100 ways to lose weight 

What to do if the child is overweight. Symptoms of overweight in a child. Mom does not know, or what parents should do when a child stealthily eats nasty things

Doctors never tire of repeating that obesity is a real war, where there is only one enemy, but at the same time countless victims. This problem of modernity is exacerbated by the fact that children are on the “battlefield”.

According to statistics, in the United States, every second child is overweight, and one in five is obese. In Western European countries, these figures are smaller, but they are growing steadily. The disease is already beyond the scope of hereditary predisposition. Increasingly, physical inactivity and the abuse of fast foods and trans fats are among the main causes.

Causes

Like adults, obesity in children is difficult to treat. In order for the therapy to be successful, it is first necessary to find out the causes of the disease. To do this, doctors collect an anamnesis and conduct all kinds of laboratory tests.

The most common causes of overweight include:

  • excess intake of calories;
  • hypodynamia;
  • hereditary predisposition;
  • metabolic disease;
  • tumor of the hypothalamus, hemoblastosis, skull trauma;
  • neuroendocrine diseases: hypercortisolism, hypothyroidism;
  • lack of sleep;
  • lack of daily routine;
  • long-term use of glucocorticoids, antidepressants;
  • gene mutations;
  • chromosomal and other genetic syndromes: Prader-Willi, Ahlstrom, Cohen, fragile X-chromosome, Down, pseudohypoparathyroidism.

All these risk factors need to be identified in a timely manner in order to begin the necessary treatment. Unfortunately, parents often delay until the last degree, until obesity of the first degree turns into the third with all the complications and consequences for life and health.

Symptoms

The clinical picture of the disease is closely related to the age characteristics of the child. So at certain stages of his life, the symptoms may be different. As a rule, the signs of obesity develop progressively, i.e., they appear brighter with each stage.

Preschool age:

  • overweight;
  • severe allergic reactions;
  • dysbacteriosis;
  • constipation.

Junior school age:

  • overweight;
  • excessive sweating;
  • shortness of breath when walking and physical exertion;
  • deformation of the figure due to the appearance of fat folds in the abdomen, hips, buttocks, arms and shoulders;
  • high blood pressure.

Teenage years:

  • pronounced symptoms described above;
  • fast fatiguability;
  • violation of the menstrual cycle in girls;
  • dizziness, frequent and severe headaches;
  • swelling of the limbs;
  • aching pain in the joints;
  • depressive, depressed state;
  • conscious isolation from peers.

In adolescence, the disease reaches a new level, covering not only the physiology, but also the psychological state of the child. Being overweight does not allow him to fully communicate with his peers. Often this leads to maladaptation, antisocial behavior and even autism.

Diagnostics

Having noticed the first signs of the disease in your child, one should not hope that this is temporary, this happens to everyone, all this is age-related and will soon pass. You need to contact an endocrinologist as soon as possible, who will make the correct diagnosis and give appropriate recommendations.

Collection of anamnesis:

  • birth weight;
  • age of onset of obesity;
  • growth dynamics;
  • the presence of type II diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases;
  • neurological complaints: headaches, vision problems;
  • psychomotor development;
  • height and weight of parents.

Objective data:

  • androgen-dependent dermopathy: hirsutism, oily seborrhea, acne;
  • blood pressure;
  • waist circumference;
  • distribution of fatty tissue in parts of the body;
  • growth;
  • stage of sexual development.

Laboratory diagnostics:

  • blood chemistry;
  • lipidogram;
  • Ultrasound of the liver to determine its enzymes;
  • glucose tolerance test to determine insulin resistance;
  • these are the hormones that will need to be tested for analysis: thyroid, cortisol, ACTH, leptin, parathyroid hormone, proinsulin, prolactin, LH, FSH, SSSH, testosterone, anti-Mullerian hormone, growth hormone;
  • 24-hour blood pressure monitoring.

Instrumental research:

  • bioimpedancemetry;
  • MRI of the brain;
  • ophthalmological examination;
  • polysomnography;
  • Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity;
  • ECG, ECHO-KG.

