Help your child maintain a healthy weight

There is growing concern about the problem of childhood obesity.

According to the 2017 National Health Incidence Survey (NHMS), the frequency of obesity in adolescents aged 13 to 17 was 13.3%, while 15.2% was overweight.

In 2013, the Malaysian Nutrition Association (NSM) conducted a MyBreakfast survey and reported that one in four elementary school students was overweight or obese.

According to a 2019 field survey, overweight and obese children are at increased risk of depression, have risk factors for heart disease (such as high blood pressure and high triglycerides), and have impaired cognitive function.

There is also evidence that overweight and obese children are more likely to become obese adults.

This increases the risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer in adulthood.

Obesity is also known to affect work productivity.

Obese children can experience social isolation, bullying, and discrimination from peers.

This can lead to low self-esteem, which in turn can lead to depression.

Another problem faced by obese children is the tendency to develop misperceptions of body image, which can lead to a risk of poor eating habits and / or eating disorders.

Also, if one or both parents (and / or siblings) are obese, most families will have certain behaviors such as an unhealthy diet, a sedentary lifestyle, more consumption, or a habit of constantly eating light meals. Because they share an increased risk of developing obesity, especially in foods high in sugar, salt, fat and calories.

Energy balance

The most common causes of obesity are lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating habits, a genetic predisposition, or a combination of these factors.Unhealthy behaviors shared within the family, such as the habit of snacking on sugar, salt, fat, and high-calorie foods, are risk factors for obesity in children. Photo: Filepic

Unfortunately, many children these days tend to live a sedentary life because they spend a lot of time not working indoors.

On average, children watch TV and play games on computers and other digital devices about four hours each day.

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that children under the age of 2 not be allowed screen time, but older children should be limited to screen time within 2 hours. ..

We need to more actively adopt physical activity as a component of energy expenditure and follow the concept of energy balance to help children balance energy intake and energy expenditure.

This concept is very simple. The energy gained from consuming food and drink (energy intake) must be balanced with the energy used for physical activity and physical growth / regeneration (energy consumption).

Healthy eating habits

First, children should be served different foods from different food groups every day.

>> >> carbohydrate

Give the recommended rice, cereals, and tubers, preferably from whole grains, to give you the energy you need.

>> >> protein

It provides a combination of protein sources such as meat, chicken, fish and eggs with plant-based ones such as legumes and beans for growth and development.

>> >> milk

Milk is very nutritious and suitable for building strong bones and teeth.

Provide a sufficient amount of milk daily and encourage them to drink in a variety of ways, including milkshakes, cereals, puddings and custards.

Give full cream milk, not low-fat milk, skim milk, or condensed milk.

>> >> Fruits and vegetables

For fruits and vegetables, color is important to ensure that children get the various vitamins and minerals they need.

So provide them with fruits and vegetables of different colors, including dark leafy vegetables.

Fruits are also great for nutritious snacks.

Another important point to keep in mind is to teach (and practice!) A healthy diet.

This means that meals should be eaten according to a fixed schedule and should not be skipped. This will eventually result in eating more meals or snacking to make up for it.

If your child is hungry between staple foods, prepare healthy snacks such as fruits, milk, steamed corn on the cobs, steamed po, ​​kakanrebas, and whole grain sandwiches.

Limit the consumption of high-calorie processed foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, nuggets, and sausages, and encourage children to drink water instead of sugar-sweetened drinks.

Become physically active

Participating in after-school activities such as taekwondo helps children become physically active and consume energy. Photo: Sanjugtha Vigneswaran

In addition to ensuring that your child eats healthy, you should also motivate her to be physically active.

That is, she needs at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity activity each day.

This can be achieved by encouraging her to ride a bike, play roller blades, play badminton or soccer, or play or use swings, jungle gyms and slides at a nearby playground.

Make more time for your family to do more outdoor activities together and reduce the amount of time you and your family spend indoors on sedentary activities.

Use this as an opportunity to deepen your ties with your child by spending a fulfilling time playing with them every day.

Another convenient way to be more physically active is to involve your child in household chores from an early age.

Helping with household chores teaches children the basic skills they need to know about caring for themselves and their home as they grow up.

There are also many skills that will help you as an adult, such as making beds, cleaning rooms and bathrooms, and preparing meals.

You should also encourage your child to be more active in school (for example, participating in extracurricular activities such as sports) or for after-school activities (for example, participating in martial arts and dancing). These activities also help develop self-confidence and self-esteem.

Finally, if you have peers doing the same type of activity, or if you can do it with them, you will find it easier to attract their interest.

Family relationship

Try to eat home-cooked food as often as possible.

You should also prioritize eating together with your family.

Based on this, ask your child to help with the task of preparing and cleaning up meals.

Spending a higher quality of time together will certainly help build a bond in your family.

Try to limit eating out, especially at fast food restaurants.

When eating out, make healthier choices from the menu and teach your child to do the same.

Instead, order regular water and take advantage of the opportunity to limit your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages.

You should also encourage your child to drink more normal water by ensuring that they have enough boiling water at home.

Teaching your child how to lead a healthy lifestyle is important, but nothing beats showing them how it is done.

The easiest way is to walk the story and set an example for your child.

If your child observes that you are eating healthy and living a physically active lifestyle, they are much more likely to do so.

This is important not only in the short term but also in the long term, as achieving and maintaining a healthy weight helps prevent them from developing chronic illness in later life.

Remember that preventing childhood obesity helps protect the health of children now and in the future!

Professor Norimah A Karim and Associate Professor Chin Yit Siew are members of the Malaysian Obesity Research Association (Maso). This article was contributed by Nutrition Month Malaysia (NMM) 2020, an annual community nutrition education initiative co-sponsored by NSM, the Malaysian Dietitians Association and Maso. NMM first Virtual Nutrition Fair It will be held from December 1st to 14th. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Star We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness, or other guarantees regarding the content displayed in this column. Star We disclaim all liability for loss, property damage, or personal injury incurred directly or indirectly by our reliance on such information.