Nowadays, it is important to be aware when a child has a high weight, to assume it and to take the necessary measures to solve it. However, this is a long process, since the vision changes when it is one’s own child and explanations are sought, such as “his father was also like that”, “he still has a baby’s body”, “when he grows up he will lose weight”, among others.
It is important to bear in mind that overweight and obesity affect one out of every three children in Spain and, if no action is taken to solve it, their quality of life and even their life expectancy will be compromised. That is why there are some signs that indicate that a child is becoming overweight that are important to detect.
Symptoms of childhood obesity
There are two situations in which it is necessary to be alert:
- Around the age of seven, when the child’s physiognomy stabilizes, there is an increase in corpulence that is called “fat regrowth”. This rapid weight gain is a warning sign that should not go unnoticed, as it is a predictor of obesity in adulthood. If a child reaches the age of eight and has a floor of around 40 kg, it is time to act. It is true that better action could have been taken earlier, but there is still time to redirect certain habits and tendencies.
- At puberty, between 11 and 14, when secondary sexual characteristics begin to appear, such as mammary and genital development, appearance of body hair, changes in voice, etc. This stage is worrying because if a boy or girl experiences these changes with a high weight, he or she has up to an 80% chance of becoming obese in adulthood. Although it is more difficult to help an adolescent and that it largely depends on their own attitude, it is also true that, when an improvement is achieved, this helps to improve their self-esteem and boost the personality maturation process.
Treatment of childhood obesity
Once the problem has been detected, the first thing to do is to take measures such as physical activity, planning meals and modifying their portions, avoiding snacks and snacking, etc. In some cases, despite the improvements, results may not be seen, so it is recommended to turn to a specialist in nutrition to provide guidance and support that can make a difference.
In short, it is important to detect the problem in order to start making changes as soon as possible. Although there are genetic factors for which there is a tendency to high weight, the factors that really determine the development of obesity are lifestyle habits (lifestyle, diet and physical activity).