Childhood Obesity - Overview
Obesity refers to an excess amount of body fat. It is a common occurrence in adults because of a sedentary lifestyle. However, the sudden and sharp rise of obesity in children and adolescents is concerning; it has shockingly gone up by 400% over the past 30 years. Childhood obesity adversely affects a child’s health in the short as well as long run. The extra kilos of weight give children health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are usually more common among adults and the elderly. This condition also increases the risk of early onset adult health conditions, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, reproductive problems, joint pains, etc. Childhood obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression. As most children do what they see, one of the best strategies to prevent childhood obesity is to improve the diet and exercise habits of the entire family. If a child or teenager is overweight, further weight gain can be prevented. Breastfeeding and delaying the introduction of solid foods during infancy may help prevent obesity. From early childhood, children should be given healthy, low-fat snacks and encouraged to take part in moderate to vigorous physical activities every day. Their television viewing should be limited to no more than one hour per day. Older children can be taught to select healthy, nutritious foods and develop good exercise habits.
Homeopathic medication forms an important part of managing childhood obesity. Homeopathic medicines help speed up slow metabolism, commonly seen in obese children, and also help treat and prevent any diseases caused by childhood obesity.