What Are the Factors Leading to Obesity in Children?

Have you ever wondered whether childhood habits influence obesity?

Well, the answer is yes, yet luckily, it is possible to control the factors leading to childhood obesity. However, it is very important to note that obesity is one of the major reasons behind the chronic illnesses which children face later on in their lives.

Factors Affecting Obesity in Children:

Choosing foods rich in saturated fats, sweets, and salts over healthy nutritional options such as fruits and vegetables, and unprocessed carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread and brown rice.
Lack of exercise replaced by long periods of time spent glued to TV and iPad screens.
Resorting to food as a way to deal with boredom or stress.
Following in the footsteps of parents towards developing unhealthy eating habits.

Useful Tips for Preventing Obesity in Children

Our school-aged children are vulnerable to obesity if unhealthy habits remain unchanged. And because prevention is better than treatment, here are some tips to help them lead a healthy lifestyle:

Introduce them to a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables, sources of whole grain and non-greasy protein, while cutting out fast foods, ready-made foods and processed foods to the least possible.
Encourage them to drink water and milk over fizzy drinks and juices rich in sugar.
Treat them to some candy every once in a while; a total of two snacks in between meals should be enough to satisfy their sweet tooth. But let’s not forget about portion control which leads us to the next important point!
The amounts of food we give our children should be relative to their age, weight, and height. This is where those small dishes come in handy to keep us from serving them what exceeds their bodies’ nutritional needs.
Let’s be role models and try to encourage our little ones to join in on some fun exercises.

And most importantly, make sure that both mom and dad work together to influence healthy eating habits as children learn from their parents and follow in their footsteps.