Overweight and obesity among children is a major problem now a day, so it is a crucial need to control it by using key
“EAT WELL AND KEEP MOVING”
Overweight and obesity are not friendly healthy conditions for children. Poor health conditions resulting from overweight and obesity act as a barrier to development for a good mind and thus pave the way for poor learning behavior and outcomes.
The following are some results of obesity and overweight in children.
➢ Hypertension
➢ Excessive sweating
➢ Teasing and comprehension refutation
These are common to obese children. In addition, research has revealed that overweight and obese children are reported showing poor performance in academic and physical activities.
The school environment, like that of society, generally discourages healthy choices by providing students with too many attractively packaged.
So overweight and obesity in children can be controlled
1. By educating teachers, parents and children about adverse health effects of overweight and obesity
2. How to control overweight and obesity by increasing physical activities
3. Improving nutrition, by avoiding taking of junk food
4. Increasing consumption of fruits and vegetable
5. By changing their nature of transport
6. Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle.
Research shows that a student’s participation in physical activity at school tends to decline with age and over time.
Different Effective Ways to Control Childhood Obesity
To control obesity and overweight in children is to engage them in at least 30 to 45 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day depending upon the condition of their excess weight.
• Obesity and overweight can also be controlled by educating teachers, children as well as parents about the harmful effects of obesity
• Also providing high-quality food and nutrition education programs as well as activity-related events and classes for families and staff.
The best way to control overweight and obesity is by changing diet patterns and lifestyle i.e increasing physical activity.
❖ To control overweight and obesity program should be arranged at a small scale to provide healthy foods easily available to children in schools, taking school cafeteria initiatives by
❖ introducing and promoting low fat
❖ whole foods and fiber-enriched food into menu e.g vegetable sandwiches
❖ by starting competitive pricing programs aimed at making healthy foods a better value and more attractive to students in terms of cost and variety
❖ by reducing the number of unhealthy foods offered such as snacks and soda and processed foods.
To control obesity and overweight in children there should provide opportunities and environment to the specific target groups by introducing new physical activities along with active recreation for kids that call attention to cooperative and competitive games such as running competitions, jumping rope, including muscle stretching activities such as gymnastic and push-ups etc.
Expected Outcomes:
By organizing nutrition education programs in schools there will be improvements in students’ health knowledge and dietary intake. It will be also helpful for organizations and teams working on control of childhood obesity.
Author: Ifrah Usman (M.Sc (Hons) Food Science and Technology)
Address: Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Email: ifrahusmanft@gmail.com
