What to do if your child is overweight. My child is overweight: what should I do? Why is childhood obesity dangerous?

Everyone likes pink-cheeked boys who smile and look at their parents with joyful eyes. These plump arms and legs with folds are delightful, and after three or more years they are alarming. And the older your rotund little one gets, the more difficult it will be for him to communicate on equal terms with his peers. What to do if your child is fat?

Obesity and excess weight: what is the difference?

Concepts such as “obesity” and “overweight” are often confused. In most cases they are considered to be identical. However, this is not quite true. The fact is that not always when a child is fat, he suffers from obesity. Almost each of us has one that matches our age and height.

If for some reason this norm is violated (in the direction of increasing it), then this will indicate that you are overweight (i.e., above the norm). Excess weight can either easily appear or disappear under the influence of a set of measures, such as diet and increased physical activity.

Obesity, on the contrary, is a very complex and dangerous disease, the main symptoms of which are considered to be rapidly increasing body weight. We can talk about obesity when the amount of useful energy consumed from food is tens of times higher. As a result, children develop characteristic fat deposits on their bodies, which only increase over time.

At the same time, it is not so easy for such a child to lose excess weight. Most often, obesity is caused by a variety of inherited diseases, metabolic disorders and other ailments. This photo of a fat child clearly demonstrates the problem that children face with obesity.

What are the causes of excess weight in children?

As the famous pediatrician Komarovsky says: “Children should be thin and have an awl in their butt.” Therefore, problems with extra pounds that your baby has developed should cause concern, especially among adults. But in order to deal with this problem, you need to look at the root and identify the causes of excess weight in children. For example, one of the most common causes is heredity. This also includes chronic diseases, heart disease and other ailments that lead to weight problems.

The second reason when parents have fat children is metabolic disorders, slow metabolism, etc. And if in the first and second cases nothing really depends on the child and his parents, then the third reason is directly related to upbringing and proper nutrition. For example, if it is customary in a family to eat exclusively semi-finished products and fatty foods, then a baby growing up in such an environment is unlikely to be slim and thin.

In addition, fat children often grow up in families where parents are too busy to give them the attention they deserve. In other words, an extremely busy mom or dad simply has no time or is too lazy to heat up soup or porridge for their child. Instead, they buy them chips, cookies, French fries and other tasty, but high-calorie foods.

What other situations can lead to childhood obesity?

One of the leading Lately reasons is children's fascination computer games. Getting excited, schoolchildren and children younger age they simply do not leave the next gaming application. They literally eat without getting up. But since they don’t want to waste time heating and putting food on a plate, their favorite foods often become chocolate bars, seeds, flour products, crackers, etc. And this is all again very high in calories.

In addition, the fattest children grow up with parents whose families have certain social problems. This also includes the child’s difficulties in a team. Thus, it is a common situation when, in the process of communicating with peers, a child may experience fear, discomfort and other sensations. If the child fails to discuss his psychological state with his father or mother (or he does not find mutual understanding with them either), the baby begins to “eat up” them at the time of a difficult psychological situation.

The establishment of certain rules at the table also has a negative impact on the baby, for example, when the child is regularly reminded that he must eat his portion to the last crumb. As a result, the child is fat because he gets used to it and always tries to follow these rules.

In addition, grandmothers often add fuel to the fire, as they continually try to feed their grandchildren cookies, freshly baked pancakes, donuts and other goodies from the oven.

What are the causes of excess weight in infants?

Sometimes weight problems are observed not only in children after one year, but also at a younger age. Why is this happening? For example, if you have a fat child breastfeeding, then this may indicate an incorrect ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the diet of a nursing mother. Genes can also be the cause of childhood obesity. That is, obese parents most often give birth to children with similar problems.

If an infant is pregnant, then one of the reasons for his excessive weight gain is improper preparation of the formula. Often mothers dilute formula not strictly according to instructions, but “by eye,” which leads to overeating. The same thing happens when feeding a baby from a bottle that has a hole that is too large. As a result, the baby eats food much faster than his brain receives a signal of satiety. As a result, the child does not get enough to eat, and the mother gives him another bottle and overfeeds him. This photo of a fat child speaks to a similar problem of infant obesity.

