Children are born cute. They start becoming chubbier, sparkling and active as they start growing by the day. Weight gain is essential to the progress of infants. And there is no doubt we as parents, living in metros and cities, keep a close watch on their health and are always anxious about it. Parents are always well-meaning. This is a fantastic phase of parents lives and the mothers' beam with joy. So far so good; but then comes a turning point after these little ones cross the age of 2. This turning point is very crucial because at this 2+ milestone the weight gain still needs to be monitored but for a reason that may surprise you. And the reason is early detection of Childhood Obesity issues. For a moment try and gain a perspective of looking at your Children as individuals who also deserve good health and an Optimum weight. “Weight of a 2+is no issue” is perhaps one of those perceptions that’s tough to beat. One of the reasons you as parents may be finding the child to be doing well on weight front is because you are seeing the same growth trend all over and therefore this issue may appear to be normal. And in our society, all parents and grandparents prefer a heavier child as the child appears to be healthier.  This mindset has been there for ages but needs to change now. 

Childhood obesity has become an epidemic and a major health issue staring into society’s face. It is becoming common to hear the Heartbreaking stories of parents whose children fall sick due to obesity.  The easiest way to detect this epidemic is to look at the age group of 2-18 in our society and you would see an exponential rise in Abdominal Fat. There are numerous factors which impact the amount of Abdominal Fat; Genetics, Metabolism, Environment, and Behavior which may be responsible. This abdominal fat is now the leading cause of illness among the children of this generation and is causing Cardio Vascular Disease, Diabetes, Cancer (e.g.Colon Cancer), asthma, osteoarthritis, chronic back pain and numerous other problems. Early treatment of this issue will help tackle the future problems. Prevention is always better than cure.  

By 2025, India will have over 17 million obese children and stand second among 184 countries where the number of obese children is concerned, says a study published in Paediatric Obesity, an international journal.

Here are some of the power tips for the Parents to handle too much of a good thing namely overweight:

  • Annual Check-Up for weight: From the age of 2 till the age of 18 the annual checkup of your child must include the Body mass index calculation. This is an extremely good indicator of the Child’s health and is a fairly straightforward calculation for your child’s doctor. 
BMI will have the Tell Tale Signs
  • Behavioural Intervention: If your child is addicted to some food and is not ready to leave it then please go in for Behavior correction. It is far better than having a potential cardiovascular patient orType 2 Diabetes in your house. This psychological intervention gets ignored too often but is very helpful. Food is addictive.
This is not Healthy. This is a Disservice to a Child. 
  • Set a Good Example: If you are a couch potato then your child will emulate you. How will someone who himself/herself is overweight preach the merits of correct weight? Please influence your child by eating healthy food. If you give into your food desire so would your children. 
  • Notice Signs of Depression: If your child is eating too often and playing too little then it may be a sign of depression. Note if the behaviour is that of a food addict and whether food is being used to tackle any stress or anxiety. Unhappiness, fear, boredom are the reasons why children end up eating too much. 
  • Dietary Intervention: Ensure you have a good grasp on the daily food/calorie intake of your child. This monitoring is crucial as children don’t know how to self-monitor. The food planning for your children should be a top priority. 
  • Physical Activity: This is on the right side of the equation input=output. The output is also very important apart from the input of energy. How much does your child burn is a crucial question for you? As a parent please ensure that your child gets ample play time after school and during school hours. A child should be jumping, running and playing 3-4 hours every day. Children are not expected to be on screens for 3-4 hours! 
Raise Healthy Kids

There are medicines available for weight reduction but they are very drastic measures. Before your child reaches that stage please take charge of his/her weight. Abdominal fat is a powerful indicator of poor quality of life, less longevity, and lower life expectancy. Your child will lose a half a decade to one decade as compared to a normal healthy child. Our job as parents is to raise responsible, respectful and healthy individuals.  Let us agree there is a problem which has been ignored too long and if it continues we will have a huge problem.  Let us commit to resolve this problem and fight this battle tooth and nail for the sake of our future generations. 

 The Future of next generation is in our hands