You may have noticed that on television, on forums, in magazines, they are increasingly talking about children's excess weight. Unfortunately, the number of obese adolescents and children has continued to rise over the past twenty years. You may be wondering: why are scientists and doctors concerned about this trend? And as parents or interested people, you may also ask: what steps can we take to prevent obesity in our children? Let's consider these questions in more detail.

Why is childhood obesity a serious health problem?

Doctors are concerned about the rising percentage of obesity among children and young people because obesity can lead to the following disorders:

• Heart disease caused by high blood cholesterol and/or high blood pressure.
• Sleep apnea (snoring).
• social discrimination.

Obesity is also associated with many other unpleasant health consequences. Overweight adolescents and children are at risk due to their predisposition to obesity and overweight in adulthood.

Psychosocial risks


Some of the consequences of being overweight during adolescence and childhood are psychosocial in nature. Such children are often the target of early and systematic social discrimination. The psychological stress of such social stigmatization causes low self-esteem, which, moreover, can interfere with the acquisition of knowledge and the normal healthy development of the child's personality, and persists into adulthood.

High risk of cardiovascular disease

It has been established that in adolescents and children with unhealthy overweight, prerequisites for the occurrence of vascular and heart diseases are widespread. These include high blood cholesterol, impaired glucose metabolism (prediabetes), and high blood pressure. After examining several thousand adolescents and children aged 5 to 17 years, doctors stated that almost 60% of overweight children had at least one risk factor for vascular and heart diseases, and 25% of overweight children had two or more of these. dangerous conditions.

Additional health risks

Less common health conditions associated with being overweight include asthma, hepatic steatosis, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes.

• Asthma is a lung disease that narrows or even blocks the airways, making breathing very difficult. Medical research reveals a strong link between being overweight and childhood asthma
• Liver steatosis is a fatty degeneration of the liver caused by a high concentration of liver enzymes. Weight loss normalizes the production of liver enzymes.
• Sleep apnea is a less common complication of overweight in adolescents and children. Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder during sleep, namely, the cessation of breathing during sleep, which lasts for 10 seconds or more. Sleep apnea is characterized by loud snoring and difficulty breathing. During sleep apnea, blood oxygen levels can drop dramatically. The study showed that sleep apnea occurs in about 7% of overweight children.
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus is more common among overweight adolescents and children. Although diabetes and impaired glucose metabolism (a precursor to diabetes) are more common among obese adults, in last years these diseases have become characteristic of overweight children. The occurrence of diabetes in them can cause the development of dangerous complications, such as kidney failure and cardiovascular disease.

In addition, statistics confirm that fat children and adolescents are more likely to be obese in adulthood as well.

What can I do for my child to prevent unhealthy overweight and obesity?

To help your child maintain a healthy weight, you need to balance the calories they get from food and drink with the calories they burn through physical activity and normal growth.

Be sure to remember that the main goal of your fight against obesity and overweight in a child is NOT to reduce his weight! The goal is to reduce the rate of weight gain, while creating conditions for proper development and growth. Weight loss diets should not be used in children and adolescents, except in special cases, when there is a serious medical indication for this.

How can you help your child develop healthy eating habits?

One of the first steps in calorie harmonization is choosing foods that will provide the right amount of nutrients and calories. You can help your child learn to make sense of what he or she eats by developing healthy eating habits, finding ways to make favorite foods healthier, and reducing cravings for high-calorie treats.

Encourage healthy eating habits. There is no big secret in a healthy diet. To help your children and your family develop healthy eating habits:

• Make sure you have enough vegetables, grains, and fruits.
• Include low-fat or low-fat dairy products in your diet.
• Choose lean meats, fish, poultry, and legumes to ensure you get the right amount of protein in your diet.
• Keep portion sizes reasonable.
• Encourage the whole family to drink plenty of clean water.
• Limit sugary and sweetened drinks.
• Minimize your intake of sugar and saturated fats.

Look for ways to make your favorite meals healthier. Meals that you cook regularly and that the whole family loves can become healthier with even small changes. Perhaps these dishes will become even more beloved!

General recommendations: Protein-rich foods are best included in breakfast and lunch. Porridge and vegetables are good to eat at dinner. At the same time, overeating and unlimited food intake by the child is strictly excluded. All dishes need only be baked, stewed, steamed or stewed. Fried food is not recommended. And if you decide to still add butter to porridge, it should be a minimum amount.

Get rid of cravings for high-calorie treats. Almost everything that tastes good can be enjoyed in moderation. Reduce the proportion of foods high in sweeteners, sugar, fat and calories, as well as all salty snacks in the child's diet. Instead of allowing your child to sometimes eat unhealthy food - this can easily turn into his weakness for such food - replace it with healthy and tasty foods. All of this will help your child establish healthy eating habits. Here are some easy-to-make treats that are low in fat and sugar and are 100 calories or less:

• Medium sized apple.
• Medium banana.
• 1 bowl of berries
• 1 bowl of grapes
• 1 bowl of grated carrot, cucumber or sweet pepper.

How to balance calories: Help your child stay active.

The other side of calorie balance is to do the right amount of physical activity and avoid too much sedentary activity. In addition to the fact that active physical activities are enjoyed by most children and adolescents, quality and regular physical activity provides many benefits for good health, including:

• Normalization of blood pressure.
• Strengthening bones, muscles, immune system.
• Reducing stress and anxiety.
• Increasing self-esteem.
• Help in managing your weight.

Help your child stay active. Children and adolescents should participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity daily, preferably during daylight hours. Remember that children imitate adults. Start adding physical activity to your daily routine and invite your child to join you. Here are some examples of moderate physical activity:

• Fast walk.
• Playing tags.
• Rope jumping.
• Football game.
• Swimming.
• Dancing.

Cut down on sedentary time. In addition to encouraging physical activity, help your child not spend too much time sitting. Given that to sit a little for an interesting book or for doing homework from school is good, limit your child's time in front of the TV, video games or computer to one to two hours a day and no more. In addition, many doctors, and the American Academy of Pediatrics in particular, do not recommend watching TV for children under 3 years of age. Instead, help your child come up with interesting activities together with other family members or independent, which will include active physical activities.

According to the charitable organization Kaiser Family Foundation, today's teenagers and children from 8 to 18 years old spend on average as much as 7.5 hours in front of a TV screen or computer monitor every day! In a year, this amounts to about 114 full days of sitting in front of a screen for entertainment. This number of hours does not even include the time they spend at the computer at school in the classroom or at home doing homework.
Let's take a look at the time your child or teen spends watching TV and find ways to add more physical activity to their lives.

Age 8-11 years. Children at this age, on average, spend about six hours a day in front of a screen, watching entertainment programs, playing computer games, and the like. Almost four hours of them are spent watching TV. Instead, they could:

• play with a ball
• walk the dog
• dance to your favorite songs
• jump rope,
• ride a bike.

What should parents do?

1. Give your child 1 hour of physical activity daily.
2. Limit the total time your child spends in front of a TV or computer screen to 1-2 hours a day.
3. Find and develop other forms of entertainment that include physical and social activities. For example, joining a sports team or club.

Age 11-14 years. Children aged 11 to 14 spend an average of nine hours a day on the computer and in front of the TV, almost five of which are entertainment on TV. And they could:

• play football or basketball with friends,
• swim in the pool in the sports complex,
• walk the dog
• practice modern or ballroom dancing,
• ride a bike or skateboard.

What should parents do?

1. Provide your child with 1-2 hours of physical activity daily.
2. Limit the total amount of time your child spends watching TV or at the computer to 1-2 hours daily.
3. Remove the TV from the children's bedroom.
4. Find and develop other forms of entertainment that include physical and social activities. For example, admission to a sports section or a fitness club.

Age 15-18 years. Young people aged 15 to 18 spend, on average, about seven to eight hours a day in front of a TV screen, watching entertainment programs and playing computer games. Four and a half hours are spent watching TV. Perhaps they would be interested in this instead:

• take a little walk
• go to a fitness club or gym with friends,
• organize football, volleyball, basketball competitions,
• learn new tricks on roller skates,
• wash the car or help your parents around the house.

What should parents do?

1. Provide your teenager with 1-2 hours of physical activity daily.
2. Limit the total time a teenager spends at a computer or watching TV to 1-2 hours daily.
3. Remove the TV from a teenager's bedroom.
4. Find and develop other forms of entertainment that include physical and social activities. For example, joining a sports team or yoga, pilates, etc.

The 5-2-1-0 rule for defeating overweight in children
In America, they have developed an interesting and effective rule to help parents whose children need to lose weight - the 5-2-1-0 Rule.

5 or more meals of fruits and vegetables.

What is one serving of fruits and vegetables? For adults, a whole fruit about the size of a tennis ball, half a bowl of chopped fruit or vegetables, a bowl of raw or leafy vegetables, a quarter of a bowl of dried fruit. For children - a portion of the size of their palm.

Buy seasonal vegetables and fruits - they are especially rich in vitamins and minerals. Also, don't forget that frozen fruits and vegetables are almost always available in stores and are a healthier choice than fast food, for example.

Don't underestimate the importance of family meals. Take at least 10-15 minutes to eat with your kids. By choosing the right food and taking it with your child, you help him establish healthy eating habits on a subconscious level. Include children in planning lunches, breakfasts, and dinners.

2 hours or less spent in front of the TV or at the computer.

The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that by the age of 70, children and teenagers will spend on average 7-10 years watching TV or playing computer games. In addition, this kind of pastime often includes snacking on junk food instead of a full healthy and timely meal. Thus, excess unhealthy weight and obesity are becoming more and more common. It has been scientifically proven that such a passion for television and computer games leads to reading difficulties, problems with concentration and mental retardation.

Safe time for watching TV or being at a computer: no TV or computer for up to 2 years. No TV or computer in the room where the child sleeps. 1 hour of educational programs on TV or on a computer for children 2-5 years old. For children over 5 years old, TV or computer no more than 2 hours daily.

