“The greatest wealth is health.’ Health is the most precious thing that we must take care of. Meanwhile, a lot of people follow an unhealthy lifestyle. Obesity is one result of it. We can consider that things are more serious and dangerous when it comes to children. Childhood obesity is a critical problem that parents should prevent it and look for solutions to face it such as avoiding the bad habits that lead to it.
1 of 3 children in the US suffer from overweight and this number is continuing to rise. Childhood obesity is due to a lot of common causes such as the lack of physical activity and unhealthy food like junk food. It’s a real danger and a serious medical condition for children. As known, childhood obesity leads to several medical problems such as stroke, high cholesterol, hypertension, and bone issues. Add to that, childhood obesity can lead to different psychological problems like lack of confidence and feeling badly about oneself. Children often bully their obese peers, which creates hopelessness and anxiety that also can provoke learning problems and withdraw socially.
Prevention is the best solution for childhood obesity. Parents should always keep an eye on their children’s diet. They must teach their children how to make healthier choices by avoiding junk food, limiting the consumption of sugar, and instead eating a lot of vegetables and fruits. Add to that, they have to limit TV and other electronic devices’ time and replace it with physical activities to burn fats and keep them fit, for example planning a family activities that provide everyone with exercises like swimming, running, or biking.
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Another solution is seeing a doctor if there is a doubt that the child suffers from overweight. Doctors will do the necessary tests like the BMI test, which is a measure of body fat based on height and weight and checks if the child’s weight is in an unhealthy range that could pose health problems. Also, the doctor could describe some medicines or ask for a diet, so parents must follow his instructions and be ready to go back to him for regular checkups, at least once a year.
Childhood obesity can present many problems for children’s physical, social and emotional wellbeing. Parents have an important and primary role to play to prevent childhood obesity and face it when it happens. For me, I think prevention is the best solution and it’s better than the cure. Our children’s, health is a responsibility that we must take it. We must also raise healthy children not only in their bodies but also in their minds.
