The medical sources obesity is defined as the excessive accumulation of body fat mass. Obesity can talk if body weight is more than 25% fat in boys and more than 32% in girls. Although obesity in children is often determined as a violation ratio weight / height greater than the ideal body weight by 20%, more accurate measure of completeness should be considered as skinfold thickness.

Obesity

Not all chubby babies subsequently converted into full of children, and not all children grow up in well-fed obese adults. However, with age the fullness intensified in both men and women, and there is a considerable likelihood that obesity appeared in the early childhood, will accompany you to the grave.

Completeness and obesity cause many problems in the child. Apart from the fact that childhood obesity threatens to worsen with age, it is a major cause of childhood hypertension Hypertension - dangerous consequences Due to the degree II diabetes (diabetes mellitus), increases the risk of coronary heart disease, increases the pressure on the joints, weight-bearing, lower self-esteem and affects relationships with peers. According to some experts, the most serious consequences of obesity are precisely the social and psychological problems.

Causes of childhood obesity

As with obesity in adults, obesity in children is caused by a whole set of reasons, but the most important of them - the mismatch of energy produced (calories derived from food) and wasted (calories burned during the primary metabolism Metabolism: The basis of life of all living things   and physical activity) of the body. Childhood obesity often develops as a result of a complex interaction of dietary, psychological, genetic and physiological factors.

Family

Obesity most susceptible children whose parents also are overweight. This phenomenon can be explained by heredity or modeling of parental eating behaviors, which indirectly affects the energy balance of the child. Half of parents of primary school children have never played sports and avoid physical exertion.

Treatment of childhood obesity

The aim of obesity treatment programs for children and adolescents is rarely weight loss. Rather, they are focused on slowing or stopping weight gain, which should allow the child with time to reach a normal weight.

Earlier and correct intervention is especially important. There is convincing evidence that food and physical behavior of adolescents and children is easier to correct than the behavior of adults. There are three forms of intervention:

Physical activity

Compliance with the formal training program or an increase in physical activity allows you to burn calories and increase energy expenditure and maintain the acquired form. Most studies of childhood obesity have shown that exercise does not bring tangible results unless combined with other forms of interference, such as nutrition education and behavioral change. However, fitness brings added health benefits. Even if the body fat and body weight of the child do not change after 50 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week, such as exercise improves blood lipid profiles and blood pressure.

Nutrition and diet

Babies do not recommend fasting or unduly restrict your calorie intake. This treatment strategy can not only cause stress How to beat stress? Create an oasis But also adversely affect the growth of the child and his perception of "normal" food. Balanced diets with moderate caloric restriction, especially reduced-fat, have been successfully used for the treatment of childhood obesity. Also, do not neglect nutrition education. Diet combined with fitness - effective strategy for treating childhood obesity.

Behavior modification

Many behavioral strategies that are used for the treatment of obesity in adults, and are successfully used for the treatment of children and adolescents: self-management and nutritional diary, slowing the rate of absorption of food, limiting the time and space of food consumption, the introduction of awards and incentive prizes for results. Especially effective strategy of behavior with the child's parents.

Preventing Childhood Obesity

Obesity is easier to prevent than to treat. Preventing obesity depends largely on the education of parents. My mother should feed the baby breast, to be able to determine when the baby is satisfied, and not to rush the introduction of the diet of a baby solid food. When the child grows, parents should provide proper nutrition Proper nutrition - the basic precepts of healthy food Choose low-calorie foods, try to avoid the harmful fast food, develop the skills of physical activity, and to regulate television viewing. If preventive measures are ineffective or can not completely overcome the influence of heredity, education priority should be to develop a child's self-esteem and self-confidence.

The child is the first year of life at a certain stage of development, in addition to breast milk or infant formula Dairy mixture - selection of useful power   is required and a lot of other substances, especially minerals and carbohydrates, which is not much in the breast milk. A demand for such materials is high due to the fact that the child is growing, and at the same time improving its metabolism.

Baby fruit puree

Baby fruit puree is injected into the child's diet to 3, 5-4 months (by this time the child is about two weeks gets fruit juice). Certainly, it is better to use a ready-made mashed potatoes in jars for baby food. So you can be sure that the child with the mashed potatoes will not get any poisonous substances, which are currently used for growing fruit and berries.

All infant formula sold in our stores and in pharmacies, subject to strict controls and can be quite sure of its good qualities. But the taste is different at different firms. So do not be surprised if your little one will prefer some company, for example, "Agusha", "Nestle" or "Babushkino basket." At first, try to choose a single component mashed potatoes, for example, apple. And only when the child try several kinds of different fruit puree can be mixed to give mashed potatoes, for example, apple and pear. Strictly follow the recommendations for the child's age, you can make this sauce, the manufacturer indicated on the jar.

But if you are confident that in the fruit there is no toxic substances (for example, if the apples from your garden and in your area there are no industrial enterprises with toxic waste), it is possible to cook fruit pulp itself, it needs to clean up the apple and scrape it pulp sharp edge teaspoon.

Since giving fruit puree, remember that you can enter only one kind of sauce (eg, applesauce, a particular company or a home-cooked mashed potatoes and one of the varieties of apples). This rule must be observed due to the fact that the child can start allergies and if you give a different kind of mashed potatoes, it will be difficult to determine at what kind of product the child responds well.

The first time should be given half a teaspoon of fruit puree after feeding the baby Breastfeeding - a personal choice   feeding. Giving puree needed in the same time, for example, at 14 hours (five times a day feeding four hours), then it will be easier to attach to it after a while even a vegetable puree. Gradually, during the week (if the child is not worried, he does not have a rash) can reach a tablespoon. By 5-6 months (since the introduction of the first feeding in the form of vegetable puree), the child will receive 30 g of fruit puree (1, 5 tablespoons).

Baby vegetable puree

If the fruit puree was just a snack, the vegetable puree is the proud title of the first feeding. Breastfeeding vegetable puree start giving 5-6 months, artificial and mixed feeding - two weeks earlier.

Purée called the first lure Introduce solid foods - how not to be mistaken with a choice of products? As it begins to displace the breast milk. Its yield is typically 14 hours at a five-time feeding. The first time is given half teaspoon and gradually in a week you can reach up to 30 g, and a month - up to 150, during the first feeding of solid foods introduced, and then given a breast. At the same feeding the child will receive and fruit puree. Although the latter is not necessarily, fruit puree can be moved to another time.

To Purée the same requirements as to the fruit: the preference should be given to prepare the feed. Start better with mashed easily digestible, such as squash, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage. And, of course, vegetable purees first have to be one-component mixtures can be given only once to know exactly what the child is not allergic to these products. All jars of baby food sure is written, what age you can give your child.

You can cook vegetable soup and independently of the same zucchini or potatoes. To do this, the potatoes are cleaned, cut into pieces, cook, rub through a sieve (if mash with a fork, then there may be lumps and choke a child), to dissolve some water, which boiled potatoes, again, put on fire and bring to a boil. Once the sauce has cooled, it can be given to the child. Approximately two weeks later, when the child normally brings mashed potatoes, it can add a little butter or oil.

And only after you have completed the one kind of vegetable puree (eg potatoes), you can gradually start to introduce other, adding it to the first.

The child begins to get the lure, and it gradually leads to a restructuring of the work of his digestive tract. The first solid foods - this is the first step to nutritious food and receiving solid food.

Galina Romanenko