What is childhood paratrophy?

Paratrophy is a term applied to children under 3 years of age who are obese. There are three known stages of this disease:

• when is the baby's weight more than normal by 10-20%;
• when excess weight exceeds the norm by 25-35%;
• when excess weight is 40-50% higher than normal.

If your child is fat and has paratrophy, then he either eats too much or his daily diet is not balanced. These children are characterized by common symptoms:

• having a very short neck;
• small chest size;
• the presence of rounded body parts;
• the presence of characteristic fat deposits in the waist, abdomen and thighs.

Why is paratrophy dangerous?

Paratrophy is often complicated by allergic reactions; disorders arise with problems with digestion and metabolism, as well as with the respiratory system. In addition, many experts are simply sure that well-fed children are much more difficult to tolerate ARVI than children with graceful figure. As soon as they catch a cold, they begin to develop a lingering runny nose, accompanied by severe swelling of the mucous membrane and other troubles. Thick while walking and running. He often experiences shortness of breath and profuse sweating.

What are the risks for children from obesity?

Childhood obesity can lead to associated diseases. For example, obese children can develop diabetes, hypertension, liver cirrhosis, coronary disease hearts. They may also experience:

• cardiovascular diseases;
• high blood pressure;
• atherosclerosis;
• chronic cholecystitis;
• frequent constipation;
• fatty hepatosis.

In addition, a fat child moves less due to his large body weight. He develops inferiority complexes and difficulties communicating with peers. Heavy weight interferes with the normal development of bones, which leads to deformation of the bone skeleton and knee joints.

How to determine whether a child is obese or not?

If you have a baby under one year old, and you suspect that he has problems with obesity, you must first check whether his weight is normal. This can be done according to the table established by the Ministry of Health (see it below). Here is the age and norm in grams. Therefore, for convenience, doctors advise creating a similar plate for yourself and entering your child’s weight into it from the moment of birth. Thus, it is possible to determine how much the body weight of a baby or teenager corresponds to the established standard.

You can also determine weight problems visually (to do this, you should compare the external parameters of your child’s body with his peers). In addition, a fat child (we will tell you how to lose weight for him later) will gain weight very quickly. This will be visible, first of all, by clothing.

Your therapist can tell you how much weight is appropriate for your baby’s age. It would not be a bad idea to contact an endocrinologist.

Fat child: what to do?

If you discover weight deviations from the norm in your child, do not rush to panic. First you need to consult with specialists. Remember that excessive obesity is more a consequence than a cause. Therefore, it is necessary to initially identify the cause of the child’s obesity. To do this, you should make an appointment with an endocrinologist and undergo the appropriate tests.

If you have a fat child at 2 years old due to poor nutrition, it would be a good idea to make an appointment with a nutritionist. He will help you plan your diet correctly and tell you which foods you can eat and which you can’t. Yes useful tips and recommendations.

If a similar problem occurs in an artificial baby, consult with pediatrician about the correct introduction of complementary foods and dosage. Try to add greens to the diet of older children, reduce the amount of easily digestible and harmful carbohydrates, and replace sweet carbonated drinks with natural fruit and vegetable juices.

Steam more and bake foods in the oven with a minimum amount of fat. Prepare jelly and fruit drinks without large quantity Sahara. Replace white bread with bran bread, Borodino bread, coarsely ground. Enter in children's diet fruit dishes. Eliminate snacks like cookies and candy. Let your baby eat an apple, carrots, dried fruits, dates, raisins or nuts.

Sport is strength and the path to an ideal figure

Active children are rarely overweight, so children prone to obesity should be enrolled in some kind of sport. Play with them in the yard and outside more often. active games, for example, football, badminton. An ordinary jump rope copes well with excess fat deposits. Young children should exercise regularly using a large exercise ball. Children's yoga and gymnastics will also be useful in this sense.

