For parents, it’s usually a pleasant sign when they see their child gaining weight. They get satisfied thinking that their baby is healthy and adequately growing. 

But have you ever thought, how early is too early when your child is heavy beyond normal? 

Children can become obese or overweight too, but it appears very hard to tell their parents if they are so. Their pediatrician can tell the truth about whether the child is thriving. 

If any abnormality occurs, put an early stop to prevent your child from the onset of future complications like diabetes and obesity.

• Less sleep in kids can increase hunger and lead to obesity.
• Group activities like biking are more fun and effective than solo exercise.
• Healthy eating habits should start in infancy to prevent obesity.
• Obesity risks are higher for kids with overweight parents.
• Cutting screen time encourages more physical play and reduces obesity risk.
• Keeping sugary snacks out of the house helps kids make healthier food choices.
• Pediatricians provide personalized advice to prevent childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity has become a global concern and has affected the lives of millions of children. A report shared by a Health Day reporter on June 29, 2015, declared that the rates of childhood obesity are consistently increasing in the United States, putting pressure on parents to embrace healthy eating habits and behaviors to help them maintain an ideal weight. 

So whenever we discuss childhood obesity, we discuss its related facts, including its adverse impacts on child height, obesity, and the onset of various cardiovascular disorders.

 Respectively, the American Academy of Pediatrics has designed some practical ways to combat childhood obesity, mainly by promoting the significance of physical activity.

Not all children who have extra fats are overweight. Every child has different amounts of body fats at various stages of development. So, you might be unaware of how your child would look if weight is a health concern. 

Body mass index is the appropriate weight to see if the child is overweight. Your child’s doctor can assess through BMI, growth charts, and other laboratory tests to check the weight and height status of your child. 

If the BMI ranges fall above or below the standardized ranges, your child can develop the risk of future complications, including obesity, on top.

Being a parent, whenever you feel your child is putting on the extra weight and not taking an interest in physical activities, immediately consult a physician. He will assess your child’s weight status through the history of growth and development, family history of weight and height, and using growth charts to check at which level your child’s height and weight status are falling.

Doing so will help him identify if your child’s weight is in the healthy range. It will also help you design the lifestyle and dietary measures for your kids.

Eating unhealthy foods or adopting a sedentary or low-active lifestyle can lead to childhood obesity. However, some researchers have also declared that hormonal and genetic factors can play a huge part.

Many factors, either alone or in combination, give rise to childhood obesity. Some of these include:

Intake of high caloric, sugary foods, baked items, and snacks from vending machines gives rise to weight gain in children. Different sports drinks and fruit juices may also give rise to some conditions. However, the factors differ from child to child.

Children love to play video games, watch television, and spend no time doing physical activities outside. In this way, they develop a sedentary lifestyle, increasing the chances of childhood obesity. 

Another alarming aspect is that television shows sometimes promote ads for unhealthy drinks and foods which children demand to have and develop complications after.

Childhood obesity might be family-induced; if your child comes from a family of overweight people, he develops more chances of gaining weight. It happens commonly in environments where high-caloric foods are within easy reach and physical activity is discouraged.

Some children develop a habit of eating more under stress. They eat more to fight boredom and cope with emotional problems. So, we can say that it might be family, personal or parental stress which gives rise to childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity is a surely preventable disease. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended specific steps for families to prevent their children from becoming obese.

 When you make a step to ensure the presence of no sugary foods in the kitchen, your child will not be tempted or overindulge in those foods. Similarly, if you buy birthday cakes or other sweets for a special occasion, try to buy them right before the event and keep them out of your children’s sight so they cannot see and eat them. 

However, you can store high-caloric sweets in the foil or hide them in the back of the pantry so they can be less visible to the child.

The leading cause of childhood obesity is their emerging unhealthy choices like junk foods and high-sugar foods. That’s why making your children choose nutritious food items is advised by ensuring their availability at your home. For example, if you keep water, fresh fruits, vegetables, and low-caloric snacks on the kitchen table or in the fridge, your child will pick up these foods.

It would help if you encourage your kids to have at least 3 to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Childhood obesity can result from little or no physical activity, and in fact, it is. Being a parent, advise your child to minimize the time spent on television. However, placing all electronic devices outside your bedroom or kitchen can get better results. 

Your kids will have less exposure and spend more time doing physical activities.

If you are concerned about seeing your child healthy and intelligent, set his timetable for sleep time. Different research studies have investigated that those children who take less than usual sleep develop more chances of becoming overweight. 

It would help if you designed an appropriate bedtime schedule for your child to ensure good health and well-being.

Children take more interest while playing and doing physical activities together in groups rather than being done alone. If you accompany your child during the daily physical activities, you can develop his interest more in these activities. Try doing at least 6o minutes of physical and fun activities with your child daily. 

While doing so, you can pick plenty of activities to perform, like a simple walk in the playground or park, bike riding, playing cricket, or football. All can be healthy choices for your children and can develop their interest more towards these.

The prevalence of childhood obesity has given rise to addressing the need for physical activity and a quality lifestyle. Only parents are not responsible for fulfilling these jobs; instead, pediatricians can help families find meaningful ways to adopt a healthier lifestyle. They can help by letting them know the basic implementation strategies. Similarly, parents are advised to set a standard and adopt healthy and fitness choices so the child can seek them all. 

Pediatricians can help maintain the right track for kids and families. So, the implementations can be done successfully.