Molecular genetic research:

  • determination of the karyotype;
  • search for gene mutations.

Expert advice:

  • physical therapy doctor;
  • gastroenterologist;
  • geneticist;
  • gynecologist;
  • nutritionist;
  • cardiologist;
  • neuropathologist;
  • otolaryngologist;
  • psychologist;
  • endocrinologist.

There is no need to be afraid that if a poor child is suspected of being obese, they will be driven through all these studies and analyzes. After collecting an anamnesis, the doctor will make assumptions about what factors caused the disease and prescribe only those diagnostic methods that are necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

Age features

Due to the fact that adipose tissue in the body is formed with different intensity, there are stages of childhood obesity associated with age-related characteristics:

  • in children under one year old, the first buildup of adipose tissue occurs and obesity is not diagnosed;
  • 1-3 years - a critical period when parents and relatives overfeed the baby with sweets - this is the first stage when symptoms of the disease may appear;
  • 3-5 years - fat growth stabilizes, weight problems are rarely observed;
  • 5-7 years - the second critical stage, characterized by the growth of body fat;
  • 8-9 years old - school-age children in the primary grades rarely have problems with weight, since active life, physical education, lessons allow them to spend a sufficient amount of calories;
  • 10-11 years is also a relatively calm stage, but here it is very important for parents to prepare a teenager for the upcoming puberty and instill healthy eating habits in him;
  • 12-13 years old - it is at this age that serious hormonal changes occur in the teenage body due to puberty, which often becomes an impetus for gaining extra pounds.

Knowing the critical periods in a child's life, parents can be more attentive to the problem of overweight at these stages. This will allow everything to be corrected in the initial stages, when the disease has not yet started.

Classification

Doctors have more than one classification of childhood obesity: by etiology, consequences, degrees, etc. In order for parents not to wander into them, it is enough to have minimal information.

First, the disease can be:

  • primary - due to heredity and congenital pathologies;
  • secondary - acquired as a result of malnutrition and physical inactivity.

Secondly, there is a special table that will help determine obesity in a child by body mass index (BMI), which is calculated by the formula:

I (BMI) \u003d M (weight in kilograms) / H 2 (height in meters).

  • I degree

A little overweight in a child does not cause anxiety in parents. They even rejoice at his excellent appetite and plump cheeks. The diagnoses of pediatricians are not taken seriously, always appealing to the good health of their child. In fact, obesity of the 1st degree is easy to cure with sports and proper nutrition. But because of this behavior of adults, this happens extremely rarely.

  • II degree

The disease gradually progresses, which leads to obesity of the 2nd degree. At this stage, shortness of breath and increased sweating appear. Children move little and are often in a bad mood. Problems begin with physical education at school and social adaptation in the classroom.

  • III degree

At this stage, the disease is already manifesting itself with might and main, so it is difficult not to notice it. The joints of the legs begin to hurt, the pressure rises, the level of sugar in the blood fluctuates. The child becomes unbalanced, irritable, falls into depression.

So parents themselves can determine the degree of obesity at home. This will allow you to seek medical help in a timely manner.

Norm and pathology

In addition to degrees, a table by age will allow you to identify overweight, where, according to WHO data, pathological values ​​of body weight are collected. For boys and girls, the parameters will be different. In addition, they still need to be adjusted depending on growth.

Weight of girls 1-17 years old, according to WHO

Weight of boys 1-17 years old, according to WHO

If the child is very tall, it is allowed to slightly increase the parameters given in the table.

Treatment

Parents and the child himself will have to go through the Obesity School without fail. So doctors call a set of measures for the correction of eating behavior and adequate physical activity. This motivational training is considered the foundation of therapy. It is there that clinical recommendations for the treatment of pathology are set out in detail.

Nutrition

First of all, in case of childhood obesity, diet therapy is prescribed, compiled according to Pevzner's table No. 8. Without it, it is impossible to treat this disease.