What not to do if you are obese?

Self-medication is not recommended for childhood obesity. There is no need to put children on an adult diet or force them to work hard on their abs. Everything should be in moderation and agreed with specialists. For example, if you decide that your child needs intensive physical exercise, first consult your doctor. Otherwise, ignoring expert advice can lead to unpredictable consequences.

Everything cannot be left to chance, since the lack of treatment leads to disastrous results for the child.

In a word, watch your children’s weight, go for more walks fresh air, play sports and contact specialists in a timely manner!

Very often the reason for worries For nursing mothers, the question arises: “Why does the baby quickly gain weight if I only breastfeed him?” The weight of a child in the first year of life is a very important indicator by which his normal development and state of health are judged. This measure often becomes the reason that after the next visit to the pediatrician with the baby and weighing him, the doctor notices that big increase in weight and advises the nursing mother to cancel night feedings. Of course, the young mother is in a misunderstanding in this case. After all, the child is already accustomed to falling asleep at the breast at night; will the abolition of night feeding lead to disruption of the routine and constant crying of the child?

In fact, even if your Baby in the first month of life he gained about 2 kg, which is normal. There is no need to worry if your baby has gained from 460 grams to 2 kg in the first month. In 2006, WHO established new standards for infant weight gain, which take into account the child’s ethnicity and type of feeding. Weight gain tables for children who are entirely breastfed and those whose mother supplements with formula are different.

That's all for today proof that formula-fed babies gain weight faster than breastfed babies. Before you think about whether you need to cancel night feedings for a breastfed baby, you need to understand that each child is unique and the data in the weight gain chart is averaged. Therefore, you need to start worrying only when extreme cases. Weight gain in breastfed children depends on the child’s temperament, heredity, the degree of communication with the mother, the amount and method of breastfeeding, his physical activity and general health.

Aged 2 months old baby The adaptation period has already ended, so when weighing the baby, the pediatrician more carefully checks his weight with the data in the table. The rate of weight gain in infants of this age is also individual. By the second and third months, he must add at least 700 grams monthly. and no more than 900 gr. If your baby has again gained more than 1 kg by the second month of life, then check the correspondence of his weight and height according to the table.

Before you get scared and accept emergency measures, take into account the height of the parents and the hereditary disposition of the child. If the child's height also increased by more than 2.5 cm per month, then this indicates that the weight gain is due to his rapid growth. A breastfed baby cannot overeat; you should only worry about large weight gain in children under one year of age if you decide to introduce complementary foods to your baby.

In rare cases, infants gain excess weight due to congenital diseases and metabolic disorders. U healthy child When breastfeeding, excess weight is quickly lost as breastfeeding begins. A nursing mother should only be wary if a baby older than six months is actively gaining weight. Breastfed babies tend to be thinner later in life than formula-fed babies.

If your to kid turned 6 months old, and he is still systematically gaining weight, then he definitely needs to be examined to rule out possible deviations in health. The pediatrician should monitor the rate of weight gain, then order a blood test for sugar, hormones and biochemical analysis. Check the fat content of breast milk yourself in this way: express half a glass of milk into a transparent glass and leave to settle.

If on the surface milk After some time, a thin film forms, then the fat content of the milk is normal. A dense oil circle on the surface of milk is an indicator of its increased fat content. In this case, you need to feed the baby only with foremilk by applying it to both breasts in turn. Foremilk is less fatty, and hind milk is more nutritious. If a child is hungry and crying, then he should not be denied the breast. At the same time, you should not use your breast as a pacifier. If 2 hours have not passed after feeding the baby, then perhaps he is crying not demanding the breast, but because he is uncomfortable lying down.

Encourage any physical activity baby, place him on his stomach more often, help him roll over, roll him on an exercise ball and bathe him daily. Water procedures strengthen the baby’s body and help burn a lot of calories.

