If you think about it, everything that is connected with feeding children is one big paradox. At first adults jump around the baby: "Well, eat! Why do you eat badly? "And when you melt, everything suddenly changes:" Eat less! Follow the diet! "How can we feed the child so that he will grow up healthy and not suffer from excess weight? And if the problem still appeared - how to deal with obesity in children? Give answers to the main questions asked by the parents of the children's endocrinologist.
1. At what age can children start gaining excess weight?
In fact, the problem of obesity, as they say, has no age - we are born with it and, in fact, it accompanies us all our life. Particular attention must be paid to parents who are overweight is a family problem. If you are in a family with weight, everything is normal, you should pay attention to the classical transition periods of development.
♦ From 1 to 3 years - the period of the formation of the function of the digestive system. At this age, you should be alerted to such a symptom as a quick weight gain. This, by the way, can happen because of too early feeding. Do not rush with this and do not try to "fit into the rules." If you successfully undergo breastfeeding, do not enter into the diet of the baby other foods. From the outset, be guided by his desire: the baby will not eat anything less than what his body needs.
♦ The child dramatically changes the situation (goes to a kindergarten, to school, starts to sit with a nanny, etc.). In this case, he may start eating disorders associated with stress. Do not get carried away by "sweet incentives", do not try to buy off food from the child, it is better to provide him with increased attention during this period.
♦ 12-15 years - transitional age, sexual maturation of the body. The child's organism grows, hormonal changes take place in it, so it is necessary to create a good conditions for a teenager to fully develop.
These are only the main, most critical periods in children. Meanwhile, the child can begin to gain weight at any age. And in this case, the first step should be to go to the doctor. The doctor will determine how much your child has blocked the norm, and will help you understand the cause.
2. How to distinguish the touching plumpness of a child from a serious disease?
Usually, in the first months of a child's life, mothers are taken care of, so that he will add weight. A good, exemplary kid, who admires all grandmothers and aunts, should look like a plump cupid with characteristic bandages on the folds of hands and feet. But the baby is growing up, begins to walk, and here the "puffy" complexion shows its reverse side. They did not follow - and the touching butuz turned into a real dolly, lagging behind his peers in terms of agility and even cleverness. If you notice that the child does not look like most kids of his age (too thin or too fat), go to the doctor. Best of all - to the children's endocrinologist. After all, you need to start fighting with excess weight as early as possible.
3. How much should boys and girls weigh in total in different periods? Where is the norm?
The norms of weight for each age can be established very conditionally, since all children have different growth, and therefore, should weigh differently. More or less averaged weight norms can be cited only for children under 7 years old - the so-called growth jumps begin next, and the figures for both height and weight of single-child children may differ by several kilograms. The presence of problems with excess weight is easy to determine with the naked eye: the child is simply visually thicker than his peers.
4. What is the danger of excess weight? What kind of diseases can he have?
Excess weight alone is already a disease. In addition, it can be a symptom (or even cause) of a mass of other diseases, aggravate the course of already existing diseases or create a favorable ground for their appearance. The spectrum of these diseases is unlimited:
♦ Diseases of the musculoskeletal system (the child has an increased load on the joints);
♦ Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (eating too much, creating unnecessary strain on the digestive tract);
♦ Disease of the bronchi and lungs (difficulty breathing);
♦ cardiovascular diseases (the mass "presses" on the heart-it is necessary to pump more blood);
♦ metabolic disorders.
5. How to feed the baby correctly? What causes excess weight?
Of course, the quality of food is an important factor. And today parents of growing up children should be especially attentive. Infinite chips, cola, popcorn, crackers, chocolate bars and other delicacies, which modern children are ready to absorb in uncontrolled quantities, are contributing to the process of obesity. There is another problem - a sedentary lifestyle. Our children left the yards, threw balls and jumpers, and instead were ready to sit by the day at the computer, watching how dexterous characters of games run, jump and overcome obstacles. In this mode, before obesity - one step. Judge for yourself: our body is arranged quite simply - the body should receive as much energy fuel (calories) as it needs to do some work. If the balance is violated, this can be a reason for weight loss. Therefore, proper nutrition is not yet a guarantee of normal metabolism.
6. What should I do if a child loves sweets and this makes him overweight?
Sweets by themselves are not a harmful product. Moreover, the sweet is necessary for the child to improve brain activity. But there is a sweet need with the mind. First of all, you should determine the amount: if the family has diabetes, you should reduce the use of sweets to a minimum. If the child is mobile and has a heavy load, then you can eat more sweet, preferably in the morning, when he is at the peak of activity.
7. In what cases is it worth contacting a doctor and a doctor?
Your district pediatrician can determine the necessity of contacting a specialist in obesity. Make it a rule to apply to him at least once every six months, and then you will not miss any deviations or undesirable changes in your child's health. Ideally, several specialists should help to combat obesity in children: a pediatrician, an endocrinologist and, of course, a psychologist.
8. How can I lose weight?
Unfortunately, excess weight in children ... is not treated. That is, it can not be cured medically (there are simply no special children's medicines, and adults are not allowed to use it). Therefore, for the sake of your child's health, the doctor will demand from you the most serious achievements. After all, you can overcome obesity, only by completely changing the way of life of the whole family. From now on, you will have to abide by the new rules:
♦ Do not buy sweets (they should not be in the house at all);
♦ forget about seasonings (ketchup, mayonnaise and other sauces also apply to them), as they stimulate appetite;
♦ Feed the child often and gradually;
♦ Do not go to fast food restaurants (and do not buy food in them);
♦ Walk with the child in the sports section.
9. What if a chubby child is teased at school?
In this situation, it is better to immediately turn to a psychologist. He will help the child avoid the formation of deep complexes. For your part, you must show tact: do not focus on this issue. Do not tear at the child a piece of mouth, do not be ashamed ("Again, pounced on the night!"). Set up your child for a long process of losing weight and make it as unobtrusive as possible. Since the fight against excess weight in children is a process that requires the child to have large internal costs and willpower.
10. Why do some children get fat, although they eat a little, and move enough?
The causes of such metabolic disorders have not yet been studied. The failure occurs at the level of biochemical processes in the body. That's why one person can afford to eat what and how much he wants all his life, and the other already in his youth has to think about the ratio of eaten and spent calories. Such people, on the one hand, can not live in the mode of overeating, and on the other - experience a feeling of hunger, because the immediate reaction of the body to this will be the storage of fat. One way out: eat a little and often, so that the body does not decide that it's time to stock up for the future.
OPINION EXPERT:
Olga Viktorovna Utekhina, children's doctor-endocrinologist
Alas, today excess weight is one of the pressing problems of society. It is like a defensive reaction of society to the political and economic situation in the country. And children are the most vulnerable and vulnerable part of it. Their body at a subconscious level reacts to problems, including weight loss. Knowing this, parents should be especially attentive to children: to communicate with them more often (perhaps, to the detriment of their own career - it's worth it), discuss with them all what they saw and heard (both in the yard or school, and on TV) and try maintain a trusting relationship. In addition, from childhood it is necessary to instil in the child a healthy attitude towards food. Explain to him what is harmful, which is useful. Do not give sweet gifts. And, of course, do not "caulk" his mouth with sweets and rolls to neutralize at least for a while.