The Pevzner Special Diet for Children with Obesity recommends including the following foods in their diet in the following amounts:

  • bread (coarse grinding or bran) - up to 170 grams per day;
  • fermented milk products up to 1.5% fat - 200 gr;
  • (minimum potatoes) - 220 gr;
  • chicken, turkey, lean meat and fish - 180 gr;
  • , buckwheat and barley porridge - 200 gr;
  • vegetables in unlimited quantities, cooked in any way;
  • unsweetened fruits - 400 gr;
  • tea, uzvar, freshly squeezed juices - in any quantity.

Sample menu for obesity 2 degrees

At the first degree, the diet can be varied with honey, more fatty dairy products, sweet fruits, fried foods. At grade 3, vegetable oil and any indulgence in food are excluded.

  • reduction in portion sizes;
  • fractional 5 meals a day;
  • dinner - 3 hours before bedtime;
  • abundant use of ordinary water;
  • complete exclusion of fast food, chips, snacks, soda.

Children's diet meals:

  • curd-banana dessert;
  • beet-carrot casserole;
  • dried fruit pastille;
  • lazy soup with meatballs;
  • meat soufflé;
  • cottage cheese pancakes;
  • chicken cutlets in a double boiler and others.

Recipes

  • Steam meatballs

150 g of lean beef, cleaned of tendons and film, scroll 2-3 times through a meat grinder. Cook a tablespoon of rice, cool, stir into minced meat. Pass through the meat grinder again, add a quarter of a boiled egg and 5 g of butter. Beat the whole mass with a blender. Roll up small meatballs, put them in a frying pan, thinly oiled, pour cold water, boil for 10 minutes.

  • Vegetable soup

Chop 2 small and 2 celery stalks. Chop the onion. Mix chopped vegetables, add 100 g of white beans, cut into halves 4 cherry tomatoes. Pour 500 ml of vegetable or chicken broth. Boil after boiling for half an hour. Season to taste with sea salt. Before serving, add a little low-fat sour cream.

  • cupcakes

Grind 1 medium-sized banana and a handful of almonds in a blender. Mix them with grated carrots. Add 200 g of oatmeal, 10 ml of honey, 20 ml of lemon juice. Fill the molds with the resulting mass, put in the freezer. After 2 hours, move them to the refrigerator for an hour. Serve with tea.

Physical exercise

The treatment of obesity in children is not complete without adequate physical activity. She suggests:

  • daily sports for at least 1 hour (if more - only welcome);
  • it is better to devote most of these activities;
  • games;
  • competitions;
  • travel;
  • recreational activities;
  • various complexes.

Medical treatment

Due to age-related contraindications of most drugs, drug treatment of the disease is limited.

In certain cases, according to the testimony of specialists, the following medications may be prescribed to the child:

  • Orlistat - allowed from the age of 12, helps fats be absorbed in the small intestine;
  • - is prescribed from the age of 10 with type II diabetes mellitus.

The use of drugs such as Octreotide, Leptin, Sibutramine, Growth Hormone is limited to clinical and scientific studies and is not recommended for the treatment of childhood obesity.

According to studies, dietetics, physical education and drug therapy are not very effective. In this regard, in some countries, childhood obesity is treated with surgical methods. However, clinical trials have shown that the use of bariatrics in children and adolescents (when compared with adults) is accompanied by numerous postoperative complications, low compliance, and frequent relapses in weight gain. In the Russian Federation, such operations for the treatment of obesity in those under 18 are prohibited.

Prevention

Parents should know what is the prevention of childhood obesity:

  • full awareness of proper nutrition;
  • breastfeeding up to 6 months;
  • physical activity;
  • sports;
  • constant monitoring of BMI, timely detection of babies with this indicator over 10 at the age of 2-9 years;
  • instilling healthy eating habits;
  • walks in the open air.

If all this is implemented from a very early age, children and adolescents will never be diagnosed with obesity.

Complications

The most terrible thing in all this is what this pathology threatens. Unfortunately, parents do not always represent the full danger of the disease. Meanwhile, the consequences can be the most serious - up to death (at 3 degrees).

