Contents
Obesity and overweight are not only a matter of aesthetics, but above all health. Statistics show that the scale of the problem is growing, and obesity has been recognized as one of the most serious civilization diseases of the XNUMXst century. Not only adults, but also children and adolescents fight overweight.
According to research by the Food and Nutrition Institute, the percentage of overweight and obese children and adolescents in Poland in 1995 was almost 9 percent, and in 2000 it was already over 11 percent. In the following years, obese children were systematically growing. Currently, almost 16 percent of children and adolescents are overweight or obese in Poland. It doesn’t get any better with adults. As many as every second adult struggles with excess kilograms. A survey of the health of Poles conducted in 16 voivodships confirmed that – according to the BMI index, 62 percent. men and 50 percent. women between the ages of 20 and 74 are overweight or obese. This is a dangerous situation because obesity is a disease that increases the risk of developing cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases, as well as cancer. The results of examining the degree of obesity and overweight in children and adolescents are alarming.
The statistics are terrifying
Among children aged 3-6 years, 9 to 18 percent are overweight and obese. preschoolers. It is more common in older children and girls. Among three-year-olds, 9% are overweight or obese. boys and 12,6 percent. girls, among six-year-olds, these proportions are even more disturbing – overweight or obesity is 14,8 percent. boys and 18 percent. little girls.
It is even worse among primary school students (7-12 years old). Most often, overweight or obesity is observed in 10-year-old boys (22%) and 4-year-old girls (9%).
In the group of adolescents aged 13-15 years, overweight or obesity affects 14,2 – 19,3%. boys and 12,8-14,2 percent. little girls. Among older adolescents (16-18 years old), the percentage of overweight or obese people is lower and amounts to 13,6% to 18% for boys, and 9,1% to 10,6% for girls.
Polish observations are confirmed by the report of the World Health Organization (WHO), which shows that in the last 20 years the number of overweight children in our country has tripled. One in four children in Europe is obese. In Poland, overweight is currently as much as 29 percent. 11-year-olds and almost the same number of 14-year-olds. WHO included 207 studies. the youngest residents from 39 countries in Europe and North America. Compared to other countries, Poland fared very badly. In the overall ranking, Polish children were among the most obese in the world.
The percentage of 11-year-olds who are overweight is the highest in the world. Among 12-year-olds, you can easily find children who weigh 100 kilograms or more.
The causes of the phenomenon
The simplest definition of obesity is that it is a nutritional disorder resulting from the ingestion of more energy in food than it consumes.
Summarizing the results of the study, Polish scientists determined risk factors for overweight and obesity in Polish children. She is favored by: male gender, being an only child, higher income per family member (for boys, not for girls), living in cities (for boys, not for girls), region of residence (the largest number of obese children is in the Mazowieckie voivodship, and the least in the Świętokrzyskie voivodship). ).
It has also been proven that obesity among 3-6-year-olds depends on the duration of breastfeeding. The longer the child was breastfed, the less likely to gain weight was. 6% of children who were breastfed for 12,6 months or more are obese. In those who were breastfed for a shorter period of up to 5 months, obesity occurred in 14,6%.
Other causes of obesity include genes and eating habits in the family.
Why are children getting fat?
There are many reasons for this. Dietary recommendations for young children change as knowledge progresses. Even in the XNUMXs, children were often given concentrated milk from cow’s milk so that the children would eat faster. Today, this form of infant diet would be considered heresy. According to modern medical and dietary knowledge, it is assumed that the health condition of an adult human being is greatly influenced by the period of fetal life and infancy. Specialists call this time a critical period for human development. It is then that the metabolism, i.e. the rate of intracellular changes, is shaped. Thanks to proper nutrition by a woman expecting a child, it is possible to program the child’s metabolism so that it works pro-health for the rest of its life. The programming of the child’s metabolism in the future in utero determines the rate of nutrient transformation. What specialists call the nutritional programming of the body is of great importance not only in the fight against overweight or obesity, but also in the prevention of civilization diseases – including tooth decay, anemia, diabetes, food allergies, osteoporosis, posture defects, and even cancer.
Are genes to blame?
The genetic causes of obesity have been talked about since the discovery of genes (e.g. ob, db, agouti) that determine individual sensitivity to the consumed food. It is known that if both parents are obese, it can be assumed that two of their three children will also be obese. However, only 9 percent. children of parents with normal body weight will be obese. But researchers also point out that inheriting obesity-promoting genes does not necessarily equate to obesity. Genes predispose to obesity, but if you are aware of the presence of overweight or obesity in your family, it can be prevented through proper nutrition and daily exercise. But it is much easier to find excuses for being overweight in the family tendency.
Incorrect eating habits
These are among the environmental causes of overweight and obesity. The main sins include the established improper diet, overfeeding, irregular meals and snacking between meals. Many caregivers reward children with sweets for good behavior, academic performance, for eating a whole lunch, or even for visiting a dentist.
