New Delhi. Increasing obesity (weight gain) in children is becoming a matter of concern for many parents today. Often, when a child's weight increases, the family takes it as a sign of good health or overeating, but if the weight is increasing rapidly in proportion to the age and height, then it is not right to ignore it. Childhood obesity can increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep problems and other health problems later on. The role of parents is very important in forming the eating and daily habits of children. In such a situation, there are some mistakes which parents unknowingly repeat every day and they can affect the weight of the child.
The first mistake is to keep the child busy with mobile, TV, tablet or video games for a long time. Spending too much time in front of screens can reduce children's physical activity. Instead of spending time in playing, running, walking and outdoor activities, if the child spends most of the time on the screen, then his daily activity is affected. Parents should allocate adequate time for sports and physical activities according to the age of the children.
The second big problem is giving packaged and junk food again and again. Chips, biscuits, pizza, burgers, instant noodles, sweets and sweet drinks seem delicious to children, but frequent consumption of them can increase their total calories. Along with providing nutritious food at home, it is important to make fruits, vegetables, pulses, whole grains and other balanced options a part of children's regular diet. Instead of making junk food a daily habit, giving it in limited quantities occasionally may be a better approach.
The third mistake is to force the child to eat more than he wants. Many parents put pressure on the child to complete the plate. Due to this, the child may find it difficult to understand his natural signals of hunger and fullness. Using food as a reward or punishment should also be avoided. It is important to provide children with a balanced diet and respect their hunger signals.
The fourth mistake is to ignore sleep. Using mobile phones till late night, watching TV or the habit of sleeping at different times every day can affect children's sleep. Adequate and regular sleep is essential for the healthy development of children and less or irregular sleep can be linked to many health problems, including weight gain. Therefore, regular sleeping and waking time should be fixed for children according to their age.
Fifth and most important thing is that children quickly learn the same habits which they see at home. If parents themselves constantly eat junk food, remain less active or stay up late at night, then children can also adopt such a routine. Therefore, to control the child's weight, it is not enough to just tell him the rules, but the entire family should try to adopt a healthy lifestyle. If the child's weight continues to increase rapidly, it would be appropriate to consult a doctor or pediatrician.