Among the most common complications:

  • apnea;
  • arterial hypertension;
  • gynecomastia;
  • hyperandrogenism;
  • dyslipidemia;
  • cholelithiasis;
  • delay or acceleration of sexual development;
  • pathologies of the musculoskeletal system: osteoarthritis, Blount's disease, spondylolisthesis;
  • carbohydrate metabolism disorders: insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, fasting glycemia;
  • fatty liver: hepatosis and steatohepatitis are the most common conditions in children;
  • relative androgen deficiency;
  • diabetes mellitus type II;
  • diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: inflammation of the pancreas, gastritis, hemorrhoids, constipation;
  • liver failure;
  • mental illness, psychosocial disorders;
  • decrease in male reproductive function, female infertility in the future.

Parents should understand that obese children are unhappy. Therefore, their main task is to prevent such a development of events, and if this has already happened, to do everything to cure the child. The sooner adults realize it, the more chances for recovery and a prosperous life he will have in the future.

Over the past few years, various medical and public health organizations have been seriously concerned about the development of a real "epidemic" of obesity among children.

But overweight in a child not only contributes to the deterioration of health in childhood, but also leads to the development of quite serious problems in many social areas of life when such children reach adulthood.

According to researchers, the factors that directly affect the appearance of overweight in a child are varied: this is a genetic predisposition, and eating too high-calorie, but low nutritional food, and a minimum level of physical activity.

Consequences of childhood obesity

Overweight children often face the following social and emotional problems, which can have far-reaching consequences for their quality of life.

Bullying. An overweight or obese child is often subject to both psychological and physical abuse. A 2004 study published in the journal Pediatrics confirmed that such children are more “likely” to be the target of rumors and ridicule, receive an offensive nickname, or even suffer physically than their peers who are of normal weight.

Anxiety. Being overweight can also lead to increased anxiety in children. This statement is backed up by a 2010 study published in the French journal Obesity, which found that children faced with bullying from peers at school or from family members begin to position themselves as isolated from others, which leads to the development of social anxiety or the appearance of phobias. .

academic problems. The child's difficulties with social interaction with peers, combined with low self-esteem, can play a negative role in mastering school material and getting high marks. The issue of academic performance may take a backseat when a child struggles with growing anxiety, isolation from society, or other psychological problems.

“Such students are much less likely to enter higher education after graduation,” according to a 2007 study.

Depression. Dissatisfaction with oneself and a decrease in self-esteem often lead to the development of depression in a child, which is a serious mental illness that affects all aspects of a child's life. Such children are characterized by prolonged closed states without showing any emotions, stopping visiting thematic sections and giving up their favorite hobby, which can contribute to complete social isolation.

During adolescence, obese children are more likely to have problems with drugs and eating disorders, in which depression plays a key role.

Proper nutrition for obesity in children

Breakfast. Perhaps you think that the best solution in this situation would be to skip breakfast in order to reduce the total calories of the child!? However, according to reputable nutritionists, skipping one of the main meals, on the contrary, will contribute to weight gain than to its loss. Therefore, do not give your child a couple of fruits with you, such as bananas, so that he can enjoy them on the way to school.

Dinner. A good way to help your child make the right choice of healthy lunch food is to pack it yourself at home, instead of having him buy it himself from a store near school. For example, it could be a lean meat and low-fat cheese sandwich on whole grain bread, 0% fat cottage cheese, or yogurt. As a liquid, put a bottle of water in your schoolbag, which can be sweetened with a little lemon juice.

afternoon tea. It should not include foods high in fat and calories. The best option would be self-preparation of low-fat dairy or.


Dinner. One of the easiest ways to make dinner healthier for your child and your entire family is to make your own meals at home using only natural ingredients. Instead of instantly replacing your baby's high-calorie foods with salads or, do it gradually, instilling healthy eating habits in the family. Try to cook meat dishes on chicken or ground beef using a grill, add more spices to it, for example, parsley, pepper, garlic.

Snacks. As paradoxical as it sounds, using snacks between main meals will help yours, but only if he chooses healthy foods for this. Make sure that these are nutritious meals that are low in sugar and fat. For example, baked wholegrain crackers are a good alternative to chips, and a fresh vegetable salad based on natural yogurt will fill you up well until the next meal.