The extra ones disappear especially quickly kilograms for babies along with the beginning of their crawling. This type of vigorous activity quickly brings the “curvy shape” of a small butt back to normal. But it is at this age that the rules for introducing complementary foods must be carefully followed. It is not recommended to introduce any type of complementary feeding to infants before the age of six months; this can contribute to childhood obesity in the future.

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During the first three months of life, a normal baby gains almost 3 kg: 1 kg - 1.2 kg in the first month and 800 g - 1 kg in the next 2 months. Then the rate of weight gain gradually decreases.
The opinion of modern pediatricians on this issue is clear: overfeed the child breast milk it is impossible, because the mother-child system is perfectly balanced by nature itself. The composition of a mother’s milk is optimal specifically for her baby, and the child’s body gets rid of excess by regurgitation. Therefore, no special measures are needed to restrict the diet of a baby who is only breastfed. A mother should never go on a diet or otherwise deplete her diet in order to slow down her baby's weight gain.
Thus, the answer to the question: “No, continue to feed the baby as you fed before, no restrictions are needed.”
Another thing is for children who are on mixed and artificial feeding.
In most cases, a self-regulation mechanism works for them: they eat the norm, and if you offer more, they regurgitate the excess.” But that doesn't happen either. Excessive weight gain may be due to the following reasons:
- overfeeding (more formula is offered than recommended by the manufacturer, that is, the frequency of feedings increases)
- incorrect preparation of the mixture (more spoons of the mixture are placed for a given volume)
- endocrine diseases The child has
Another point that causes excess weight is the incorrect introduction of complementary foods. An excess of cereals in a child’s diet (semolina, mashed potatoes, cookies and baby juices containing sugar are especially harmful) can lead to obesity, so it is extremely important to follow all the rules for introducing complementary foods:
- in children with normal and overweight, complementary feeding begins with vegetables (and these are not potatoes)
- semolina porridge is not offered to children of the first year of life at all
- crackers and dry breads are given to the baby solely for the purpose of training the chewing apparatus in an amount of no more than 1 - 2 pieces per day
- juices, both factory-made and home production not given to children of the first year of life
In addition to following the diet, it is extremely important to provide the baby with adequate physical activity. From birth, do gymnastics as often as possible; before each feeding, undress the baby and lay him on his stomach. Do not neglect the pediatrician’s recommendations for restorative massage: it is recommended for all children at 3, 6 and 9 months, lasting from 10 to 15 sessions.
If the child crawls, provide him with free space on the floor where he could constantly realize his increasing activity. For children in the second half of their life and older who do not want to sleep on the street, provide them with an active walk, and it doesn’t matter if the baby can’t walk yet: take him out of the stroller as often as possible and introduce him to the playground equipment (slides, swings, carousels, etc.). etc.), just pay close attention to safety and do not scare the baby. At home, after such a walk, he will be provided with sound sleep, and mother will have time to rest.
From six months of age, if there are no contraindications, you can attend baby swimming classes - this type of activity helps harmonious development baby and prevents excess weight gain.
If infant If, despite all your efforts, you get better too quickly, you should consult a doctor. This is especially important for families in which there are cases diabetes mellitus, obesity and genetic disorders.

Parents usually cannot get enough of it if a chubby-cheeked baby has a good appetite and quickly gains weight. IN primary school the completeness is not noticeable, so here too the problem goes unnoticed. Over time, it begins to worsen, but even then many adults convince themselves and those around them that the child will outgrow, stretch out, and mature.

As a result, in 50% of cases it ends in obesity with all the accompanying complications and a lot of internal complexes that teenagers suffer from. Therefore, it is so important to notice excess weight in a timely manner and, no matter what age, even a slight deviation from the norm is observed, to take appropriate measures.

The essence of the problem

Recently, the scientific community has been seriously concerned about the problem of childhood obesity that has swept the world. Against this background, much less attention is paid to excess body weight. Firstly, this is still not a disease, so complications are not so scary. Secondly, chubby babies cause affection. Thirdly, for some reason it is believed that obesity disappears by itself with age.

