Maintaining an appropriate weight with a balanced diet and sufficient calorie consumption for children
Childhood obesity, fatty liver, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. may be a precursor to various adult diseases
Parents should not allow their young children to eat a lot just because they are growing up. Getty Images Bank
Most parents are sensitive to their children not eating, but tolerant of eating too much. This is because they think that adequate nutrition is necessary as they are growing up.
However, the same is true for young children to maintain an appropriate weight with a balanced diet and sufficient calorie consumption just like adults. So, you should not think that eating too much is a good thing or neglect it.
According to the medical community on the 2nd, childhood obesity may be a precursor to various adult diseases such as fatty liver, diabetes, and high blood pressure. For this reason, you should not unconditionally overlook or neglect your child’s excessive food intake unconditionally.
Professor Kim Do-hyeon of the Department of Pediatrics at Kyunghee University Hospital said, “Unlike the past when food was scarce, these days, we are lowering the age of childhood obesity, such as overnutrition, unbalanced eating habits centered on convenience food and instant food, and irregular lifestyles destroying the nutritional system.” Childhood obesity not only slows down growth, but can also act as a cause of adult diseases such as fatty liver, diabetes, and high blood pressure, so parents need to pay attention.”
Complications of obesity include fatty liver and diabetes. Fatty liver is when more than 5% of the liver’s weight has accumulated in the body. Because there are no symptoms, it is easy to neglect, and if it persists, it can develop into steatohepatitis and damage the liver, which can lead to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in the future.
As the prevalence of fatty liver in children and adolescents has increased by 44% over the past 15 years, special attention and attention are required.
Professor Jeon Sook of the Department of Endocrinology at Kyunghee University Hospital said, “40-50% of children and adolescents with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which is related to obesity and overweight. “He pointed out.
He continued, “Since inappropriate eating and eating habits are one of the primary causes of childhood obesity, unconditionally allowing children’s favorite foods because they help their growth can lead to adverse health effects due to unilateral diets such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Therefore, it is necessary to change the perception of parents and the adults around them,” he emphasized.
At the same time, “to help children grow and develop, it is necessary to provide a nutritionally balanced meal and create an environment where they can focus only on eating when eating, so that they can chew and enjoy food several times to help them absorb nutrients effectively.” said
Obesity is largely divided into ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’. If the total amount of energy consumed exceeds consumption without a specific disease, it is primary, and if it is related to a specific disease, it is secondary. That is why it is necessary to identify the exact cause and manage it effectively through consultation with a professional medical team and various tests.
Professor Jeon said, “In general, when evaluating dietary intake for obesity treatment, there are cases where fat intake is unconditionally bad. is within the normal range, but if you have severe unhealthy eating, you should give priority to lifestyle guidance along with a balanced diet.”
The key to childhood obesity treatment is exercise and diet control. Swimming and indoor cycling are great, but if your child isn’t interested, it’s a good idea to recommend a game that allows them to exercise. In addition, when correcting eating habits, it is important to maintain a balanced diet so that sufficient energy and nutrient intake can be achieved rather than unconditional weight loss considering that you are growing.
Professor Kim said, “If you look at the recently visited obese children, most of them do not lose weight, but rather gain 10~20kg because of the influence of Corona 19 and cold weather. Therefore, the whole family, not the child alone, should work together to exercise and improve their eating habits,” he emphasized.
He added, “It is most important to recommend consistent and regular exercise at a level that the child can sustain, and to limit the intake of simple sugars in beverages and snacks.”
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