1 hour or more of physical activity daily. Regular physical activity plays an irrefutable role important role in maintaining a healthy weight and preventing chronic diseases: osteoporosis, heart and vascular disease, diabetes and colon cancer. And even if most children of primary school age are quite active, during adolescence, physical activity decreases sharply. In many ways, the level of physical activity of the child depends on the lifestyle of his family.

For example, 1 hour moderate physical activity means: an activity where you need to breathe hard. It can be dancing, brisk walking. 20 minutes energetic physical activity means: doing activities where you sweat. This is running, aerobics, basketball and the like.

Physical activity: makes the child feel good, helps him maintain a healthy weight, makes his heart healthy, makes him stronger, makes the child more flexible and resilient.

0 drinks with sugar, more water and low-fat dairy products.

The high consumption of sugary drinks and fatty dairy products (such as all kinds of sweet curds) among children causes unwanted overweight and even obesity. Children from 1 to 6 years old are strongly recommended to consume no more than 100-200 ml of juice per day, and adolescents 7-18 years old - no more than 250-350 ml. Whole milk is the largest source of saturated fat in children's diets. Switching to lower-fat or fat-free (1%) dairy products significantly reduces overall fat and calorie intake.

Sugary carbonated drinks have no nutritional value, but contain a lot of sugar. Just 250 ml of soda contains 110-150 empty calories. Many sodas also contain caffeine, which is harmful to children. Energy drinks are NOT sports drinks and should never replace water during athletic training.

Water is fuel for a child's body. It is one of the most important elements in nutrition for active children. The body of a child is 70-80% water, but when he is physically active, he sweats and loses this water and useful mineral salts. Therefore, it is very important to constantly replenish this supply of water. Water is the #1 choice when kids feel thirsty.
Various flavored drinks typically contain stimulants such as caffeine and other ingredients, as well as sugar, supplements of vitamins, minerals, and even protein. But we don't need these nutrients from drinks, we get them from our diet! These drinks are strongly discouraged for children and teenagers. They lead to increased heart rate, anxiety, high blood pressure, sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, indigestion, and even caffeine poisoning.

findings

After calculating your child's BMI and coming to the conclusion that there is a need to reduce his excess weight, you will pursue one of these goals:

• your child's weight gain at a slower rate
• maintaining the current weight and preventing its rapid growth

It should be remembered that diets that do not include various nutritious foods, or have too few calories, are dangerous for the child. Some types of dangerous "fancy" diets promise rapid weight loss while eliminating entire categories of foods. The real truth is that no quick decision when it comes to weight loss. Moreover, dieting often leads to eating disorders not only in adults, but also in children (anorexia or bulimia). And such conditions already require serious medical intervention and treatment in a hospital.

Pay attention to whether your child is a victim of some regular “magic” diet or a bad hobby for fast weight loss that is fashionable among teenagers. Children often perceive normal age-related changes in their body as imperfections and problems that they need to deal with. Your task is to tell the child how and why his body changes. And also, intelligibly explain to him what is the use of the above recommendations. Any person, including children, is ready to change something in his life if he understands why he needs it and what exactly he will benefit from it.

Remember that even small but daily changes can lead you to a recipe for success for a lifetime!

In order to understand how relevant the problem of childhood obesity is today, it is enough just to go out into the street, walk through playgrounds or parks. Surely you have noticed that almost half of the children have one or another degree of completeness.

Note the increase in overweight children and pediatricians. But parents, unfortunately, do not always pay attention to this aspect of the development of their child. What is the reason for such negligence?

There are several reasons, as always. These are chubby babies in advertising and films, and the eternal certainty that if a child eats well, then he is healthy. Do not forget about such a phenomenon as natural children's fullness. This condition is typical for children aged about 9 months. At this time, the fatty layer begins to actively form.

However, this does not mean that you can ignore the overweight of your child during this period. In addition, you should not mentally stretch the period of natural childhood fullness. If after the child begins to actively walk, the extra weight does not disappear, then it's time to sound the alarm.

To begin with, it is worth understanding what are the causes of excess weight in children. As always, it is impossible to single out one thing. Every child has their own problems and their own solutions.

Usually, in children, as in adults, obesity develops due to chronic overeating . The law of conservation of energy also applies here: if you eat more than is consumed per day, you will inevitably encounter excess weight.

In second place, of course, low mobility . Typically, both of these factors are present. Today, fatty foods, fast food, and various sweets have gained immense popularity. All this can be purchased literally at every step. Even the parents themselves sometimes, saving time, feed the child junk food. At the same time, modern children are more and more resting in front of a TV or computer. Naturally, an imbalance occurs in the body, which instantly affects the weight of the child.

Here it can also be noted social factor . Children copy their parents in everything, and if adults eat high-calorie foods, children are likely to prefer the same foods. Often a child is devoutly fed, believing that he should eat exactly as much and not a crumb less. Usually grandmothers are prone to such behavior, especially if their childhood was not the post-war years.

Such a feeding system violates one of the most important precepts of a healthy diet - to eat exactly as much as you need to saturate. It is better to leave part of the serving on the plate and eat it later than to choke and eat everything, just to leave nothing.

However, one cannot discount the hereditary factors . If one of the parents of the child is obese, then in half the cases the child himself is faced with this problem. If obesity is observed in both parents, the risk increases even more. In the case of hereditary obesity, more attention should be paid to prevention, rather than waiting for the problem to occur.

Strange as it may sound to many, but psychological aspects can affect the child's overweight. Children, like their parents, can “eat” some of their sorrows, worries and stresses.

In some cases, although quite rarely, the cause of obesity is various diseases . Despite the fact that this is far from the most common cause of extra pounds, you should not forget about it.

What is the danger of obesity in children?

It is important to understand that being overweight in children is much more dangerous than the same problem in an adult. After all, the child's body grows, changes, forms. Many systems in it are not yet fully functional, but are only learning to perform their tasks.

The first to suffer, as it is not difficult to understand, spine. It is on him that the overtime load suddenly falls. But in preschool age the rapid formation of the skeleton is still going on, the bones are actively growing, and the child is also growing. It is at this stage that posture is formed, and excess weight, coupled with low mobility, can disrupt it even at this stage, which is fraught with various diseases spine.

The load on the circulatory system also increases, in connection with this, in children who have been overweight since infancy, by adolescence such traditionally occur age-related diseases like hypertension, heart failure, ischemia, increases the risk of heart attack.

The pancreas also cannot cope with excess nutrients, which causes a violation of glucose metabolism, and this can lead to the development of diabetes.

should not be overlooked and psychological problems . Overweight children are often teased by their peers, which is why they develop complexes, they become insecure. And these complexes accompany such children for the rest of their lives, even if the child's overweight problems can be solved.

Is there any reason for concern?

However, after reading all this, you should not immediately put the child on a diet. Firstly, "adult" diets in the case of a child, especially an infant, are not only ineffective, but also dangerous to health. Secondly, the development of a child is a very individual concept, and before taking any measures, you need to make sure that the problem really exists.

If you think that your child is overweight, you should first try to determine whether this is so on your own. In particular, special tables of weight norms depending on age and height can help with this. Please note that you need to evaluate the situation on all three parameters.

So, if the child weighs too much for his age, do not forget to pay attention to his height. If the growth is also above the norm, then everything is in order. You just encountered a particular version of the norm.

Age	Boy		Girl
	Weight, kg	height, cm	Weight, kg	height, cm
Birth	3,6	50	3,4	49,5
1 month	4,45	54,5	4,15	53,5
2 months	5,25	58	4,9	56,8
3 months	6,05	61	5,5	59,3
4 months	6,7	63	6,15	61,5
5 months	7,3	65	6,65	63,4
6 months	7,9	67	7,2	66,9
Seven months	8,4	68,7	7,7	68,4
8 months	8,85	70,3	8,1	68,4
9 months	9,25	71,7	8,5	70
10 months	9,65	73	8,85	71,3
11 months	10	74,3	9,2	72,6
1 year	10,3	75,5	9,5	73,8
1 year 1 month	10,6	76,8	9,8	75
1 year 2 months	10,85	78	9,8	75
1 year 3 months	11,1	79	10,3	77,2
1 year 4 months	11,3	80	10,57	78,3
1 year 5 months	11,5	81	10,78	79,3
1 year 6 months	11,7	82	11	80,3
1 year 7 months	11,9	83	11,2	81,3
1 year 8 months	12,07	83,9	11,38	82,2
1 year 9 months	12,23	84,7	11,57	83,1
1 year 10 months	12,37	85,6	11,73	84
1 year 11 months	12,53	86,4	11,88	84,9
2 years	12,67	87,3	12,05	85,8
2 years 1 month	12,83	88,1	12,22	86,7
2 years 2 months	12,95	88,9	12,38	87,5
2 years 3 months	13,08	89,7	12,52	88,4
2 years 4 months	13,22	90,3	12,68	89,2
2 years 5 months	13,35	91,1	12,82	90
2 years 6 months	13,48	91,8	12,98	90,7
2 years 7 months	13,62	92,6	13,11	91,4
2 years 8 months	13,77	93,2	13,26	92,1
2 years 9 months	13,9	93,8	13,4	92,9
2 years 10 months	14,03	94,4	13,57	93,6
2 years 11 months	14,18	95	13,71	94,2
3 years	14,3	95,7	13,85	94,8

The parameters in infants vary especially greatly. First of all, because they have a different start and a large, in comparison with the total weight, the initial difference in height and weight. Some children weigh less than 3 kg, others more than 4. During this period, not the weight itself is much more important, but the weight gain per month. This information can also be seen in the table:

Age, month	Weight gain, grams		Height increase, centimeter
	per month	for the past period	per month	for the past period
1	600	600	3	3
2	800	1400	3	6
3	800	2200	2,5	8,5
4	750	2950	2,5	11
5	700	3650	2	13
6	650	4300	2	15
7	600	4900	2	17
8	550	5450	2	19
9	500	5950	1,5	20,5
10	450	6400	1,5	22
11	400	6800	1,5	23,5
12	350	7150	1,5	25

It is important to keep in mind that children artificial feeding almost always gain weight faster than their peers who feed on mother's milk. Assessing the weight of your child, this point must also be taken into account.

