Big Issues: Obesity in children

Weight issues and obesity are prevalent for adults the world over, but really concerning statistics point towards the growth of obesity in children throughout the world. The Heart & Stroke Foundation states that 17% of South African children between the ages of one and nine are clinically overweight. This high percentage is attributed to a number of factors, but most frequently unhealthy eating patterns and a lack of physical exercise seem to come up as the biggest culprits. The Clinical Research Council of South Africa asserts that abdominal fat is the leading human killer worldwide, claiming 17-million lives on an annual basis.

While healthy eating behaviour and physical exercise are part of a healthy lifestyle, genetic factors have a role to play in a child’s body mass. It is true that if one or more parents are overweight or obese, the child will be more susceptible to weight gain. What is more concerning than this though, is the environmental affect of genetics, i.e. that children who are born into families with the tendency to overeat, run a higher risk of falling into the obesity spiral because of the patterns and habits they have garnered from their parents. In countries, such as South Africa, where urbanisation affects people accustomed to living rural lifestyles, the transition can result in weight gain, as people are exposed to the high-fat nature of the ‘western’ diet. Many parents attach an emotional depth to eating, and take the simplicity of nourishment to load it with subjective meaning i.e. eating all their food will make children ‘good’, or bribing children with sweets to make them feel better or be ‘well behaved’.

In order to prevent serious health defects later on in life, children need to be taught certain lifestyle skills while they are still young enough to retain healthy habits. When dealing with childhood obesity, one has to make sure that the child still gets the nutritional quota he/she needs. Some basic steps to consider:
§ Integrated treatment: the objective, when working with overweight children, should always be to ensure that the rate of weight gain is reduced in relation to the child’s growth
§ Exercise: it is important to consider both an increase in physical activity, as well as a decrease in inactive/ sedentary activities
§ Healthy eating habits: children should eat at least three meals a day with a healthy snack in between, incorporating all five food groups. Processed and refined foods need to be filtered out of the child’s diet
§ Consult a professional: overweight children become overweight adults with serious health problems. Your child only gets one body; if his/ her weight really is a concern, consult a specialist.

Children learn by example, so the change is realistically going to have to be made by the entire family. As parents, one of our biggest roles is to provide life skills and lifestyle guidance, so think of this as the ultimate gift to give your children, to ensure their health and safety.

Lisa Raleigh Cpt offers a customised children’s program for obese kids, and fitness boot camps to encourage children to get back to a more active lifestyle in a fun, non-competitive environment. Children’s activities focus on strength, agility and flexibility. The clinic is also offering pre-season rugby fitness camps during the month of April.

For further details on our children’s programmes, contact Lisa Raleigh Clinic Cpt:
Tel: 021 674 2790 082 464 8911
Email: joy@lisaraleighcpt.co.za