Child Obesity Treatment Parameters
In order to determine an appropriate course of child obesity treatment there are a number of factors that first needs to be determined. Unless we actually know how we are defining obesity it is impossible to have the right child obesity treatment and if you are actually treating the correct thing. Without this kind of information it is possible that what seems to be an appropriate child obesity treatment might actually be more harmful than beneficial.
In general, when people eat more calories than it burns this is when obesity occurs. The causes of obesity, more specifically, can be quite varied going from genetic and biological influences to behavior or cultural factors.
First, a Defininition of Obesity
Obesity is often defined as the excessive accumulation of fat in the body, and is prevalent when total body weight is more than 25% fat in boys and 32% in girls. Child obesity is often defined as a weight-for-height ratio greater than 120% of normal. Needless to say, if obesity is not dealt with it can develop into clinically severe obesity or even morbid obesity which is usually defined as being 100 pounds or more than the ideal body weight and can often lead to serious chronic disease.
Obese youngsters without the appropriate treatment are at high risk of growing into an obese adult who is prone to common illnesses associated with weight such as hypertension, coronary heart disease and diabetes.
Basic Child Obesity Treatment
First, child obesity treatment starts with appropriate and early action in relation to weight control. Over time the aim of weight loss is to decrease the gain in weight so the child can grow into their normal body weight not just general weight loss.
Second, child obesity treatment should have a formal exercise program, which can make the child more active thus burning more fat, increasing energy expenditure and helping to maintain weight. Note that almost all of the studies have shown that exercise by itself will not help in weight loss unless it is accompanied by other changes such as nutrition education or behavior modification.
Third, another important aspect of child obesity treatment is appropriate diet. It can be psychologically damaging for a youngster to endure extended fasting or extremes in caloric intake. It may also adversely affect growth of the child, and may distort the child’s perception of normal eating. It is necessary to teach a child to have a balanced and nutritious diet with a slight reduction in caloric intake.
Fourthare behavioral strategies that can be used for child obesity treatment. There are a number of behavioral strategies that can be effective for children that are used by adults to treat obesity. These involve self-monitoring and keeping record of food eaten as well as some physical activity. Slowing down the rate of eating, using incentives and rewards for desirable behavior, and limiting the place and time of eating are effective as well
Beneficial child obesity treatment is a combination of diet management, moderate exercise and behavior modification all of which affect the lifestyle of the child. With this kind of child obesity treatment the youngster should learn good life choices which should greatly influence their well being and health both for life and in the short term.
Uncategorized