Another way to determine if a child is overweight is to calculate the body mass index. Please note that this calculation makes sense only after the age of two. This is done quite simply: BMI is equal to body weight in kg divided by the height of the child in cm squared. The resulting value should be compared with the table. It shows the values ​​for overweight and for obesity.

Age	Overweight		Obesity
	boys	girls	boys	girls
2	18,4	18	20,1	19,4
3	17,9	17,6	19,6	19,1
4	17,6	17,3	19,3	19,2
5	17,4	17,1	19,3	19,7
6	17,6	17,3	19,8	20,5
7	17,9	17,8	20,6	21,6
8	18,4	18,3	21,6	22,8
9	19,1	19,1	22,8	24,1
10	19,8	19,9	24	25,4

If the resulting number is less than the BMI with overweight, then everything is in order in your case, if it is equal or more, then the problem is there. If the BMI value has reached the obesity mark, then the problem in the child is very serious.

Regardless of which method you used, if there is a suspicion that your child is overweight, you do not need to immediately rush to solve the problem, limit the child in food and drive to classes. First you need to contact the pediatrician. He will confirm or refute your fears, and also determine the cause of overweight.

Only then will it be possible to find an adequate solution to the problem. So, if the cause of excess weight in children is a particular disease, food restrictions and any physical activity may be ineffective, and in some cases even dangerous. In this case, you must first identify and cure the disease - the cause.

If everything is more prosaic, and the reason lies in overeating, then you can start the fight against excess weight.

How to deal with overweight in infants?

Excess weight in a breastfed baby is extremely rare. When the baby feeds on mother's milk, he, together with the parent's body, regulates the amount of milk he drinks. This makes overeating almost impossible.

But with artificial feeding, everything is somewhat more complicated. Determining when a child is full at this age is still difficult. It is necessary to draw up a clear feeding schedule, strictly follow the recommendations for the amount of mixture and the volume of water.

Sometimes you can hear the opinion that it is better for artificers to introduce complementary foods as early as possible. In fact, it's not necessary at all. But if you decide to introduce complementary foods to a formula-fed child, then keep in mind that you need to start with vegetable purees. They are the least caloric, and will not contribute to weight gain.

Often vegetable purees are made on the basis of potatoes. Pay attention to this, potatoes should be no more than 50% of the serving. Ideally, make your own puree at home, so you can definitely be sure of the purity of the products and their ratio.

The next item in complementary foods will be cereals with skim milk. Give preference to buckwheat or oatmeal, but it is better to refuse semolina. In addition, porridge can be given only once a day, preferably in the morning. If there is a need to sweeten porridge, it is better to do this with berries and fruits, without adding sugar.

How to deal with excess weight in a preschooler?

With older children, the situation is somewhat more complicated. When a child moves to a common table with his parents, it becomes more difficult to control his diet. The child sees what his parents eat and tries to eat the same.

Another aspect that often interferes with the process of losing weight is food in the kindergarten. There, parents cannot control the child's menu. First of all, you need to talk to the staff and find out what they feed the children in general. Then ask the teachers to cut portions, if necessary, do not give supplements, remove especially high-calorie foods, of course, if possible.

However, the main difficulties still await you at home. The fact is that the whole family will have to rebuild their diet, get used to a healthy diet. It is impossible to explain to a child why everyone will eat dumplings with sour cream or a sweet cake, and he will eat steamed vegetables. He will perceive this as a punishment, as a manifestation of some kind of injustice.

Therefore, everyone will have to come to terms with changes in the menu. However, this is not at all bad, because such a diet is healthy and suitable for people of any age. The nutrition of your family should be balanced, proteins, fats and carbohydrates should be present in the right proportions. As a rule, this ratio is called: 1:1:4, where the last digit refers to carbohydrates - the main source of energy and fiber. The main thing to remember is that these should be complex carbohydrates, not sweets and starchy foods.

Abundance on your menu vegetables and cereals it is also necessary because fiber helps to restore impaired metabolism, and also, like a real brush, cleans the intestines and helps to remove toxins accumulated in it. All this normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, relieves various digestive problems, including constipation, which are not at all rare in overweight children.

However, meat fish, dairy products and fats should also be present. Children's body proteins are necessary without fail, as it is constantly growing, and it needs building material for cells.

However, it is better to give preference to dietary meat, not fatty. It can be poultry, veal, lean beef. As for cooking methods, it is better to abandon frying and smoking completely, and stop at boiled meat and steamed meat.

By the way, the same applies to vegetable dishes. There is also no need to saturate them with oil during frying, this significantly increases the calorie content of dishes, and apparently, no visible harmful substances in the heated oil.

Concerning dairy products, then you should give preference to skim milk, kefir and sour cream. Also, do not get carried away with various yoghurts with additives. It is better to use natural products, without preservatives. Kefir and yogurt can be made at home based on a special starter culture. Buying it today is not a problem. You should not refuse cheese, but it must be served in limited quantities.

Fats should be predominantly vegetable, and the child will receive a sufficient amount of animals from milk. Sunflower or olive oil can be seasoned with vegetable salads.

Another little tip: buy for a child separate dishes, smaller than yours. In a small plate, even a truncated portion will seem quite sufficient, and a small spoon will have to scoop food from the plate more often. A large number of movements will help to deceive the body, and the feeling of fullness will come earlier.

For this, it is necessary to organize a calm atmosphere for the child during meals. It is better to turn off the TV, radio, you should not occupy the baby with conversations. Yes, and at this time it is better to be silent. This will allow him to fully focus on food and his feelings.

An integral part of the weight loss process should be physical exercise. The child can be given to the sports section, start walking with him in the evenings, sign up for the pool. But here it must also be borne in mind that if you continue to spend time sitting, your child is unlikely to be inflamed with a desire to make any effort.

What can not be done?

When parents are faced with the problem of obesity in a child, there is a great temptation to start blaming someone, arrange terror or concentrate all their energies on achieving a result. However, it is very important to understand what can and cannot be done. So, in itself, the search for the guilty will not lead to anything. No need to blame a kindergarten with an unbalanced diet, a grandmother with her pies, a child with his immoderate appetite, or yourself. The most important thing in this situation is to recognize the problem and the cause and deal with them without undue reproach.

As mentioned above, simply forbidding a child to eat certain foods will not work. At preschool age, such measures are perceived very painfully. You should not make goodies a coveted prize received for some kind of achievement. In this case, the child can make a cult out of food, and this is unlikely to have a positive effect on the process.

Separate conversation - physical activity. You can't solve anything by force either. It is better to try to make morning exercises a fun game, and practice with your baby. This will not only help instill a good habit in him, but will also give you the opportunity to communicate more and better with your child.

As for the choice of sections ... Again, there is a great temptation to choose those where the greatest loads go, but you need to give the child a choice. Classes should not be held under pressure. Let it be a calmer and less energy-intensive sport, but the child will like it, and, as a result, he himself will give all the best in the classroom.

As you know, a specific goal in front of your eyes is the best motivation. However, the goal must be achievable. There is no need to demand everything from the child at once. Start small. First, accustom him to daily exercises, only then proceed to the selection of the section. In food, follow the same principle.

And one more thing: do not concentrate on the problem yourself and focus the attention of the child on it. He should not feel flawed, this adversely affects both the process and the child's psyche. Let it be a game, fun and relaxed.

Prevention of childhood obesity

Of course, prevention is always better than a hasty solution to a problem that has already arisen. Actually, for the purpose of prevention, you can and should do about the same thing that is required for weight loss. That is, morning exercises, sports, mobility, proper nutrition.

Of course, if there is no excess weight yet, prohibitions and restrictions can be much less stringent. In any case, the child does not have to be strictly controlled, for example, for festive table. One piece of cake or a serving of salad with mayonnaise is unlikely to hurt him.

The advantage of prevention is not only that it allows you not to face the problem of excess weight in children, but also that the child will get used to a healthy lifestyle from childhood, which means he will avoid many other problems.

The topic of the article is childhood obesity. We will talk about the causes of its occurrence, treatment and prevention of the disease.

When does childhood obesity occur?

Obesity is a chronic disease caused by an imbalance in metabolism, resulting in the accumulation of excess fat in the body.

Adipose tissue in the human body does not always occur intensively. Her first education occurs from the day of birth and lasts up to 9 months. Up to 5 years, fat growth normalizes.

The next stage is the age from 5 to 7 years and the final stage is 12-17 years, when puberty and a complete restructuring of the body occur.

Experts distinguish 3 critical stages of the disease:

• up to 3 years - early childhood;
• 5-7 years old - junior school age;
• 12-17 years - adolescence.

How is it classified

There is no single taxonomy of this disease. Doctors use several types of classifications.

The most common classification is as follows.

Primary:

• idiopathic - associated with a genetic predisposition;
• alimentary - arising from malnutrition.

secondary, It's also symptomatic.

• formed due to defects in genes;
• endocrine;
• medicinal;
• cerebral.

mixed- consists of elements of 1 and 2 groups.

According to BMI relative to normal body weight, 3 degrees of obesity are distinguished:

• 1 degree - overweight is more than the permissible norm by 10-29 percent;
• 2 degree - overweight is more than the permissible norm by 30-49 percent;
• 3 degree - overweight more than the permissible norm by 50 percent.

Causes of childhood obesity

Many parents at least once in their life faced with the problem of obesity in their child. In rare cases, this disease is congenital, most often it occurs due to malnutrition.

According to studies, most often children suffer from the problem of excess weight in children who have been bottle-fed since birth.

Children who are breastfed from birth usually introduce complementary foods much later than artificial ones. That is why after 6 months, breastfed babies begin to gain less weight. But for artificial babies, complementary foods are introduced from the age of 4 months, and from 6 months, some children begin to offer solid food.

All responsibility for the health of the child lies on the shoulders of the parents. It is you who should make sure that from early childhood accustom the child to healthy and wholesome food. Otherwise, in the near future, you risk facing the problem of overweight in your offspring.