In fact, excess weight in a child is a problem no less pressing than obesity. To understand this, just look at the statistics in a comparative context:

• In Russia, among teenage girls, obesity was diagnosed in 1.6%, overweight - in 7.7%. Among teenage boys, 2.5% and 11.2%, respectively.
• In Europe, about 10% of children suffer from obesity, and at least 20% suffer from excess weight.
• In the USA these figures are 15% and 30%, respectively.

These data allow us to conclude that the problem of overweight children is even more acute than obesity. And it needs to be solved as quickly as possible so as not to lead to a disease that is difficult to treat and entails dangerous consequences for health (you can read about this in more detail).

Where to begin

Step 1 - determine your child's excess weight

This is to ensure two things. The first is that the problem is not far-fetched, and fatness is not caused by the width of the bones and the type of figure, but by excess weight. Second, it’s too early to talk about obesity.

There are two ways to do this. If you are under 6 years old, use special tables of height and weight ratios for the appropriate age.

For girls:

For boys:

After 5 years, you can use Quetelet’s formula for: weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. If the result is between 25 and 30, the child is overweight, if above 30, the child is already obese.

Step 2 - track the dynamics

The sooner you start doing this, the more accurate the results will be. After you have discovered the problem, track the dynamics of your body weight and height. If BMI does not change for 2-3 months, most likely the cause of excess weight is individual characteristics body. Try reducing your daily caloric intake by 100-200 kcal. If the situation remains the same, contact an endocrinologist or nutritionist.

If the BMI continues to increase, this means that the child is gaining excess weight and there is a risk of soon falling into the category I degree of obesity. In this case, you need to immediately take measures: adjust your diet, start playing sports, register with an endocrinologist.

If BMI decreases, perhaps a temporary increase in body weight was due to some single factor: stress, puberty, illness. After they pass and the weight returns to normal.

By tracking the dynamics, you can understand whether the excess weight will go away as the child grows up without additional measures. If BMI increases - no, if it stays the same - both options are possible, if it decreases - yes (in 95% of cases).

Step 3 - see a specialist

Despite the fact that excess weight is not a disease like obesity, it is still a pathology that must be eliminated in order to avoid dangerous consequences. Therefore, you need to know which doctor to contact with this problem. The best option- see an endocrinologist. If this is not possible, go to a therapist (pediatrician), who will already redirect you where you should go. Most likely, you will need consultations with more specialized specialists: a gastroenterologist, geneticist, gynecologist, nutritionist.

Causes

The doctor will first try to determine what is the cause of excess weight. We’ll have to honestly tell him about all the nuances of nutrition, motor activity and family lifestyle, otherwise the recommended measures may be ineffective.

All causes of excess weight in children can be divided into several groups. Study them carefully and choose those that are relevant to your child.

Physiological:

• puberty: raging hormones control the behavior and appetite of a teenager;
• maternal smoking during pregnancy, diagnosis of diabetes mellitus;
• birth of a baby weighing more than 3.5 kg;
• premature birth;
• disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system;
• artificial feeding;
• early puberty;
• heredity;
• slow metabolism (we talk about its role in weight loss);
• brain pathologies: traumatic brain injuries, hemoblastosis, tumors;
• diabetes;
• congenital diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas;
• various genetic syndromes (Down, Itsenko-Cushing, fragile X chromosome and others).

Psychological:

• stress;
• low self-esteem, internal complexes;
• bullying;
• gadget addiction;
• parental settings;
• dysfunctional atmosphere in the family;
• addiction to sweets and fast food;
• feelings of guilt (this is typical for those whose parents are divorcing);
• spoiled: parents cannot deny their child anything, so he eats what he wants, when he wants;
• incorrect life priorities, when food occupies one of the main places and is the main source of pleasure - this usually happens when there are no hobbies, hobbies, or interests;
• imitation by parents: even if you introduce your child to healthy image in life, without adhering to it yourself, all efforts will go down the drain.

