numerous health problems that quite recently were diagnosed only in adult. Among these new for children and teens medical conditions are hypertension, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, increased blood cholesterol, and dyslipidemia. Overweight in children has as well psychological consequences and results in low self-esteem, negative body perception, and depressive disorders. Moreover, overweight in children is associated with increased death rates in adulthood.

For detecting overweight in children, it is good to take into account both weight and body constitution. Body mass index help solve this task by means of assessing weight and height as well as their relationships. BMI - body mass index is extremely useful indirect measure of body fat. It is also important to reveal the dynamics of overweight in children with BMI help.

Prevention of overweight in children is the best approach to avoiding problems linked to excessive weight gain. Thus, it is important to reach and maintain the correct body weight. Healthy eating and sufficient physical activity are decisive factors in cases of overweight in children. Eating changes must be small, but constant. It is very good to reduce caloric intake and become more active. Adequate physical activity is an important approach to weight loss. Parents must be involved in fighting with overweight in children. They should create conditions that stimulate physical activity together with healthy eating. Important is preventing weight gain above prognosticated increases in height.