Nutrition

Most often this happens when the baby is given fast food, chips, sweet and flour products. Carbonated drinks also contribute to weight gain.

Do not forget that a growing body needs a large number of calories in order to develop physically and mentally. But if a child eats a lot, while moving a little, then excess weight will become his constant companion.

Genetics

Hereditary predisposition plays an important role in the formation of facial features and physique of the child. In thin parents, children are most often thin and slender.

In families in which adults suffer from excess or overweight, children are often born with the same problems. In such a case, parents should initially take care of compiling the child's menu so that he does not allow him to gain excess weight.

There are several reasons for the appearance of overweight in children arising from developmental pathologies:

• congenital hypothyroidism - occurs due to a deficiency of thyroid hormones;
• Down syndrome;
• inflammatory diseases of the brain, TBI, neoplasms leading to malfunctions of the pituitary gland;
• pathology of the adrenal glands;
• adipose-genital dystrophy.

Hormonal changes

In most cases, any hormonal changes in the body cause weight changes.

For some, it decreases, for others it begins to increase every day more and more.

If the weight of the child begins to grow steadily, then urgently show the child to a specialist to check the correct functioning of the adrenal glands and pancreas.

Lifestyle

A sedentary lifestyle contributes to the appearance of excess weight. Pay attention to how your child spends his free time. If he sits at a computer or TV, it is very difficult to lure him outside, and he eschews active games, which means that he will become overweight very soon.

Why childhood obesity is dangerous

The occurrence of overweight in children is fraught with the development of many serious diseases, which increase the risk of disability or premature death.

Obesity in childhood and adolescence can cause:

• development of diseases of the cardiovascular system (hypertension, stroke, cardiac ischemia);
• disease formation endocrine system(failure in the functioning of the pancreas, adrenal and thyroid glands);
• decrease in reproductive function in men, infertility in women;
• the occurrence of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (hemorrhoids, constipation, inflammation of the duodenum 12);
• the appearance of diseases of the musculoskeletal system (deformities of bones and joints, the formation of flat feet, varicose veins);
• the formation of mental ailments (sleep problems, psychosocial disorders).

Childhood obesity - photo

Treatment of childhood obesity

It is not uncommon for obese children to blame their parents for their overweight problems.

The fight against childhood obesity should take place with the help of a pediatrician and a psychologist who can explain to the child that there is no fault of the parents.

A special diet, drug therapy, physiotherapy exercises and surgical treatment will help prevent the occurrence of this disease and completely eliminate it.

diet for obesity

A pediatric nutritionist will help you choose the right nutrition for overweight children. He will adjust the diet in such a way as to stop the formation of subcutaneous fat and activate the elimination of accumulated reserves.

The diet menu for obesity should be varied and balanced. Children under 3 years of age should not follow a restricted diet.

Eating in childhood obesity involves fractional meals of at least 7 small portions per day. The break between meals should be no longer than 3 hours.

It is better to offer high-calorie meals to the child in the morning during the greatest activity. For breakfast and lunch, prepare lean meats and fish.

You can give your child fermented milk products with a minimum fat content. At the same time, cottage cheese must be present in his diet every day.

Carbohydrates are the main source of body fat, so exclude white bread, granulated sugar, packaged juices, soda, sweets, jam and pasta from your baby's food.

Try not to fry food in oil, but boil, stew, steam or give it fresh.

Nutritionist Pevsner has developed an effective diet for obese children. This method of nutrition was called diet number 8. There are several types of this diet that allow you to eat a balanced diet and at the same time lose weight.

The main products of diet number 8 per day:

• wholemeal bread or with bran - 0.1-0.17 kg;
• fermented milk products of minimum fat content - 0.18-0.2 kg;
• lean meats, fish, poultry - 0.15-0.18 kg;
• soups with a small amount potatoes - up to 0.22 kg;
• from cereals you can eat millet, buckwheat, barley - up to 0.2 kg;
• any vegetables in unlimited quantities;
• unsweetened fruits - up to 0.4 kg;
• knots, unsweetened juice, tea.

Diet menu for obesity

Below is a sample diet menu number 8:

• the first breakfast at 8 am - buckwheat porridge boiled in water, an apple, unsweetened tea;
• second breakfast at 11 days - boiled egg, rosehip broth, apple and cabbage salad;
• lunch at one in the afternoon - vegetable soup or cabbage soup, stewed cabbage with fish or meat, compote cooked from dried fruits;
• afternoon snack at 16.00 - kefir and cottage cheese;
• dinner at 19.00 - boiled fish, vegetable salad with vegetable oil;
• before going to bed - 220 ml of fat-free kefir.

These dishes should be prepared without the use of salt and the use of oil should be kept to a minimum. The child should not be allowed to eat sweets during weight loss.

Sport exercises

An important part of the complex treatment of overweight is physical activity. The specialist will recommend a special exercise therapy complex that promotes weight loss.

Medical treatment

In most cases, doctors prescribe drug treatment only for the third degree of obesity. This is due to the fact that drugs that dull the feeling of hunger and reduce weight are prohibited for use in children under 15 years of age.

Modern methods of treating childhood obesity are based on non-drug therapy. Usually, homeopathic medicines are included in the therapeutic complex.

Surgery

Surgical therapy for obesity is carried out in rare cases, when all other methods of treatment are ineffective or there is a threat to the life of the child.

Treatment of the disease by surgery is still being improved. Currently, there are about 40 types of operations that help save a child from a dangerous disease.

Childhood obesity - treatment Komarovsky

Prevention of obesity

1. To reduce weight in a child, limit the use of carbonated drinks, sugary bars, hot dogs, chips, and fatty foods. Teach him to eat healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables. Prepare delicious and healthy dishes, cut pictures from vegetables using special molds.
2. Be an example for your child, show him how to lose weight. If your baby's age allows you to take him to the gym with you, then visit the fitness center together. If the baby is over 2 years old, teach him to dance and sports exercises to music at home.
3. Start moving more and walk for as long as possible. fresh air. Make it a rule to go out into nature with the whole family every weekend. It is possible that at first the child will not like such changes in his usual way of life, but over time he will get used to them.
4. Obese children often have nervous disorders and self-doubt. They eschew communication with peers, tend to spend evenings with their parents, watching TV or are constantly on the Internet. Such children try to escape from reality into a virtual or imaginary world. In such situations, you should not let everything take its course. Try to distract the child from sad thoughts and show how wonderful life is outside the four walls of the apartment.
5. If during the fight against a child’s illness you begin to experience irritation or nervous breakdowns, then try to calm down immediately. You should minimize the occurrence of stressful situations, speak calmly with the child, try to convey to him why it is necessary to adhere to a diet, how the disease can affect his future.
6. Try to be close to the child while he is on a diet. Most adults have a hard time with diets. What can we say about a child who cannot understand why his parents deprived him of his usual and tasty food?

The well-being of a child largely depends on his weight, activity, ability to communicate with other people.

Many parents take their child to a special group of obese children. After all, it has been proven that collective weight loss is much more effective than a single one. This is due to the fact that with group weight loss, the child will feel support from both parents and other people with similar diseases and problems.

Reviews

Anna, 36 years old

I know firsthand what childhood obesity is. We have been fighting this disease for over 5 years. And they defeated him. Of course, it cost us more moral and physical stress. But you know, for the sake of your child, you can not do that.

Victoria, 28 years old

We have been fighting childhood obesity for the last 5 years. We ourselves are to blame that the child developed this disease, since we did not forbid him to eat fast food and drink soda. At first, they tried to deal with the problem on their own. But then they turned to doctors for help. The child was prescribed a special diet, exercise therapy and communication with a psychotherapist. The first result was already a month later - the son began to communicate with us more and was able to lose a few kilograms.

Angelina, 33 years old

My friends suddenly had a baby that started gaining weight. He was 12 years old at that time. At first, the parents did not attach any importance to this, and only a year later they noticed how he began to experience shortness of breath. Urgently went to the doctor, diagnosed the 2nd degree of obesity. Now they treat it with the help of diets and sports.

Conclusion

1. Surgical therapy is carried out only in case of a threat to the life of the patient.
2. It is possible to get rid of obesity only in the case of complex treatment, diet and exercise. exercise.
3. Childhood obesity must be treated, as it poses a threat to the life of the child.

1. Start by browsing transmission Dr. Komarovsky's school section Video and audio :

• overweight child

2. Read up-to-date materials in the Library section different authors on the topic of overweight and obesity:

• How to increase fiber in your diet
• Tips for increasing physical activity
• Why should children get 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily?
• The role of parents in the fight against the obesity epidemic in children
• The Role of Schools in Combating the Childhood Obesity Epidemic
• TV and food - never useful
• The Society of Unclean Plates, or How NOT to Raise a Glutton!
• The basics of proper nutrition: tested on yourself

3. In the Articles section, read:

• Passion about sweets

4. For information on this topic, see the Questions and Answers section.:

• Too good weight gain
• Paratrophy
• About the normal weight of a child at 4 months
• Neurological problems, medical exemption from vaccinations and too good an appetite
• Big weight gain

5. Read the information in the Letters section:

• Good appetite or overweight?

6. In our Handbook you can find useful information on this topic:

7. Also in the Library section read:

• Shvedova A. "Overweight and obesity: what to do?"
• Berezovskaya E.P. "Obesity and Women's Health"
• Berezovskaya E.P. "A few words about nutrition, and not only"
• Spock B. "Problems of nutrition and development"
• Tooth A. "Principles of healthy nutrition for expectant mothers and fathers"
• Nikitin B. and L. "Physical education from the cradle and ... even before"
• What fills me up and inflates me?
• Diet?

8. Discussion of this topic in our Forum:

• Obesity
• Weight, height, age norms and parental fears
• Why can't large children be fed porridge?
• Norms and amount of food for a child after a year
• Article by E.O. Komarovsky “Sweets about passions”

Why there are more and more overweight children and what to do about it

Unhealthy eating habits, the habit of “plugging your mouth” with delicious, feeding to satiety and forcing you to eat everything “that you put in”, a sedentary lifestyle (thanks computer games) - here are the main reasons why there are more and more overweight children.

