Around the world the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents has increased substantially over the last decade. The Philippines is not spared from this scenario, and results of national nutrition surveys are showing slow but increasing childhood overweight and obesity rates. Results from the Expanded National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) in 2019 showed there were no improvements in the overweight situation. In fact, overweight reduction targets for all age groups were missed. There was also a rising trend seen among six to ten-year-old children over the past three years.
According to WHO, there are evidence to say that overweight and obese children are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and to develop noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age. Obese children and adolescents may also suffer from both short-term and long-term health consequences.
Despite this, there are some ways by which we can prevent overweight and obesity among children. Below are some simple tips that you can follow:
1. Breastfeeding
There are already a significant number of studies showing the positive association of breastfeeding of infants with a reduced risk of childhood obesity. For instance, epidemiological studies in Europe revealed some associations between breastfeeding practices and healthy dietary habits at a later age. Breastfeeding duration on the other hand is positively associated to variety of food choices by 2- to 3-year old children, to healthy eating habits at 2 years, to fruit consumption at 6-8 years, and to healthy eating patterns at 2-8 years. Longer breastfeeding duration was consistently related to higher fruit and vegetable consumption in 2- to 4-year old children.
2. Build early relationships with healthy foods
Encourage your child to eat a variety of foods from an early age. But keep in mind that introduction of solid foods must begin at the age of 6 months, to make sure that your child’s kidneys has fully developed and fully capable of processing nutrients from the solid foods. Include fruits, vegetables and healthy sources of proteins and fats in their meals and avoid introducing strongly flavored foods (e.g., too salty or too sweet). As they grow older, they may be more likely to incorporate these healthy foods into their own diet.
3. Eat healthy foods as a family
As much as possible, have meals as a family. Healthy eating habits as a family allows children to experience healthy eating early on. This will make it easier for them to continue following good eating habits as they grow into adults.
4. Limit unhealthy foods in the household
Every parent understands the importance of convenience. Pre-packaged snacks make your life easier! And grocery stores are stocked with grab-and-go options for kids of all ages.
But they’re often overstuffed with added sugar, high fat content, sodium or a mix of all three. Sugar is particularly problematic for children, contributing to childhood obesity, a weakened immune system and future disease. If you bring unhealthy foods into the household, your child may be more likely to eat them. Try to stock foods that are fresh and try to avoid processed foods or snacks, especially those that are high and sugar, salt and fat.
The best way to eat sugar is through real, whole foods. Think mangoes instead of artificial mango juice. Create your own convenient options by pre-making healthy snacks like seeds and nuts mix, raisins, fresh fruits and easy to prepare snacks such as boiled saba, sweetcorn, eggs or sweet potatoes.
5. Encourage eating slowly and only when hungry
Overeating can happen if you eat when you’re not hungry. This excess fuel eventually becomes stored as body fat and can lead to obesity. Encourage your child to eat only when they feel hungry and to chew more slowly for better digestion.
6. Incorporate fun and exciting physical activity
Exercise is the other core component of a healthy lifestyle. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that kids and teens get at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily to help balance out their calorie consumption. Exercise has benefits beyond weight management, decreasing blood pressure, strengthening bones and improving mental health.
Since online classes might not give your kids the usual amount of physical activity compared to physical or face to face classes, this can be an additional challenge. But one advantage is that you can closely monitor their physical activities.
Children need to be active even during this quarantine period to avoid too much sedentary time. In those times where everyone settles in with a screen outside work and online classes, instead schedule some exercise or a fun and interactive family activity that gets everybody up and moving, like a walk, bike ride or some playtime with your pets.
7. Limit your child’s screen time
Screen time is sedentary time. When that’s taking the place of physical activity, it can lead to weight issues and form habits that last a lifetime. According to some studies, children spend more than seven hours a day entertaining themselves with screens. That’s just time spent watching TV, playing video games or browsing the web — not the educational hours spent during online classes or on homework.
More time spent sitting in front of a screen means less time for physical activity and good sleep. Because exercise and sleep play a role in a healthy weight, it’s important to encourage those activities over computer or TV time.
8. Make sure everyone is getting enough sleep
Sleep is another factor in childhood obesity. Children who don’t get enough of it are more likely to become obese. A lack of sleep leads to daytime drowsiness that makes kids less active. It can disrupt the hormones that control appetite, making them feel hungrier and eat more in the waking hours.
Make sure your screen time limits have restrictions close to bedtime to help your kids get better rest. Healthy sleep habits include a sleep schedule, a bedtime ritual, and a comfortable pillow and mattress. Set their bedtimes early enough to ensure that they get the right amount of sleep for their age:
- 11 hours a night for children five and under
- At least 10 hours for kids ages five to 10
- A minimum of 9 hours for children 10 and up
References:
- WHO Website
- PPAN Report 2015
- PPAN Mid Term Review, 2019
- Healthline.com