Lifestyle:

• physical inactivity: lessons - TV - computer, lack of walks and sports in this chain leads to excess weight gain;
• unhealthy diet: lack of a schedule, passion for unhealthy foods, overeating;
• bad habits: teenage girls who drink alcohol and smoke are 2 times more likely to suffer from excess body weight than those who lead a healthy lifestyle;
• lack of sleep.

Social:

• communication with friends suffering from excess weight and obesity;
• the desire not to stand out from the crowd: no one eats in the school cafeteria - and I won’t, everyone went to the stand for hot dogs - and I’ll eat too;
• imposition of social stereotypes (model appearance): girls, in pursuit of slimness, sit on clothes, thereby earning a bunch of diseases leading to metabolic disorders, eating disorders and weight gain.

If you suspect that excess weight is due to physiological reasons, it is better to consult a doctor immediately. If the problem is psychological and social problems, parents cannot always cope with them on their own - they will help family consultations from a psychologist. But introducing a healthy lifestyle will have to be taken entirely upon yourself.

Age characteristics

Parents whose child is overweight need to know the features of this pathology for each age period.

At the breast

You can track excess weight in a child under one year old using the table:

The main causes of excess weight in infants are prenatal factors (smoking and maternal illnesses during pregnancy, congenital pathologies, prematurity), as well as artificial nutrition. If this problem occurs, you should consult your pediatrician and undergo necessary examinations and adjust nutrition with mixtures.

1-3 years

The main reason for excess body weight at this age is an incorrect transition from breast (artificial) feeding to a regular diet. There are two possible scenarios here: either the child was introduced to the adult menu too quickly, or he was kept on pureed dishes for a long time. Both lead to disruption of the gastrointestinal tract and metabolism, which contributes to weight gain.

At about 2 years old, children discover sweets and can no longer refuse Kinder surprises, chocolate bars, beautiful packaging, glazed baked goods. This increases appetite and promotes fat storage. The later you become acquainted with these hazards, the less likely you will be to be in the risk group.

4-6 years

At this age, the percentage of children with excess body weight drops sharply compared to the previous period. This is due to visiting a kindergarten, which has a well-established diet. Experts monitor its balance and the absence of harmful products. Therefore, the only ones who are to blame for a preschooler’s excess weight are the parents who do not provide him with a full dinner and continue to allow sweets and snacks.

During this period, psychological prerequisites may also arise: a preschooler may experience stress due to the divorce of his parents or the birth of another baby in the family (he experiences feelings of jealousy and uselessness).

7-10 years

7 years is a critical age when a child starts school. He may experience stress due to being in an unusual environment, rejection in class, or conflict with the teacher. This is the main reason for recruitment overweight in primary school. As a rule, by the age of 10, tension subsides and body weight returns to normal.

This period is very important. If parents send their child to sports section, talk to the physical education teacher, then the problem will be solved within 6-7 months. If this moment is missed, it can develop into obesity.

At the age of 9 you can already talk about forecasts for the future. If the problem goes away, it may return in the future only during puberty. If it remains, it is necessary to urgently correct the situation, and not hope that everything will return to normal with age.

11-16 years old

There are many provoking factors here.

Firstly, hormones. 12 years is the peak of excess weight in girls, associated with the onset of puberty; in boys it occurs at 13 years. But, according to doctors, if a teenager has no diseases at this point, he eats properly and plays sports, no deviations from the norm in body weight are noted.

Secondly, social reasons. The opinion of peers is important to a teenager, so he, along with everyone else, refuses to eat in the school canteen, gets addicted to fast food, starts smoking and drinking, girls are constantly on diets. This requires confidential conversations with parents and, possibly, consultations with a psychologist.

Thirdly, the psychological discomfort that almost all teenagers experience forces them to switch to food as the only source of pleasure. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to captivate them with something, provide a favorable atmosphere, and help in solving problems that arise.

Nutrition

The main task of parents of overweight children is to normalize nutrition. A recent study conducted in Russia discovered a shocking fact: more than 80% of schoolchildren eat only 2 times a day (breakfast and dinner), which does not fit into any norms. And it is this error that should be corrected first.