Of course, there are also endocrine disruptions, diseases in which the child gets better, even if the intake of calories is equal to their consumption. Then the fullness of children all the more deserves parental attention. But endocrine obesity accounts for only five percent of cases.

Obesity (paratrophy) is diagnosed even in infants. But, according to Dr. Komarovsky, this is not at all a reason for panic, especially if the child is breastfed.

As a mother of a 16-year-old underweight son, who was diagnosed with just such a diagnosis at six months, I can say - there may not be a trace of infantile fullness, as soon as the child begins to actively move. Moreover, while the child is small, it is not difficult to control his nutrition - usually up to three years, children have a separate table.

Difficulties begin later, when the child becomes a full-fledged participant in family meals. Especially if those are a nutritionist's nightmare.

The most common parenting mistakes

1. Don't change anything and wait for it to go away on its own

Normal mothers and fathers, having learned that their children have allergies or diabetes, do not hesitate to exclude “dangerous” foods from the diet. However, when it comes to fullness, they often do nothing.

Loving parents often turn a blind eye to the problem in the hope that it will resolve itself. Indeed, miracles happen, but their expectation may be delayed, and the harm to health may become irreversible.

Online World Organization health read: “Obesity in children is associated with an increased likelihood of premature death and disability in adulthood. Overweight and obese children tend to become obese in adulthood and are more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease at a younger age.” Creepy, isn't it?

2. Put your child on a strict diet

Diet is not a panacea at all. In his notes of the endocrinologist, Dr. Grebnev claims that proteins, fats and carbohydrates must enter the child's body in certain proportions. Therefore, mono-diets, the benefits of which are also very doubtful for adults, are canceled in this case.

In addition, without self-motivation, the child will feel left out. And the forbidden fruit is known to be sweet. Having escaped from parental control, he is likely to want to make up for all the lost. Even worse, if he develops a habit of stress eating. Then try to convince him of the fallacy of the formula "food equals pleasure."

3. Shift responsibility to the sports section

Physical activity is one of the essential elements of a set of measures to combat excess weight. One of, but not the only one.

Without a review of the relationship to food, at best, it will be possible to stop weight gain or achieve a slight decrease in it. Of course, unless the child runs ten kilometers daily.

But, as a rule, the child goes to the section two or three times a week, and in order to lose weight, it is necessary that the “arrival” is less than the “expenditure” daily.

What to do

First, it's worth stop justifying excess weight (both yours and your child) by heredity and metabolism. Yes, everyone has a different metabolism, but, as a rule, thin people do not overeat with rolls and do not drink mayonnaise at night. On closer examination, it turns out that those who are naturally dry tend to be picky and moderate in their food. Such people may not limit themselves, but intuitively eat right.

The opposite is also true: often those who believe that they eat like a bird simply do not see the sin in a chocolate bar or a bag of seeds. But one day is enough to count the calories consumed, as soon as everything becomes clear.

The good news is that anyone can lose weight. Bad (relatively) - you have to completely change your lifestyle. To the whole family.

A change in diet cannot be about just one child. Even if you personally do not have problems with being overweight, giving up sweets and starchy foods, fatty, spicy and fried foods will only benefit you. It is important to understand - this is not a sacrifice, but an elementary concern for health.

• limit energy intake from all types of fats, switch from saturated fats to unsaturated fats and eliminate trans fatty acids;
• increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts;
• limit your intake of free sugars;
• limit salt (sodium) intake from all sources and ensure salt iodization.

And here is my opinion: if there are no cookies and sweets in the house, and instead of fried potatoes, mother prepares grilled vegetables for a side dish, the child’s body will have no choice but to start burning its own reserves. Provided that the amount of energy "output" exceeds the amount of energy "input".

1. "No" to diets, prohibitions and severe restrictions

"Yes" to healthy nutrition and revision of the diet. No need to justify yourself by the fact that there are a lot of temptations around. Believe me, a person who never buys chips and hamburgers lives very well without them.

I do not impose sanctions for "junk food", so from time to time children feast on it. But in general, their diet is healthy and balanced.

2. Power mode

The fast pace of life, working late - the realities of many moms and dads. Therefore, today a rare family eats according to a schedule. In the end, everyone eats what they want, when they want. Endless snacks replace a full meal, and the tradition of gathering at a common table is an anachronism.

But at least once a day or week (if due to work, dinner risks being late) have a real family meal.

As for snacks, then let them be - if there is no junk food at home, no one will get better from carrots.

3. Union with grandmother

In some families, this is the most difficult task. "Butter" grannies show love to their grandchildren through pies and pancakes. In this case, parents will have to be tough. Compromises are inappropriate here. Being overweight is no joke. When it comes to the health of children, you need to act decisively.

4. More movement

Sport is not a panacea, but you won’t lose weight without movement. It is not possible to make friends with the sections, start a tradition of cycling (in summer) and skating (in winter). Running, fitness, even just hiking - everything will fit into the business.

And yes, personal example is contagious.

No need for sudden movements, no need to choose the most active sport. A hated activity for a baby is extra stress and a path to his “jamming”.

Start with short walks, don’t take your child to school, teach him to save on public transport, introduce him to roller skates, a skateboard, or at least a scooter. published by econet.ru. If you have any questions on this topic, ask them to specialists and readers of our projecthere.

P.S. And remember, just by changing your consumption, we are changing the world together! © econet

Obesity is a metabolic disorder, which is accompanied by an increase in the layer of subcutaneous fat. The causes of its occurrence are not always obvious, and treatment can last a lifetime.

A child is considered obese if its weight exceeds the allowable rate by more than 15%. While the number of obese children is on the rise, it is important to know that this is a preventable condition.

What you need to know

Causes of the disease

There can be many reasons for obesity. The disease can be caused by one of them, or a combination of several reasons. The most common causes of obesity are:

Types and forms of obesity

Most often, obesity in children is classified as follows:

1. I degree obesity (exceeding the norm by 15-24%).
2. II degree obesity (exceeding the norm by 25–49%).
3. III degree obesity (exceeding the norm by 50–99%).
4. IV degree obesity (exceeding the norm by more than 100%).

Depending on the cause, two types of obesity are distinguished:

1. Alimentary- Obesity associated with malnutrition of the child and his sedentary lifestyle.
2. Endocrine- obesity associated with the disease of various endocrine glands.

Symptoms

The main symptom of obesity in a child is an increase in the layer of subcutaneous adipose tissue.

With alimentary obesity there is an increase in body fat in the abdomen, hips, pelvis, chest, back, arms, face.

After 7 years symptoms of obesity will be: low mobility of the child, shortness of breath, increased blood pressure.

After 16 years a quarter of obese children have metabolic syndrome.

Secondary obesity occurs against the background of the underlying disease. With Itsenko-Cushing's syndrome, fat deposits are observed on the neck, face and abdomen, while the arms and legs remain thin.

In the presence of prolactinoma in girls, obesity will manifest itself in an increase in the mammary glands.

If a girl, in addition to obesity, is worried about an irregular cycle, acne, oily skin face, excessive hair growth, then most likely she has polycystic ovary syndrome.

Thin and fat child - Dr. Komarovsky's School

Consequences and complications

Overweight child leads to diseases uncharacteristic for his age, among which:

• hypertonic disease;
• type 2 diabetes;
• cirrhosis of the liver;
• ischemic disease.

Also, obesity in children can cause the following problems in the body:

1. Problems from the cardiovascular system. Manifested in an elevated blood pressure, angina pectoris, chronic heart failure, atherosclerosis.
2. Complications from the digestive system. Can cause chronic cholecystitis, pancreatitis, constipation, hemorrhoids.
3. Complications in the area of ​​the musculoskeletal system. Manifested in the deformation of the bone skeleton, joint pain, destruction of articular cartilage.

   It is also possible to develop flat feet and valgus deformity of the knees (the knees are in contact with each other, and the feet are separated, while the legs form an "X" shape).

4. Sleep disorders. Manifested in snoring and sleep apnea.
5. Women who are obese from a young age may have problems conceiving and giving birth.

In addition to physical problems in the body,

obesity can lead children and adolescents to psychological problems. Obesity often leads to social isolation and depression of the child.

As a result, this can lead to such terrible consequences as alcoholism or drug addiction. As well as can cause eating disorders (bulimia and anorexia).

Three threats of obesity in children. Retribution for excess weight - the program "Live healthy!"

Child lifestyle

Treatment of obese children depends primarily on the cause of the disease. To establish it need to see a doctor.

Treatment may include diet, exercise, medication, or surgery.

Diet

The purpose of such a diet is to reduce the layer of subcutaneous fat. To do this, it is necessary to gradually reduce the total caloric content of the food consumed by the child.

Adult diets, as a rule, are based on the partial or complete rejection of a certain set of foods. For childhood obesity, this should not be allowed, because the child must receive all the necessary trace elements and vitamins.

1. Decreased calorie intake. Harmful foods should be completely excluded from the child’s diet, which include: soda, sweet juices, chips, fast food, convenience foods, sausage and smoked foods, mayonnaise, flour products, chocolate, sweets and other high-calorie foods.

   The basis of the child's diet should include: protein products, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, cereals. Avoid fried and fatty foods.

2. Calorie reduction should be done gradually. To begin with, reduce portions of your child's usual food, and then gradually replace it with healthy foods.
3. Frequent small meals. It is best if the child's food can be broken down into 6 meals a day at the same time.
4. Carrying out unloading days once a week.

The diet for the child is best agreed with the attending physician. It will take into account all the features of your child's body and calculate the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates necessary for him.

An important point in the treatment of obesity in a child with a diet will be the support of his parents and relatives.

If a child sees that everyone around him eats harmful, fatty, but such appetizing food for him, and he is forced to eat vegetables and cottage cheese, then he will last a long time.

So it is important to switch the whole family to healthy nutrition and support the child by example.

Physical exercise

Physical activity to treat obesity may include outdoor games, swimming, aerobics and other sports interesting for your child.

It will be useful even an hour walk in the evenings. You can interest the child by your example, or by encouraging him to play sports.