Exercise program for adolescents with obesity

Reducing your daily calorie intake isn't the only way to help your child lose weight. It is equally important to interest and accustom him to regular physical training.

Parents should choose exercises that are appropriate for the child's current level of preparation. This will allow you to gradually bring it to more difficult and intense loads. Practice for 30 to 60 minutes every day of the week if possible.

Warm up

Start with a workout consisting of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercises (jumping, walking in place, walking sideways left and right), static and dynamic stretches (alternate leg lunges, pulling shoulders back) and strength movements (lifting shoulders, squats, push-ups) . This stage is very important for obese children, allowing the muscles to warm up properly, which will help prevent injury and increase muscle strength and flexibility. The warm-up should last from 5 to 10 minutes.

Aerobic exercise

The three main elements of fitness include endurance, strength and flexibility. Endurance develops in children who regularly take part in aerobic activity. For example, it can be walking, running or cycling, each of which can be done both in your own home (if available) and in the fresh air.


Dancing is another good activity for kids. Always start slowly and gradually pick up the pace. In fact, it's a way to show your child that exercise can be fun too. Go rollerblading or go to the park. Think of walking routes that run through hilly terrain, which will affect the development of endurance.

Jumping forces the muscles of the whole body to work and burns a large number of calories in a short period of time. Of course, due to overweight, a child may have difficulty with the duration of the jumps. It's not scary, start jumping even for 5 seconds, but gradually increase the duration of the approach.

Strength exercises

This type of training is carried out on a day free from aerobic exercise (previous paragraph). Strength training helps increase muscle mass. The thing is that the muscle cell burns several times more calories than fat, so this will allow the child to adjust his weight faster.

Before starting any strength exercise, children should learn the correct technique for its implementation. Try the following load variations: push-ups, lunges, crunches, dumbbell curls, quad crawls, and side raises. Each exercise consists of 10 - 15 repetitions.

Flexibility exercises

Equally important in addition to aerobic and strength training are exercises that develop flexibility. Stretching with the body helps improve baby's mobility by making muscles and joints move through their full range. Completed at the end of each lesson.

Pulling to the feet with the fingertips, pulling the shoulders back, tilting to different sides are some simple exercises that your child can do to increase the flexibility of the body. But remember that the stretch itself should not reach the point of discomfort. Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds.

A warning: Before starting any for an overweight child, his parents should consult a pediatrician.

Talking to children about being overweight can be a sensitive topic for them, regardless of age. Therefore, the desire to avoid this dialogue can be very tempting, even if you are sincerely worried about the physical and emotional health of your baby.

Although this topic may be uncomfortable for you, the sooner you decide to discuss it, the sooner you can help your child take action to correct the situation. Ignoring the problem by itself will not solve it, as a result, your child will grow older, and it will become much harder to achieve a positive result later, although it is possible.

Also consider that obese children are more likely to be overweight as adults without assistance, making them more vulnerable to dreaded diseases such as type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart attack.

1. Become your child's ally.

Always try to be honest with children about their weight if they ask you to. If your child is concerned about their weight, tell them that you want to help and you will work together to achieve the result.

Then propose and discuss with him some options for your future joint actions. For example, learn the secrets of cooking to learn more about healthy ways to cook your favorite dishes. Go grocery shopping together and pick a new fruit or vegetable to use in your recipe.

Buy pedometers for all family members and set a goal for everyone to walk a certain number of steps per day. By involving your child in the decision-making process for his situation, you help him take responsibility for his health and build self-confidence.

2. Be a good role model.

When it comes to children and obesity, what you do is always more important than what you say. Parents for children are the first example to follow! This is confirmed by a study in which 70% of children answered that the most important factor for them is the actions of their parents.

Children build their relationship to food on the principle of their parents, therefore, if they like to eat junk food in fast food restaurants, then the child will develop with the same habits, which later will be very difficult to eradicate.

3. Start by setting healthy habits right now.

Remember - it's never too late to join the canons of a healthy diet! Maybe you didn't always lead the right lifestyle in the past, but today start all over again. Improving your own life will help inspire your child to do the same.