Diet

Pay attention to how your children eat breakfast. Those who study during the first shift eat a sandwich on the run, wash it down with coffee or tea and, being late, run off to class. Those who have classes during the second shift wake up too late, and the first meal is at 9-10 o'clock. All this goes against. Breakfast should be complete, carbohydrate-rich: porridge with milk with nuts and fruits, yoghurt, muesli, cereal, and if there are sandwiches, then not with sausage, but with lettuce, tomatoes and a piece of boiled meat. In terms of time, it must be organized before 8.00 am, regardless of the shift.

Most middle and high school students refuse to eat in the cafeteria. They either don’t eat at all or snack on buns, soda, or chocolates. All these carbohydrates go straight to fat reserves. Parents and teachers should work among teenagers, convincing them of the need for hot, nutritious lunches. Without them, it will be impossible to cope with excess weight.

The situation with dinner is better than with breakfast and lunch. As surveys have shown, most families have a tradition of getting together at the table in the evening. However, there are some nuances here too:

• most often family dinners are held too late, although they should be held at most at 19.00;
• they should not be plentiful, fatty and carbohydrates - they need proteins first of all;
• Do not allow your child to overeat at dinner, eat sweets and drink soda.

Don’t forget that a full meal includes lunch and an afternoon snack. To do this, you can give your child an apple and dried fruits with you to school, so that he eats them during recess, which occurs at approximately 11.00. You can remind him of this via SMS. After school, around 16.00, you can offer a milk-fruit shake or yogurt.

With children of kindergarten and younger school age in this regard it is simpler. IN kindergarten and in elementary schools they are voluntarily and forcibly forced to eat by the hour.

Serving sizes

A child's excess weight is directly related to how much he eats. Parents will need to calculate its daily caloric intake over the course of several weeks, the norm of which is:

If a child is overweight, these indicators can be reduced by 200-300 kcal, but at the same time ensure that the diet remains balanced and the body does not feel a lack of energy for physical and mental activity.

Product Set

Lists of healthy and unhealthy foods are familiar to all parents. But how can you deny your baby sweets? How not to buy a Kinder on the way home? How to convince a teenager that fast food and soda are real poison at his age?

Firstly, the same rigor is needed here as in education. You scold him for unlearned lessons or scattered things; there are some impermissible prohibitions, the violation of which is punishable. In the same way, you need to teach a culture of proper nutrition.

Secondly, enter into a kind of agreement with the child - this method is universal, as it works for any age. This “agreement” should contain useful and harmful products. In contrast to the unwanted ones, you can indicate that sometimes you can enjoy them. For example, 1 pack of chips, 1-2 ice cream, a couple of kinders a week and once a month - fast food. Such rare indulgences will not pose any danger, but at the same time it will be imprinted in the child’s consciousness that everything is allowed, just not as often as before.

Authorized products:

• kefir, milk, cottage cheese, cheese;
• egg;
• chicken, turkey, beef, pork;
• vegetables, fruits, herbs, berries;
• cereals;
• butter and vegetable oil;
• bread: up to 3 years - white, then gradually introduce rye into the diet;
• Sweets can include honey (if there is no allergy), marshmallows, marshmallows, jam, marmalade, kozinaki, halva, candied fruits (dark chocolate is only allowed after 10 years, as it contains too much caffeine);
• weak black tea, freshly squeezed juices, milk drinks.

Undesirable products:

• carbonated, energy drinks, coffee, green tea;
• mushrooms (only after 10 years and then in limited quantities and after careful heat treatment);
• smoked meats;
• fast food;
• snacks;
• mayonnaise, ketchup, store-bought sauces, mustard;
• sausages, frankfurters, sausages (only after 10 years and in limited quantities);
• lamb, duck, goose;
• canned food;
• candies, milk chocolate, kinders, cakes, donuts, ice cream, pure sugar and other sweets;
• spices, seasonings (possible, but in limited quantities).

