As a parent or guardian, you have the influence and responsibility to prevent your child from becoming one more in the increasing number of kids with childhood obesity. With advice and a few simple steps, kids can learn and develop habits that prevent unhealthy weight gain, protect their health, and support a healthy, active, and confident lifestyle.
To help your child stay healthy and thrive, our experts at South Plains Rural Health Services recommend certain practices. Keep reading to discover them.
The Increasing Rates of Childhood Obesity in Texas
Rates of obesity in the United States are growing to what could be considered an epidemic. According to The US Obesity Forecasting Collaborators, this trend has continued to increase linearly over several decades. In Texas alone, between 1990 and 2021, the percentage change in the prevalence of overweight and obesity was more than 50%, a figure expected to grow by 2050.
Childhood Obesity: Causes and Contributing Factors
Obesity in children is a complex condition that is usually related to several factors that contribute to the development of the disease rather than a single cause. These can include:
- Genetics: Children whose parents have obesity, those who experienced rapid weight gain during infancy, and babies who were exposed to gestational diabetes.
- Environment: Factors such as low household income, limited access to local stores selling fresh produce, lack of safe outdoor spaces for play, and demographic disparities.
- Lifestyle: Habits like sedentary routines, skipping meals, eating fast food, drinking sugary drinks, and lack of proper sleep.
- Psychological: Children who experience stress, loneliness, or boredom can go down the path of negative coping mechanisms like binge eating or emotional eating.
👉 Related: Prevention of Child Obesity With Pediatrics in Lamesa, Texas
6 Professional Recommendations to Prevent Obesity in Childhood
Preventing childhood obesity is not about putting children on a diet, but helping them understand, model, and follow behaviors that help them make healthful choices. According to our pediatric experts, practices like calorie-restriction or labeling foods as “good” and “bad” only set them up for failure. Here are our professional recommendations to succeed at preventing obesity in childhood.
Set a Healthy Eating Example
Children learn by imitation; they tune into what you do and pick it up from there. If they see you eating healthy, they’re more likely to follow your example. A few changes you can make to take advantage of this way of learning include:
- Reserving treats for special occasions such as birthdays and holidays.
- Filling your pantry and fridge with items that support healthy nutrition.
- Drinking water regularly and minimizing sugary drinks.
If you’re not sure what constitutes better food choices or the amount of water that your kid should be drinking, reach out to us for guidance.
Make Physical Activity a Habit
Doing physical activity on a regular basis can help prevent childhood obesity. It can also support your child’s growth by helping them develop stronger bones and lower blood pressure, as well as assisting with psychological aspects by reducing stress, boredom, and improving their self-esteem. Because of that, parents and guardians should make physical activity an important part of their kids’ days.
Children up to age six should be, and usually are, naturally active throughout the day for healthy growth and development reasons. Older kids and adolescents benefit from at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. This includes aerobic exercise, muscle and bone strengthening, with intensity varying from moderate-to-vigorous.
Encourage a Less Sedentary Lifestyle
Your child already spends enough time sitting at school or doing their homework. Adding to sedentary time by allowing them to spend it watching television, playing video games, or scrolling through social media can only increase their chances of developing obesity in childhood.
Although screens are everywhere, it is possible to minimize kids’ exposure by:
- Setting the example by limiting your own screen time.
- Storing these devices outside of your kids’ bedrooms.
- Taking time to explain the process and reasoning to your kids.
- Setting screen-free times during mealtimes, mornings, and playtime.
- Keeping recreational screen time under timeframes (one or two hours per day).
- Embracing offline activities like sports, outdoor playtime, board games, or art time.
Adopt Good Sleeping Habits
Sleep regulates several bodily functions like brain repair, metabolism, immune defense, and emotional balance, to name a few. When sleep quality and/or time is insufficient or poor, it is possible that normal processes within the body dysregulate. For example, sleep deprivation increases hunger, because lack of sleep elevates hunger hormones. Additionally, when kids are tired they’re more likely to refuse physical activity and want to spend more time in low-energy activities, namely sedentary ones.
Children need good quality sleep per night, with the recommended amount depending on their age. To help your kid get the sleep they need, try setting a bedtime and making their room cool, dark, and free from electronics or distractions.
Improve Their Relationship With Food
A healthy relationship with food is essential to prevent childhood obesity. This includes learning to listen to their hunger and fullness cues, enjoy a wide variety of meals, and approach eating without anxiety or guilt. To help them build a healthy relationship with food, try to:
- Avoid letting them skip meals.
- Avoid using desserts as a reward.
- Offer them healthy snack alternatives.
- Avoid labeling foods as “good” or “bad”.
- Involve them in grocery shopping and meal preparation.
- Allow them to choose how much food goes on their plate.
- Respect their appetite and don’t force them to finish everything.
Support Psychological Health
Supporting your child’s psychological and emotional health is essential to prevent childhood obesity. This aspect of their well-being influences their eating habits, stress levels, and daily behaviors. By supporting their mental health, you can prevent and reduce practices like stress-driven eating, improve their coping mechanisms, and break down negative cycles. To support their psychological health, try validating their experiences and feelings, help them identify and name emotions, maintain routines, and exemplify healthy coping skills.
FAQ
At what age can a child be considered obese?
A child can be considered obese starting at two years old up until age nineteen as per Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age and the WHO Child Growth Standards.
What is the main cause of obesity in children?
There’s not a single main cause of obesity in children; however, there are key factors that can contribute to the development of the disease, such as poor nutrition, a sedentary lifestyle, genetics, emotional struggles, and poor sleep.
Are there health risks associated with childhood obesity?
Yes, having childhood obesity increases the risks of developing health complications like asthma, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or fatty liver disease. Additionally, it can impact their mental health and self-esteem.
Prevent Childhood Obesity With Professional Help
At South Plains Rural Health Services, we are here to help you promote healthy nutrition to support your children’s growth. If you need guidance or recommendations on how to prevent childhood obesity, or other aspects of protecting your child’s well-being, our pediatric services are available to you. Contact us to book an appointment or find us in our offices in Levelland, Lamesa, and Big Spring, Texas.