Carry out all the fundamental changes in a few small steps. Gradually cleanse your home of all unwanted food. Take a look in your fridge and toss out anything high in saturated fats and sugars. Don't let yourself buy junk food. Stock up on options like low-fat yogurt, fresh fruit, raw vegetables, crackers (whole grains), lean cottage cheese, and peanut butter.

4. Don't criticize your child's weight.

Criticizing kids about their weight is one of the worst things adults can do!

5. Talk to your children about issues that may affect their weight.

Being overweight can be a symptom of a child's deeper problem, so parents need to be aware of how your child behaves in school and in society. The same loneliness for many children is the root cause of the onset of weight gain.

Therefore, parents need to interest and agitate their baby to participate in various activities. Going to the school disco or volunteering will help him become more active and meet many people who share his interests.

A child may also overeat in response to unresolved issues in their family, such as parental contention or financial problems.

6. Do not force children to completely refuse their favorite foods.

Creating a healthy approach to nutrition is a much more effective solution than the principle of food restriction. But this does not mean at all that your child can never eat a cake on his birthday or other holiday.

It is better to teach him to enjoy his favorite treat, and not to eat them instantly. Talk about how even sweets can be part of a healthy diet if they are consumed in a reasonable amount.

7. Try to eat together as a family.

There is evidence that in families where adults eat together with children, the problem of childhood obesity is practically non-existent. This is due to the fact that at the common table the child absorbs food more measuredly, which makes him feel full earlier and stop eating.

8. Don't force kids to follow a strict workout plan.

Parents who encourage physical activity in the family as a natural part of life and do not make it a duty, children cope with the problem of obesity faster. Instead of forcing your child, come up with a better cross-country walk together.

9. Make sure your child is getting enough sleep.

More and more researchers are now concluding that lack of sleep is closely linked to the problem of weight gain and other medical conditions. So always make sure your child gets enough sleep each night.

Of course, individual needs vary, but general recommendations are as follows:

  • ages 1-3: 13 to 14 hours of sleep
  • 3 - 5 years: 11 to 12 hours
  • 5 - 12 years old: 9 to 10 hours
  • 12 - 18 years: at least 8.5 hours a day

To help your child get the right amount of sleep at night, ask them to turn off their computer, cell phone, or TV at least two hours before bed. Artificial light from electrical appliances stimulates the brain and makes it difficult to fall asleep.

Also, remember that the more time your child spends watching TV or using a computer, the less time they spend on positive family interactions or physical activity.

10. Let your child know that you love him in any way.

Remember that you will achieve your long-term goals faster if your child feels how much you love him.

If a member of your family is struggling with excess weight, it can be very difficult to resist advice, lectures, and even jokes.

But when a child gets rid of extra pounds, you should be extremely careful not to injure the baby, who suffers because of his lack.

Here are ten things to avoid if your child is overweight:

Look for someone to blame

Obesity in children has many causes, some of which are quite difficult to control. Wringing your hands and blaming yourself, food producers or doctors is not worth it.

You just need identify a problem and solve it: visit specialists together with the child, take tests and teach the whole family to eat right and move regularly.

ignore the problem

If you doubt that a child is overweight, try calculating his body mass index yourself or go for a consultation at the Children's Health Center.

This will allow you to determine how serious the problem is and immediately get expert advice.

Create forbidden fruit

Banning products outright can backfire. Chances are your child will start to provoke conflicts over food and look for favorite treats on the way from school. And you will definitely feel guilty.

You need to show the baby personal healthy example and explain in a simple way what sweets and chips do to the health of adults and children. Toddlers understand much more than adults seem to understand - provided that they communicate with them on an equal footing.

Encourage a sedentary lifestyle

If you decide to fight the overweight child, you will have to forget about passive leisure yourself.

Our expert is the leading researcher of the laboratory for the study of the structure and planning of nutrition of the population of the State Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Nutrition for Children and Adolescents of the RMAPE Arseniy Martinchik.

