Tackling obesity in children - a challenge for parents

Obesity in children is increasingly becoming a serious medical problem today, owing to the changing lifestyle and eating patterns persistent in society. As many as 15% children (aged 6 to 11 years) and adolescents (aged 12 to 17 years) are obese and the numbers are only increasing with time.

The two major problems for parents in this regard are detecting obesity in their kids and managing the same. If a child's weight is 20% higher than the normal range for his/her height, then it can be termed as obesity. As far as the management of obesity in children is concerned, it is truly a challenge for parents. Homeopathic medicines used in the treatment of obesity have been scientifically proved to speed up metabolism and burn calories faster. Besides this, we have outlined some key points for parents to manage obesity in their children:

• Encourage physical activities like outdoor games involving running, swimming, skating or riding a bicycle.
• Restrict the child's time spent in front of the TV, computer, etc., as it burns fewer calories.
• Ensure that your child eats his/her meals slowly.
• Serve a variety of vegetables, cereals, beans, meat, etc.
• Serve low-fat or non-fat dairy products and breads.
• Encourage sports activities at school.
• Do not forbid your child from snacking; instead plan healthy snacks regularly.
• Do not allow the child to watch TV during meals as the distraction causes a child to overeat.
• Lastly, let your child have occasional treats like cakes, ice creams, chips, etc., at parties as long as they are occasional.

Adherence to these changes in diet and lifestyle, combined with constitutional homeopathic treatment, can surely go a long way in successfully treating obesity in children.

Article by Dr Mukesh Batra
L.C.E.H., F.H.M.A. (U.K.), F.R.S.H. (Med) P.(Lon), M.D.H. (U.S.A.), F.B.I.H.(U.K.)