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The problem of overweight in children today is a pressing issue – one in five children is overweight and one in 15 is obese.

Nikolife team pediatrician, doctor of integrative medicine, nutritionist, homeopath

This doesn’t surprise us, let’s remember what our tomboys love – sugary carbonated drinks, French fries, sweets. Plenty of simple carbohydrates and sugars, added to that are decreased motor activity and increased screen time. Voila! We see an increase in body mass index, fat deposits in the waist area, increased glucose and insulin in blood tests.

British researchers found that teenagers whose parents followed an authoritarian or neglectful parenting style were more likely to weigh more than 1.5 kg more than those children who were raised in a warm and understanding atmosphere.

Strictness can manifest itself in full or partial control over children’s eating: denying them the right to choose their food, instructing them to eat whatever is offered, even if they do not feel hungry or already feel satiated. Such control can lead to the fact that every time an opportunity arises, the child will abuse the food that is considered forbidden in the house.

In the case of neglected children, they try to drown out emotional hunger with tasty food, but over time they learn to recognize hunger and satiety signals, leading to overeating and then overweight.

What should we do with our babies?

First of all, we always think about the prevention of these conditions.

Three steps to not be afraid of overweight or to reduce it, if this problem is already present:

Let’s look into the plate of a child or teenager, add fiber there in the form of vegetables or greens (baked, fresh, sour), healthy fats – fish or unrefined oils, nuts, seeds. Quality sources of protein – eggs, poultry, offal. Complex carbohydrates in the form of whole grains. And season it all with our love and care.
Pay special attention to the culture of behavior at the table and attitude to food. We don’t comment on how a child eats. We do not encourage or manipulate eating at any age. Introduce the tradition of eating together without gadgets, slowly and enjoyably. Enjoy the company of family and delicious food.
Go for a walk together, get active – it’s great if it’s a nature walk. If your child is a school child, suggest walking home and skipping the bus. Introduce a culture of movement and sports into your family. Remember how it used to be, “Mom, Dad, and I are a sports family!”

Take care of your children’s health and nurture it, starting with yourself. If you see that your child already has problems with the attitude to food, with the perception of his body, there are calls about overweight – talk to him in full trust and acceptance, do not blame. Let the child be open with you, and then it will be easy to find that path to health.

If you are having difficulties – you can see a specialist, don’t wait for things to sort themselves out and for the child to outgrow them so that these problems don’t get worse.

Are you ready to gather your family for a walk in the woods and have a beautiful, appetizing and healthy picnic?