Step one:

Assess reality

First of all, it is necessary to understand whether the child is overweight and how much he needs to lose weight. For this, pediatricians use special tables.

These are the average indicators of height and weight for boys, the weight of girls may differ by 0.5-1 kg down from the lower limit, height - by 1.5-2 cm down.

Weight is considered overweight if it is 5-10% above the norm. If it is higher than 20%, it is already obese.

Action plan

If it turns out that the child is overweight, you will have to change your lifestyle. And not only the child, but also their own, since children are guided by their parents, copy their habits, addictions, including gastronomic ones.

Step two:

Let's look in the fridge

Overweight children are prescribed a “soft” diet with a gradual decrease in the calorie content of foods. First of all, by reducing animal and vegetable fats. In the daily diet of a child, meat or fish, cottage cheese, seafood, and eggs must be present. Meat, poultry and fish should be lean and cooked boiled or baked. Carbohydrates and carbohydrate-fatty foods: sugar, cakes, soda, glazed curds, chips, fried potatoes, rich and puff buns - will have to be severely limited, but it is better to completely exclude for a while. Cereals, pasta durum and bread should be reduced to a minimum. And it is better to eat grain or bran bread without seeds and nuts.

Fat intake can also be reduced by choosing low-fat dairy products: 1% milk, 0-1.5% cottage cheese and yogurt, 10-15% sour cream, hard cheeses. A lot of fat is found in canned food, sausages, sausages, sausages and meatballs - so these products should be excluded from the children's diet.

Action plan

1. Keep a "Food Diary", where you will enter everything that your child, you and your family members eat during the day. Include in this list and light snacks, and tea with sweets, and a glass of milk at night - absolutely everything.

2. Visit a pediatric dietitian who will monitor the child's weight and health.

3. Teach your child (and yourself) to eat 4 small meals a day at fixed times. Take your time, eat more slowly - then the feeling of satiety will come earlier.

4. Breakfast and lunch should be more plentiful than dinner. A hearty breakfast is very important for a baby - he will be calm, cheerful, will not ask for sweets. Offer fruit for dessert.

5. Never force a child to eat if he does not want to. In no case do not punish for half-eaten soup.

6. Remove the TV from the dining room or kitchen and do not allow family meals while watching a movie or reading a book - in such a situation, a person is distracted from eating and, as a result, does not notice that he is overeating.

7. When buying products, read the labels carefully. And do not take your child to the store if he is hungry.

8. Start a tradition of drinking a glass of water before meals, and start your meal with a light soup or vegetable salad.

Step three:

Life on the move

“The educational program provides for two compulsory physical education lessons per week. But two hours a week is nothing! The child must run for an hour every day,” says Dr. Martinczyk. But even from these two lessons, the guys are in a hurry to evade: either they bring a certificate of release, or they simply shirk. Yes, and what fun - jump through the "goat" or wind circles around the school. Last year, the federal target program "Development of physical culture and sports in the Russian Federation for 2006-2015" began to operate, which should radically change the content of physical education lessons. It is planned to create several different sports clubs and sections in each school so that students can choose an activity to their liking. Well, instead of boring races, it was decided to teach aerobics to girls, and martial arts to boys. But so far, in most Russian schools, physical education lessons are conducted in the old fashioned way.

Action plan

1. Try to free up at least an hour in your schedule for a walk together. Walk from home to school and teach your child. If the baby wants to run and jump, you don’t need to pull him up, like some mothers who require the child to “behave decently”, meaning by this measured walking.

2. Find out which sports clubs are located in your area and enroll your child there. Swimming is considered the most useful for weight loss. By the way, the whole family can go to the pool.

3. At home, install a children's ladder with a horizontal bar so that the child can climb and pull himself up in the morning. If the apartment has a free corner, do not be stingy and buy an exercise bike - so the child can arrange bike rides even in bad weather.

4. Try to spend your holidays with your children and actively - in sports and health resorts, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking or cycling.