Seafood, red fish, citrus fruits, and nuts should be introduced into the diet as late as possible and monitor the child’s body’s reaction to them.

Nutritional balance

Often the cause of excess weight is an unbalanced diet. Due to the addiction to sweets and fast food, there is a large bias towards carbohydrates and fats. Proteins, so necessary for the normal development of the child’s body, most often remain at a loss. Therefore, parents will also have to figure out in what quantities the main nutrients should be present in the menu.

Daily requirement of children (per 1 kg of body weight):

Parents often wonder if there is a separate diet for an overweight child. Until it comes to obesity, experts do not advise putting children on a limited diet. Just take into account the above points (balance, grocery lists, daily caloric intake, regimen) - this will be enough to correct the situation.

Recipes

For overweight children, you can choose dietary recipes that successfully combine low calorie content with a balance of essential nutrients.

Breakfast: millet

Place washed millet (50 g) in 200 ml of boiling water and cook for a quarter of an hour. Add 100 ml of boiling milk and boil. Place the chopped apple and 5 g of butter on a plate.

First thing for lunch: bean soup

Pour 50 g of beans, previously soaked in water, into 300 ml of boiling meat broth. Cook for half an hour over low heat. Add 50 g of peeled and randomly chopped vegetables: potatoes, carrots and onions. Cook for another quarter of an hour. Add a little salt. Pour chopped parsley into a plate.

Second for lunch: vitamin salad

Wash 50 g of cabbage leaves, pour boiling water over them, cut into small strips, add salt, and squeeze with your hands. Add 1 grated apple. Sprinkle with sugar, season olive oil.

Dinner: boiled flounder

Boil flounder fillet (150 g) in salted water until tender. Water on top lemon juice and olive oil, garnish green peas and chopped parsley.

Physical exercise

In addition to proper nutrition, sports will help your child fight excess weight. Thanks to him, you can lose a fair amount of kilograms. It will contribute to the normal formation of the musculoskeletal system and the building of muscle mass, which means a beautiful and slender figure. What should parents do:

• set a personal example (do exercises in the morning, run, exercise on a gym, get involved in some kind of sport);
• give preference to active types of recreation (hiking, cycling);
• enroll your child in a sports section from 4 to 8 years old;
• teach how to do morning exercises (the sooner the better);
• involve in morning jogging, starting from 12-13 years old;
• buy a minimum set for home training: a jump rope, dumbbells, a wall bars, an inexpensive exercise machine, expanders;
• engage in seasonal sports: in summer - swimming, tennis, football; in winter - skiing, skating, hockey, etc.

To ensure that your child enjoys playing sports, encourage him, be proud of his achievements, and praise him for his victories.

Excess weight in childhood- is not yet such a terrible problem as obesity, but this does not mean that when it is detected you need to be inactive. This is a chance that you can still fix everything and not lead to serious and dangerous consequences for health. Parents will have to work hard, but the effort is worth it.

But when from extra pounds If a child is getting rid of something, you should be extremely careful so as not to injure the baby who is suffering due to his deficiency.

Here are ten things to avoid if your child is overweight:

Look for someone to blame

Obesity in children has many causes, some of which are quite difficult to control. There is no point in wringing your hands and blaming yourself, food producers or doctors.

You just need identify the problem and solve it: visit specialists together with the child, get tested and accustom the whole family to proper nutrition and regular movement.

Ignore the problem

If you doubt that your child is overweight, try calculating his body mass index yourself or go for a consultation at the Children's Health Center.

This will allow you to determine how serious the problem is and immediately get specialist advice.

Create forbidden fruit

Banning products outright can backfire. Most likely, your child will begin to provoke conflicts over food and look for favorite treats on the way from school. And he will definitely feel guilty.

You need to show the baby private healthy example and explain in a simple way what sweets and chips do to the health of adults and children. Kids understand much more than adults think - provided that they communicate with them on equal terms.

Encourage a sedentary lifestyle

If you decide to fight your child’s excess weight, you will have to forget about passive leisure yourself.