Try to get out more often with your child on nature or walks.

The issue of disability

Obesity, by itself, is rarely a reason for getting a disability. In Russia, such practices are not yet very common, the only exception can be obesity of the IV degree.

In this case, it is most often given 3 or 4 disability group. However, diseases accompanied by obesity can lead to disability.

To qualify for a disability get a referral to the MES in your clinic. If the clinic refuses to issue you a referral, then you are required to issue a certificate.

With it, you can independently apply to the MES Bureau. The referral can be obtained both at the place of residence and at the place of residence of the child.

Medical and surgical treatment

In rare cases medical treatment for obesity. Drugs for the treatment of obesity are primarily aimed at reducing and suppressing the feeling of hunger.

Rarely use surgery to treat obesity. As a rule, this method is used if obesity threatens the life of the child.

During the operation, the size of the child's stomach is reduced, and he can no longer eat in the usual volumes for him.

Prevention

Obesity in children is most often a consequence of the irresponsible attitude of parents to his diet and lifestyle.

The child cannot choose his own diet, so if there is a “cult of food” in the family, then the likelihood of the child becoming obese is very high.

The family needs Instill healthy eating habits in your child from an early age. You should not keep a large number of sweets in the public domain, because the child often pulls them into his mouth not from hunger, but from idleness.

Try to choose more often to nature or to the forest with the whole family. Show your child by example how interesting it is to actively spend free time. This will serve as the best prevention against obesity.

Attention, only TODAY!

• Severe consequences of being overweight
• Causes of obesity in children
• Prevention of obesity in children

Today, more and more often we meet children whose weight clearly exceeds medical standards. What diseases are caused by being overweight? How does it affect the child's mental health? What are the causes of obesity in children? How to prevent it?

Parents should be aware that obesity in childhood can have severe consequences. It significantly increases the risk of developing diabetes, liver and gallbladder diseases, hypertension, infertility and other chronic diseases. People who have been obese since childhood can develop atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction or chronic heart failure at an early age - diseases that are characteristic of older people. An overweight child often suffers from snoring and other sleep disorders. Obesity also negatively affects the psychological state of the child: excess weight gives rise to self-doubt in children and adolescents, significantly reduces self-esteem, which leads to problems with learning, and sometimes causes ridicule from peers and, as a result, leads to isolation and depression.

Causes of obesity in children

Most often, being overweight in children is the result of poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle, but it can also be caused by diseases of the endocrine system or other serious health problems. The main risk factors for obesity are as follows.

• Irrational nutrition
  
• Sedentary lifestyle
  
• hereditary factor
  
• Psychological factors
  

It is interesting! Treatment for obesity in children depends on their age and general health. Children are not prescribed drugs that suppress appetite or promote weight loss. If obesity in a child is caused by a disorder of the hormonal system, weight loss gives a combination of diet, exercise and treatment of the underlying disease.

• For each meal, try to gather at the table with the whole family. Eat slowly, share the news. Do not allow your child to eat in front of the TV, computer or video game - this leads to the fact that he ceases to control satiety and may eat more than he should.

• Limit your child's time at the computer and in front of the TV screen to two hours.
• Focus on mobility in general, and not on physical exercises - the child does not have to perform any specific set of physical exercises, you can just play hide and seek or catch up, jump rope, sculpt snowman etc.
• Let your child change activities on different days of the week. Let him swim in the pool one day, go bowling on the next, play football on the third, ride a bike on the fourth. It doesn't matter what he does - it is important that he moves more.

Discussion

overweight in children in 90% of cases is a consequence of malnutrition in the family. And while mom says, “my son doesn’t eat anything at all,” he will gain and gain weight, and then at 20 GB, 35 is already a heart attack ... So you can’t wait for grandchildren.

The terrible picture in the body of the article is this one, the bottom one. You could just leave her alone, without the rest of the text and the title of the article. And everything would be clear. Coca-Cola is on the children’s table (or Pepsi, I don’t see the difference - smart car enthusiasts have long adapted both of them for their needs - like washing engines - corrodes cleaner than acids). All the rest of the so-called fast food - what we call fast food - is not even possible for an adult body to digest without harming itself, and even for a child whose everything grows and develops ... And what do children eat in schools? And they don't eat anything. Because tastes are already formed for something else - not for casseroles and cereals, but for chips, nuts, croutons with glutamate and everything that has packaging. That's what they eat, running at recess to a nearby store. We, parents, are horrified when we look at TV screens, which show America and its ordinary inhabitants with an average weight of over 100 kg, regardless of age. And we don’t do anything or we can’t do anything, oppose. There is no national program (Dr. Bormenthal and the Country of the Slender - do not count, although, we must pay tribute to the commercial streak of cunning organizers). In sports, our best of the best from the country is far from ahead of the rest, what then to say about the average Russian, and sports are far from being in the priorities of our own national policy. If in Soviet times there were sports sections on every corner, now parents do not know where to attach a preschool child.

The article is correct! As usual, nothing new. More movement and less fat. But what if the child is already full? Or the child thinks that he is full. I recently read a letter from one mom - she has a baby at 6 years old having normal weight would like to lose weight.

Baby goes on a diet

Comment on the article "Overweight in children: causes, prevention and treatment"

Today, more and more often we meet children whose weight clearly exceeds medical standards. What diseases are caused by being overweight? How does it affect the child's mental health? What are the causes of obesity in children? How to prevent it?

Severe consequences of being overweight

Parents should be aware that childhood obesity can have serious consequences. It significantly increases the risk of developing diabetes, liver and gallbladder diseases, hypertension, infertility and other chronic diseases. People who have been obese since childhood may develop atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction or chronic heart failure at an early age - diseases that are characteristic of the elderly. An overweight child often suffers from snoring and other sleep disorders. Obesity also negatively affects the psychological state of the child: excess weight gives rise to self-doubt in children and adolescents, significantly reduces self-esteem, which leads to problems with learning, and sometimes causes ridicule from peers and, as a result, leads to isolation and depression.

Causes of obesity in children

Most often, being overweight in children is the result of poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle, but it can also be caused by diseases of the endocrine system or other serious health problems. The main risk factors for obesity are:

Irrational nutrition

If a child regularly consumes high-calorie, fatty and sugary foods (fast food, snacks, chips, confectionery, pastries, etc.), this can lead to overweight. And if sugary sodas, ice cream, desserts with cream and other sweets are added to this, the risk of obesity increases even more.

Sedentary lifestyle

Lack of physical activity contributes to the accumulation of excess weight, because. in this case, the child burns calories much less than he receives from food. If a child spends a lot of time watching TV, using a computer, or playing video games for a long time, this lifestyle also contributes to the development of obesity.

hereditary factor

If family members are overweight, this is an additional risk factor for obesity in children, especially if the house always has high-calorie foods that are available at any time, and the child leads a sedentary lifestyle.

Psychological factors

Children and adolescents, just like adults, tend to "seize" such psychological problems as stress, trouble or strong emotions, and sometimes they just eat out of boredom. Sometimes the cause of overeating is a lack or lack of parental attention, and extra calories from food lead to overweight.

Prevention of obesity in children

Food choices, daily menus, and meals in the family are up to adults, and even small changes can make a big difference to your child's health.

• When shopping for groceries, don't forget fruits and vegetables. Finished industrial products such as crackers, biscuits and muffins, processed foods, as well as ready-made meals, incl. frozen ones often contain too much fat and sugar, so you should not buy them. Instead, opt for healthier, low-calorie foods.
  Never use food as a reward or punishment.
• Do not buy sugary industrial drinks, including those with fruit juice, or keep them to a minimum. These drinks are high in calories but contain very few nutrients.
• For each meal, try to gather at the table with the whole family. Eat slowly, share the news. Do not allow your child to eat in front of the TV, computer or video game - this leads to the fact that he ceases to control satiety and may eat more than he should.
• Try to visit cafes and restaurants with your child as little as possible, especially fast food restaurants. In such food outlets, most of the dishes on the menu are high in calories and contain a large amount of unhealthy fats.
• To increase the physical activity of the child, adhere to the following rules.
• Limit your child's time at the computer and in front of the TV screen to 2 hours.
• Focus on mobility in general, rather than physical exercises - the child does not have to perform any specific set of physical exercises, you can just play hide and seek or catch up, jump rope, sculpt a snowman, etc.
• For the child to be active, show him an example. Think about what kind of outdoor activities the whole family can do.
• Never use exercise as a punishment or obligation.
• Let your child change activities on different days of the week. Let him swim in the pool one day, go bowling the next, play football on the third, ride a bike on the fourth. It doesn't matter what he does, it's important that he moves more.

In order to understand how relevant the problem of childhood obesity is today, it is enough just to go out into the street, walk through playgrounds or parks. Surely you have noticed that almost half of the children have one or another degree of completeness.

Note the increase in overweight children and pediatricians. But parents, unfortunately, do not always pay attention to this aspect of the development of their child. What is the reason for such negligence?

There are several reasons, as always. These are chubby babies in advertising and films, and the eternal certainty that if a child eats well, then he is healthy. Do not forget about such a phenomenon as natural children's fullness. This condition is typical for children aged about 9 months. At this time, the fatty layer begins to actively form.

However, this does not mean that you can ignore the overweight of your child during this period. In addition, you should not mentally stretch the period of natural childhood fullness. If after the child begins to actively walk, the extra weight does not disappear, then it's time to sound the alarm.

Reasons for being overweight in children

To begin with, it is worth understanding what are the causes of excess weight in children. As always, it is impossible to single out one thing. Every child has their own problems and their own solutions.

Usually, in children, as in adults, obesity develops due to chronic overeating. The law of conservation of energy also applies here: if you eat more than is consumed per day, you will inevitably encounter excess weight.

In second place, of course, low mobility. Typically, both of these factors are present. Today, fatty foods, fast food, and various sweets have gained immense popularity. All this can be purchased literally at every step. Even the parents themselves sometimes, saving time, feed the child junk food. At the same time, modern children are more and more resting in front of a TV or computer. Naturally, an imbalance occurs in the body, which instantly affects the weight of the child.

