It is often seen that parents do not pay any attention to childhood obesity in their kids because they think that if their child is overweight, then he is surely healthy. However, you should know that obesity can be harmful for everyone. So, if you kid is also the target of being overweight, then here's what the expert has to say about it. Onlymyhealth editorial team spoke to Dr. Vivek Jain, Director and Head - Neonatology, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, about childhood obesity. Here are some food and precautions that you need to know for overweight children:
1. If the kid is overweight at this age then it is surely a mismatch between the calorie intake and activity. Excess calorie intake can lead to childhood obesity. Do not try to control your kid's calories but match it with the activities he is doing.
2. Whenever you are sitting to eat, there should not be any target to finish a certain amount of food, eg. A chapati. Let the child decide how much he/she wants to eat. As a parent, you need to take a call one what to feed, but the quantity of food should be decided by the kid himself.
3. Make sure that there is no distraction whenever the child is eating. Try not to switch on the television or hand over a mobile phone and iPad while your kid is having food. It can distract then and they might not realise how much they are eating. This is a common cause of childhood obesity.
4. Discuss with your pediatrician if the child is becoming overweight. You can talk to an expert and discuss your kid's diet in order to control their weight. This can be very helpful in handling childhood obesity professionally.
5. Do not introduce junk food to the child. Even foods like juices, chips and chocolates are included in junk foods and should not be given to a child. It shouldn't be consumed on a regular basis.
Watch more videos on Health talk
