Our children’s obesity is more influenced than genes by inherited eating habits. Doctors sound the alarm – every fifth boy and every tenth girl in Poland are obese. Boys are most at risk of being overweight – the only children from a wealthy family living in a large city.
Obesity in children increases the risk of a heart attack, stroke or diabetes many times in adulthood. It is – according to WHO — the fifth leading cause of death among adults in the world. American research shows that due to being overweight, the generation of today’s children will live shorter than their parents. Many parents do not realize that each consecutive packet of cookies, a sweet drink or a bar increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke in their children later in life. – Obese children brought by their parents use the services of dietitians more and more often – says Zofia Urbańczyk from Naturhouse. – When a dietitian asks parents why they are overweight, most say it’s a genetic tendency. Meanwhile, further interview shows that the child’s obesity is caused by bad eating habits – he adds.
Obesity among children
Research conducted by the Children’s Memorial Health Institute shows that in preschool age girls are more obese, and boys are more often at school age. Every eighth three-year-old and every eleventh three-year-old are overweight. However, children attending kindergarten are more often thinner than those under the care of their grandmothers and mothers. When fed by their relatives, they get 16 times more sugar and 14 times more protein than they need. With age, the number of obese children increases. Among six-year-olds, every fifth girl and every seventh boy are too fat. At school age, boys chase girls away, and girls are more likely to be obese. Teenagers begin to take care of their appearance and all – like top models – want to be slim. Among young people aged 13-15, every fifth student and every seventh student exceed the acceptable weight limits. Unfortunately, overweight children are arriving in our country so quickly that we can speak of an epidemic. We are catching up with record holders – USA and Germany.
Dietitian – consultations
Unhealthy lifestyle
The research of the Children’s Memorial Health Institute shows that boys from primary schools in large cities suffer from obesity most often. The problem also applies to children who have access to shops at school where, instead of fruit and vegetables, sweets, sweet carbonated drinks or crisps are sold.
Most obese teenagers live in Mazowieckie voivodship, the least in Świętokrzyskie. Obesity is much less common in large families. It also affects children from families with higher income more often. Most often it affects only children who have a computer with Internet and a TV set in their own room. These boys are less physically active. They don’t do any sports in the afternoons. On average, young people spend 2-3 hours in front of the computer and TV every day, and 5-6 hours on Sundays and holidays.
Children’s physical activity
In order for the child not to become obese, he must be physically active for 90 minutes a day. It is not a lot if you go to school on foot, in the afternoon you cycle, roller-skate, skate or play football. The problem is when he drives to and from school by car, after school he sits in front of the computer, and uses a scooter instead of a bicycle. Too little, only 67% of young people practice sports in accordance with the recommendations of cardiologists, i.e. 4-5 times a week for at least 45 minutes continuously. One-third of the girls and one-fifth of the boys do not participate in PE lessons. Meanwhile, children with a less active lifestyle are 5-6 times more likely to develop heart disease, even before the age of 20. Parents should make sure that watching TV or sitting in front of the computer takes their child a maximum of two hours a day, and physical activity one hour.
Dietitian – consultations
Inheritance of obesity
Doctors from the Children’s Memorial Health Institute emphasize that obesity is hereditary primarily because parents pass on bad eating habits to their offspring. Unnecessary caloric baggage is the result of snacking, i.e. providing calories in addition to meals necessary for normal development. Snacks – such as crisps, crisps, sticks as well as sweets and sweet carbonated drinks consumed while watching TV or spending time at the computer – is our children’s biggest enemy. If we add fast food to it – obesity is almost guaranteed. According to specialists, in order to successfully fight this epidemic, parents must change their lifestyle and devote more time to their children. Eating habits develop in childhood and therefore the whole family must eat healthy food. All family members should also do some sport for 45 minutes at least three times a week.