Here it can also be noted social factor. Children copy their parents in everything, and if adults eat high-calorie foods, children are likely to prefer the same foods. Often a child is devoutly fed, believing that he should eat exactly as much and not a crumb less. Usually grandmothers are prone to such behavior, especially if their childhood was not the post-war years.

Such a feeding system violates one of the most important precepts of a healthy diet - to eat exactly as much as you need to saturate. It is better to leave part of the serving on the plate and eat it later than to choke and eat everything, just to leave nothing.

However, one cannot discount the hereditary factors. If one of the parents of the child is obese, then in half the cases the child himself is faced with this problem. If obesity is observed in both parents, the risk increases even more. In the case of hereditary obesity, more attention should be paid to prevention, rather than waiting for the problem to occur.

Strange as it may sound to many, but psychological aspects can affect the child's overweight. Children, like their parents, can “eat” some of their sorrows, worries and stresses.

In some cases, although quite rarely, the cause of obesity is various diseases. Despite the fact that this is far from the most common cause of extra pounds, you should not forget about it.

What is the danger of obesity in children?

It is important to understand that being overweight in children is much more dangerous than the same problem in an adult. After all, the child's body grows, changes, forms. Many systems in it are not yet fully functional, but are only learning to perform their tasks.

The first to suffer, as it is not difficult to understand, spine. It is on him that the overtime load suddenly falls. But at preschool age, the rapid formation of the skeleton is still going on, the bones are actively growing, and the child is also growing. It is at this stage that posture is formed, and excess weight, coupled with low mobility, can disrupt it even at this stage, which is fraught with various diseases of the spine.

The load on the circulatory system also increases, in connection with this, in children who have been overweight since infancy, by adolescence such traditionally occur age-related diseases like hypertension, heart failure, ischemia, increases the risk of heart attack.

The pancreas also cannot cope with excess nutrients, which causes a violation of glucose metabolism, and this can lead to the development of diabetes.

should not be overlooked and psychological problems. Overweight children are often teased by their peers, which is why they develop complexes, they become insecure. And these complexes accompany such children for the rest of their lives, even if the child's overweight problems can be solved.

Is there any reason for concern?

However, after reading all this, you should not immediately put the child on a diet. Firstly, "adult" diets in the case of a child, especially an infant, are not only ineffective, but also dangerous to health. Secondly, the development of a child is a very individual concept, and before taking any measures, you need to make sure that the problem really exists.

If you think that your child is overweight, you should first try to determine whether this is so on your own. In particular, special tables of weight norms depending on age and height can help with this. Please note that you need to evaluate the situation on all three parameters.

So, if the child weighs too much for his age, do not forget to pay attention to his height. If the growth is also above the norm, then everything is in order. You just encountered a particular version of the norm.

1 month	4,45	54,5	4,15	53,5
2 months	5,25	58	4,9	56,8
3 months	6,05	61	5,5	59,3
4 months	6,7	63	6,15	61,5
5 months	7,3	65	6,65	63,4
6 months	7,9	67	7,2	66,9
Seven months	8,4	68,7	7,7	68,4
8 months	8,85	70,3	8,1	68,4
9 months	9,25	71,7	8,5	70
10 months	9,65	73	8,85	71,3
11 months	10	74,3	9,2	72,6
1 year 1 month	10,6	76,8	9,8	75
1 year 2 months	10,85	78	9,8	75
1 year 3 months	11,1	79	10,3	77,2
1 year 4 months	11,3	80	10,57	78,3
1 year 5 months	11,5	81	10,78	79,3
1 year 6 months	11,7	82	11	80,3
1 year 7 months	11,9	83	11,2	81,3
1 year 8 months	12,07	83,9	11,38	82,2
1 year 9 months	12,23	84,7	11,57	83,1
1 year 10 months	12,37	85,6	11,73	84
1 year 11 months	12,53	86,4	11,88	84,9
2 years 1 month	12,83	88,1	12,22	86,7
2 years 2 months	12,95	88,9	12,38	87,5
2 years 3 months	13,08	89,7	12,52	88,4
2 years 4 months	13,22	90,3	12,68	89,2
2 years 5 months	13,35	91,1	12,82	90
2 years 6 months	13,48	91,8	12,98	90,7
2 years 7 months	13,62	92,6	13,11	91,4
2 years 8 months	13,77	93,2	13,26	92,1
2 years 9 months	13,9	93,8	13,4	92,9
2 years 10 months	14,03	94,4	13,57	93,6
2 years 11 months	14,18	95	13,71	94,2

The parameters in infants vary especially greatly. First of all, because they have a different start and a large, in comparison with the total weight, the initial difference in height and weight. Some children weigh less than 3 kg, others more than 4. During this period, not the weight itself is much more important, but the weight gain per month. This information can also be seen in the table:

1	600	600	3	3
2	800	1400	3	6
3	800	2200	2,5	8,5
4	750	2950	2,5	11
5	700	3650	2	13
6	650	4300	2	15
7	600	4900	2	17
8	550	5450	2	19
9	500	5950	1,5	20,5
10	450	6400	1,5	22
11	400	6800	1,5	23,5
12	350	7150	1,5	25

It is important to keep in mind that formula-fed babies almost always gain weight faster than their breastfed peers. Assessing the weight of your child, this point must also be taken into account.

Another way to determine if a child is overweight is to calculate the body mass index. Please note that this calculation makes sense only after the age of two. This is done quite simply: BMI is equal to body weight in kg divided by the height of the child in cm squared. The resulting value should be compared with the table. It shows the values ​​for overweight and for obesity.

2	18,4	18	20,1	19,4
3	17,9	17,6	19,6	19,1
4	17,6	17,3	19,3	19,2
5	17,4	17,1	19,3	19,7
6	17,6	17,3	19,8	20,5
7	17,9	17,8	20,6	21,6
8	18,4	18,3	21,6	22,8
9	19,1	19,1	22,8	24,1
10	19,8	19,9	24	25,4

If the resulting number is less than the BMI with overweight, then everything is in order in your case, if it is equal or more, then the problem is there. If the BMI value has reached the obesity mark, then the problem in the child is very serious.

Regardless of which method you used, if there is a suspicion that your child is overweight, you do not need to immediately rush to solve the problem, limit the child in food and drive to classes. First you need to contact the pediatrician. He will confirm or refute your fears, and also determine the cause of overweight.

Only then will it be possible to find an adequate solution to the problem. So, if the cause of excess weight in children is a particular disease, food restrictions and any physical activity may be ineffective, and in some cases even dangerous. In this case, you must first identify and cure the disease - the cause.

If everything is more prosaic, and the reason lies in overeating, then you can start the fight against excess weight.

How to deal with overweight in infants?

Excess weight in a breastfed baby is extremely rare. When the baby feeds on mother's milk, he, together with the parent's body, regulates the amount of milk he drinks. This makes overeating almost impossible.

But with artificial feeding, everything is somewhat more complicated. Determining when a child is full at this age is still difficult. It is necessary to draw up a clear feeding schedule, strictly follow the recommendations for the amount of mixture and the volume of water.

Sometimes you can hear the opinion that it is better for artificers to introduce complementary foods as early as possible. In fact, it's not necessary at all. But if you decide to introduce complementary foods to a formula-fed child, then keep in mind that you need to start with vegetable purees. They are the least caloric, and will not contribute to weight gain.

Often vegetable purees are made on the basis of potatoes. Pay attention to this, potatoes should be no more than 50% of the serving. Ideally, make your own puree at home, so you can definitely be sure of the purity of the products and their ratio.

The next item in complementary foods will be cereals with skim milk. Give preference to buckwheat or oatmeal, but it is better to refuse semolina. In addition, porridge can be given only once a day, preferably in the morning. If there is a need to sweeten porridge, it is better to do this with berries and fruits, without adding sugar.

How to deal with excess weight in a preschooler?

With older children, the situation is somewhat more complicated. When a child moves to a common table with his parents, it becomes more difficult to control his diet. The child sees what his parents eat and tries to eat the same.

Another aspect that often interferes with the process of losing weight is food in the kindergarten. There, parents cannot control the child's menu. First of all, you need to talk to the staff and find out what they feed the children in general. Then ask the teachers to cut portions, if necessary, do not give supplements, remove especially high-calorie foods, of course, if possible.

However, the main difficulties still await you at home. The fact is that the whole family will have to rebuild their diet, get used to a healthy diet. It is impossible to explain to a child why everyone will eat dumplings with sour cream or a sweet cake, and he will eat steamed vegetables. He will perceive this as a punishment, as a manifestation of some kind of injustice.

Therefore, everyone will have to come to terms with changes in the menu. However, this is not at all bad, because such a diet is healthy and suitable for people of any age. The nutrition of your family should be balanced, proteins, fats and carbohydrates should be present in the right proportions. As a rule, this ratio is called: 1:1:4, where the last digit refers to carbohydrates - the main source of energy and fiber. The main thing to remember is that these should be complex carbohydrates, not sweets and starchy foods.

Abundance on your menu vegetables and cereals it is also necessary because fiber helps to restore impaired metabolism, and also, like a real brush, cleans the intestines and helps to remove toxins accumulated in it. All this normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, relieves various digestive problems, including constipation, which are not at all rare in overweight children.

However, meat fish, dairy products and fats should also be present. The child's body needs proteins without fail, as it is constantly growing, and it needs building material for cells.

However, it is better to give preference to dietary meat, not fatty. It can be poultry, veal, lean beef. As for cooking methods, it is better to abandon frying and smoking completely, and stop at boiled meat and steamed meat.

By the way, the same applies to vegetable dishes. There is also no need to saturate them with oil during frying, this significantly increases the calorie content of dishes, and apparently, no visible harmful substances in the heated oil.

Concerning dairy products, then you should give preference to skim milk, kefir and sour cream. Also, do not get carried away with various yoghurts with additives. It is better to use natural products, without preservatives. Kefir and yogurt can be made at home based on a special starter culture. Buying it today is not a problem. You should not refuse cheese, but it must be served in limited quantities.