Another problem is the diet. The food culture learned at home is of great importance in the fight against overweight and obesity. Children who are used to eating casseroles, hemburgers, crisps, i.e. empty and fattening carbohydrates, will be reluctant to reach for vegetable or fruit salads. Dietitians also have reservations about the regularity of meals. Many children leave home without a full breakfast. Some children drink orange juice or eat cereal with milk. It is definitely not enough for the proper development of a young organism. Parents do not prepare sandwiches for their children for school because they excuse themselves by the lack of time. Some people say directly – it doesn’t matter what the baby eats, it’s important not to be hungry. Children get money to buy something in the school shop, which usually has buns, bars, crisps and sweetened carbonated drinks. Only a few offer children fresh fruit juices, salads or sandwiches made of whole grain bread. Currently, no one controls whether food sold (served) to children in schools contains harmful ingredients that make them overweight and obese. This is to be changed by the provisions on which the Sejm is working. The changes to be made in the Food and Nutrition Safety Act are intended to prohibit the sale and serving in kindergartens and schools of products containing: more than 1,25 g of salt or 0,5 sodium per 100 g (i.e. chips, salty sticks, popcorn and salty snacks); synthetic sweeteners contained in carbonated and energy drinks; trans fats; flavor enhancers.
Homemade dinners are also a thing of the past in many families. Instead of a soup or main course, children are served pizza, kebab or Chinese food. Nothing bad will happen when such a menu appears on the table from time to time, but it cannot be the basis for the nutrition of children and adolescents.
80 percent children between 1 and 3 years of age are poorly nourished. Most suffer from deficiencies in vitamins, especially B vitamins, and other nutrients. Polish children are eating more and more, but not what they should eat. Defective food often goes hand in hand with overfeeding.
Many communities believe that a healthy child is chubby and obesity grows out of it. Pediatricians explain that overfeeding starts when the baby is fed (breast or bottle), not only when he is hungry, but also when it is supposed to soothe his crying.
No movement
Another cause of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is the lack of exercise. A statistical child spends an average of 3 hours a day in front of a TV or computer. Most of them eat unhealthy snacks during this time, such as crisps, bars, chocolates.
The WHO report also shows that Polish 11-year-olds spend the most time in front of the computer compared to their peers from other countries. In the category of physical activity, our 13-year-olds were only 34th in the ranking (children from 39 countries were surveyed). And this should not come as a surprise to anyone, because the report of the Supreme Audit Office published two years ago clearly shows that physical education lessons in Polish schools leave a lot to be desired. 33 percent primary school students and 21 percent. She finds physical education classes of lower secondary school students not very interesting and does not want to participate in them. Over 30 percent high school students do not participate in PE lessons because they are on sick leave or because they do not have a sports outfit.
Not only PE teachers are to blame for this state of affairs, but also parents and doctors. Teachers, because they don’t think their classes will be interesting. You have the ball and play a game – these are frequently heard commands from a teacher. Parents, because they give in to the requests of a child who does not want to exercise and often tell them how to get rid of classes. – Say that your head hurts, that you are dizzy. But how could it be otherwise, since they themselves do not move, exercise, cycle or swim. Doctors also try to reduce attendance at physical education classes. Long-term sick leave from PE is issued for a variety of reasons, including allergies. And although most people are delighted with the slim figures of stars, they do not encourage their own children to be physically fit, and therefore also healthy.
Consequences of obesity
It is important to realize that being overweight is not only a matter of aesthetics, but also of health. It leads to the majority of civilization diseases. Obesity in children and adolescents predisposes them to serious diseases: diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, ending with a heart attack or stroke. They are threatened to live shorter lives than their peers without being overweight.
However, the health problems resulting from obesity do not end there. Excess kilograms lead to:
– overload of the osteoarticular system, i.e. skeletal deformation, changes in joints (mainly hip and knee joints), posture defects, osteoporosis,
– lipid metabolism disorders, i.e. an increase in the concentration of triglycerides, free fatty acids, hypercholesterolemia, which contribute to atherosclerosis,
– impaired glucose tolerance and thus the development of type 2 diabetes (formerly known as adult diabetes),
– hypertension,
— allergies,
– neoplastic diseases,
– disturbances in the emotional sphere.
It is worth adding that about 10% of people suffer from depression because of obesity. children and adolescents. This is due to low self-esteem, difficulties in establishing relationships with peers and a lack of self-esteem.
The impact of obesity in children on their worse health and a much greater susceptibility to diseases in adulthood was proved by the American scientist Dr. John Morrison, who in the 70s examined over 700 children and adolescents. In some of them he found the so-called metabolic syndrome, i.e. ailments related to incorrect metabolism – hypertension, obesity, atherosclerosis. The same people were tested again after 25 years. It turned out that those who were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome in childhood were 15 times more likely to suffer from heart disease and cardiovascular disease in their adult life.
Obesity therapy
Its basis, in the case of children and adolescents, is to change the nutritional model without the use of drugs. The treatment of obesity in children should be carried out by a team of specialists – a pediatrician, dietician, psychologist, rehabilitator and pediatric endocrinologist. The general principles of weight loss management depend on the age of the children. There are no caloric restrictions in children under 7 years of age. Modification of the diet consists in reducing the fat content in dishes and increasing the portions of vegetables, fruits and cereal products from the so-called whole grains (groats, wholemeal bread), i.e. products with high fiber content. Meals should be given regularly, so that the child cannot eat in between.
Children over 7 years of age and adolescents follow a low-calorie diet, but balanced in terms of the supply of individual nutrients. In older adolescents, it is allowed to use natural herbal preparations that do not lose weight, but improve metabolism.
Changing unfavorable eating habits and encouraging physical activity should lead to a gradual but systematic reduction in body weight. Unfortunately, in Polish conditions, the treatment of overweight and obese children and adolescents is very difficult. There is a lack of specialized facilities, which means that only 27 percent. schoolchildren is under the constant care of specialists.