Step four:

We do not look at the "box"

Experts urge to limit TV viewing for children to two hours a day. This is maximum. And only for older children. And for babies under 2 years old, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend watching TV at all. “Children who from an early age are accustomed to spending a lot of time at the “blue screen” are often overweight. The child's element is movement. You can't make a 4 year old lie on the couch for an hour. But a child can sit in front of the TV all day, thereby causing enormous damage to his health, ”says Dr. Martinczyk.

Action plan

First you need to remove the TV and computer from the nursery. Put all the necessary equipment in your room - it will be easier to control the child. Then set a time limit beyond which the son or daughter must not go. If you are afraid that in your absence the child will watch not the best films, program the TV to show only certain channels.

Today, more and more often we meet children whose weight clearly exceeds medical standards. What diseases are caused by being overweight? How does it affect the child's mental health? What are the causes of obesity in children? How to prevent it?

Severe consequences of being overweight

Parents should be aware that childhood obesity can have serious consequences. It significantly increases the risk of developing diabetes, liver and gallbladder diseases, hypertension, infertility and other chronic diseases. People who have been obese since childhood can develop atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction or chronic heart failure at an early age - diseases that are characteristic of older people. An overweight child often suffers from snoring and other sleep disorders. Obesity also negatively affects the psychological state of the child: excess weight gives rise to self-doubt in children and adolescents, significantly reduces self-esteem, which leads to problems with learning, and sometimes causes ridicule from peers and, as a result, leads to isolation and depression.

Causes of obesity in children

Most often, being overweight in children is the result of poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle, but it can also be caused by diseases of the endocrine system or other serious health problems. The main risk factors for obesity are:

Irrational nutrition

If a child regularly consumes high-calorie, fatty and sugary foods (fast food, snacks, chips, confectionery, pastries, etc.), this can lead to overweight. And if sugary sodas, ice cream, desserts with cream and other sweets are added to this, the risk of obesity increases even more.

Sedentary lifestyle

Lack of physical activity contributes to the accumulation of excess weight, because. in this case, the child burns calories much less than he receives from food. If a child spends a lot of time watching TV, using a computer, or playing video games for a long time, this lifestyle also contributes to the development of obesity.

hereditary factor

If family members are overweight, this is an additional risk factor for obesity in children, especially if the house always has high-calorie foods that are available at any time, and the child leads a sedentary lifestyle.

Psychological factors

Children and adolescents, just like adults, tend to "seize" such psychological problems as stress, trouble or strong emotions, and sometimes they just eat out of boredom. Sometimes the cause of overeating is a lack or lack of parental attention, and extra calories from food lead to overweight.

Prevention of obesity in children

Food choices, daily menus, and meals in the family are up to adults, and even small changes can make a big difference to your child's health.

  • When shopping for groceries, don't forget fruits and vegetables. Finished industrial products such as crackers, biscuits and muffins, prepared food products, as well as ready-made meals, incl. frozen ones often contain too much fat and sugar, so you should not buy them. Instead, opt for healthier, low-calorie foods.
    Never use food as a reward or punishment.
  • Do not buy sugary industrial drinks, including those with fruit juice, or keep them to a minimum. These drinks are high in calories but contain very few nutrients.
  • For each meal, try to gather at the table with the whole family. Eat slowly, share the news. Do not allow your child to eat in front of the TV, computer or video game - this leads to the fact that he ceases to control satiety and may eat more than he should.
  • Try to visit cafes and restaurants with your child as little as possible, especially fast food restaurants. In such food outlets, most of the dishes on the menu are high in calories and contain a large amount of unhealthy fats.
  • To increase the physical activity of the child, adhere to the following rules.
  • Limit your child's time at the computer and in front of the TV screen to 2 hours.
  • Focus on mobility in general, and not on physical exercises - the child does not have to perform any specific set of physical exercises, you can just play hide and seek or catch up, jump rope, sculpt a snowman, etc.
  • For the child to be active, show him an example. Think about what kind of outdoor activities the whole family can do.
  • Never use exercise as a punishment or obligation.
  • Let your child change activities on different days of the week. Let him swim in the pool one day, go bowling on the next, play football on the third, ride a bike on the fourth. It doesn't matter what he does - it is important that he moves more.