Fats should be predominantly vegetable, and the child will receive a sufficient amount of animals from milk. Sunflower or olive oil can be seasoned with vegetable salads.

Another little tip: buy for a child separate dishes, smaller than yours. In a small plate, even a truncated portion will seem quite sufficient, and a small spoon will have to scoop food from the plate more often. A large number of movements will help to deceive the body, and the feeling of fullness will come earlier.

For this, it is necessary to organize a calm atmosphere for the child during meals. It is better to turn off the TV, radio, you should not occupy the baby with conversations. Yes, and at this time it is better to be silent. This will allow him to fully focus on food and his feelings.

An integral part of the weight loss process should be physical exercise. The child can be given to the sports section, start walking with him in the evenings, sign up for the pool. But here it must also be borne in mind that if you continue to spend time sitting, your child is unlikely to be inflamed with a desire to make any effort.

What can not be done?

When parents are faced with the problem of obesity in a child, there is a great temptation to start blaming someone, arrange terror or concentrate all their energies on achieving a result. However, it is very important to understand what can and cannot be done. So, in itself, the search for the guilty will not lead to anything. No need to blame a kindergarten with an unbalanced diet, a grandmother with her pies, a child with his immoderate appetite, or yourself. The most important thing in this situation is to recognize the problem and the cause and deal with them without undue reproach.

As mentioned above, simply forbidding a child to eat certain foods will not work. At preschool age, such measures are perceived very painfully. You should not make goodies a coveted prize received for some kind of achievement. In this case, the child can make a cult out of food, and this is unlikely to have a positive effect on the process.

Separate conversation - physical activity. You can't solve anything by force either. It is better to try to make morning exercises a fun game, and practice with your baby. This will not only help instill a good habit in him, but will also give you the opportunity to communicate more and better with your child.

As for the choice of sections ... Again, there is a great temptation to choose those where the greatest loads go, but you need to give the child a choice. Classes should not be held under pressure. Let it be a calmer and less energy-intensive sport, but the child will like it, and, as a result, he himself will give all the best in the classroom.

As you know, a specific goal in front of your eyes is the best motivation. However, the goal must be achievable. There is no need to demand everything from the child at once. Start small. First, accustom him to daily exercises, only then proceed to the selection of the section. In food, follow the same principle.

And one more thing: do not concentrate on the problem yourself and focus the attention of the child on it. He should not feel flawed, this adversely affects both the process and the child's psyche. Let it be a game, fun and relaxed.

Prevention of childhood obesity

Of course, prevention is always better than a hasty solution to a problem that has already arisen. Actually, for the purpose of prevention, you can and should do about the same thing that is required for weight loss. That is, morning exercises, sports, mobility, proper nutrition.

Of course, if there is no excess weight yet, prohibitions and restrictions can be much less stringent. In any case, the child does not have to be strictly controlled, for example, at the festive table. One piece of cake or a serving of salad with mayonnaise is unlikely to hurt him.

The advantage of prevention is not only that it allows you not to face the problem of excess weight in children, but also that the child will get used to a healthy lifestyle from childhood, which means he will avoid many other problems.

Very often the reason for anxiety breastfeeding mothers, the question becomes: "Why does the child 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 too much weight gain and advises the nursing mother to cancel night feedings. Of course, the young mother in this case is in a misunderstanding. After all, the child is already accustomed to falling asleep at the breast at night, will not the abolition of night feeding lead to a violation of the regime and the constant crying of the child.

In fact, even if your baby in the first month of life added about 2 kg, is the norm. Do not worry if his baby in the first month added from 460 grams to 2 kg. In 2006, WHO established new standards for infant weight gain, which take into account the ethnicity of the child and the type of feeding. Weight gain tables for children who are entirely breastfed and those who are supplemented by mothers with mixtures are different.

Today there is everything proof of that formula-fed babies gain weight faster than breast-fed babies. Before thinking about whether it is necessary to cancel nightly feedings for a breastfeeding baby, you need to understand that each child is unique and the data in the weight gain table are averaged. Therefore, you need to start worrying only in extreme cases. Weight gain in breastfeeding children depends on the temperament of the child, on heredity, on the degree of communication with the mother, on the amount and method of attachment to the breast, on his physical activity and general health.

Aged 2 months old baby the adaptation period has already ended, so the pediatrician, when weighing the baby, more carefully compares 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 per month. and not 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 being scared and to 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 child cannot overeat, you should worry about a large weight gain in children under one year old only if you decide to introduce complementary foods to the baby.

In rare cases, breasts gain excess weight due to congenital diseases and metabolic disorders. In a healthy breastfed baby, excess weight is quickly lost with the onset of his vigorous activity. The only thing that should alert a nursing mother is if the baby is older than six months is actively going over in weight. Breast-fed babies tend to be thinner than formula-fed babies.

If your to kid 6 months old, and he is still systematically going over in weight, then it is necessary to examine him in order to exclude possible deviations in health. The pediatrician should track the rate of weight gain, then prescribe a blood test for sugar, hormones and a biochemical analysis. Check fat content yourself breast milk thus: express half a glass of milk into a transparent glass and set aside to settle.

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

Encourage any baby physical activity, lay it on your stomach more often, help him roll over, roll on a gym ball and bathe daily. Water procedures harden the baby's body and contribute to the expenditure a large number calories.

Especially quickly go extra pounds in babies along with the beginning of their crawling. This type of vigorous activity quickly brings back to normal " curvaceous"small ass. But it is at this age that the rules for the introduction of complementary foods must be carefully observed. Until the age of six months, it is not recommended to introduce any type of complementary foods to infants, this can contribute to obesity in children in the future.

Return to the table of contents of the section ""

A situation in which a child quickly gains weight can be alarming for parents, especially when it comes to the first experience of caring for a baby. However, pediatricians recommend calming down and studying all the information that will reveal the reasons for this physiological development of the baby.

Dial rules

As a rule, parents begin to worry about the weight of their child when, in the first three months, he gains more than is provided for by the classical norms for the height and body weight of a child up to a year, presented in most free sources of medical literature. Indeed, it is rare when a baby in the first months of life fits into 600-800 grams of monthly weight gain, which depends on many factors: ranging from genetic characteristics and patterns of childbirth, and ending with the type and mode of feeding.

Therefore, the following scheme of norms for weight gain by infants is considered adequate, taking into account all parameters:

1) at 1 month, the weight of boys can be 3.9-5.1 kg, and girls - 3.6-4.8 kg;

2) at 2 months for boys, it fluctuates at the level of 4.9-6.3 kg, for girls - 4.5-5.8 kg;

3) the criteria for the weight of a child at 3 months are determined by the framework: boys - 5.7-7.2 kg, girls - 5.2-6.6 kg;

4) 4th month: boys - 6 2-7.8 kg, girls - 5.7-7.3 kg;

5) 5th month: boys - 6.7-8.4 kg, girls - 6.1-7.8 kg;

6) 6 months: boys - 7.1-8.8 kg, girls - 6.5-8.2 kg;

7) 7th month: boys - 7.4-9.2 kg, girls - 6.8-8.6 kg;

8) 8 month: boys - 7.7-9.6 kg, girls - 7.0-9.0 kg;

9) 9th month: boys - 8.0-9.9 kg, girls - 7.3-9.3 kg;

10) 10th month: boys - 8.2-10.2 kg, girls - 7.5-9.6 kg;

11) 11 months: boys - 8.4-10.5 kg, girls - 7.7-9.9 kg;

12) year: boys - 8.6-10.8 kg, girls - 7.9-10.1 kg.

Doctors note that the weight that goes beyond the above limits requires obligatory control by pediatricians. At the same time, parents should remember that upward changes can be caused not only by pathogenic causes, but also by the characteristics of the baby's body.

Overweight situations and their causes

Why infant gaining weight quickly? Typically, the main the reason lies in the type and mode of its nutrition.

Exceeding weight norms is typical not only for babies whose diet is based on breast milk substitute, but also for babies who are on all three types of feeding: mixed, breast and artificial. At the same time, the reasons for the formation of extra pounds in each case differ.

For breastfed babies, the chances of overweight are extremely low. This is due to the composition of women's milk: anterior (less high-calorie) and hind (more high-calorie). However, even with such a balanced diet, there is a risk of excess weight due to frequent and extremely long on-demand feedings, as well as the composition of breast milk, namely: the excess of the back part over the front or its high fat content. In addition, up to six months, exceeding the norm may indicate endocrine problems, which only a doctor can establish.

As for the kids - "artificial", then main problem in this case is improper formula feeding. Pediatricians recommend paying attention to the quality and calorie content of the mixture, the correctness of its breeding, as well as the implementation of volumes and frequency of feedings corresponding to a certain age. With regard to such babies, the rule of “feeding on demand” is unacceptable, and strict adherence to the regimen and amount of feeding prescribed by the doctor, as well as the inclusion of water in the daily diet, is also mandatory.

For children who are on mixed feeding, the problem of gaining excess weight is unlikely, because. the reason for the introduction of just this type is the lack of weight. But if the weight began to grow rapidly, then the cause may be an endocrine disease.

This is how pediatricians reveal the list of reasons why a child quickly gains weight.

Rules for preventing and correcting problems

The data of the table, how much a child should gain in the first months of life and tracking the compliance of the baby's weight, help prevent the development of the problem of excess weight. However, pediatricians recommend that parents do not overfeed their children and in the case of mixed or breastfeeding try to establish at least a semblance of a regime after the establishment of lactation.

But even if the child, according to relatives, is growing up as a "hero", parents should monitor the following signs of healthy weight gain:

• healthy color and texture of the skin
• clear urine, no stool problems
• nail growth
• activity, mood
• matching emotional and mental development norms
• brightness and brilliance of the eyes

If, subject to the correct diet of the selected type, a negative characteristic is given for two of the listed parameters, and the weight is growing rapidly, then seek medical advice immediately.

In conclusion, it remains to be noted that a child’s rapid weight gain may be due to various factors and only a competent pediatrician can adequately assess it.