• What to do if your child is fat? What are the causes of excess weight problems in children? What to do if your child is overweight

    01.08.2019

    Mothers of babies often proudly tell friends and relatives how well the baby is gaining weight after birth - pediatricians look at special tables and rejoice at the introduction of complementary foods on time, from children's advertisements touching babies with plump pink cheeks and with arms in constrictions look at us.

    Meanwhile, the problem of excess weight is a real threat to a child’s health. How to determine the moment when it is time to stop being touched and face the truth? At what age should you worry about counting calories and what to do if it is already obvious that lack of action - on the part of parents, of course, first of all - will very quickly crush your loved one little man childish burden of diseases? How to protect your child from possible problems in relationships with peers?

    What do the statistics say?

    The situation is not very happy - statistics show that every sixth child on the planet aged 2 to 19 years has some amount of excess weight, which can and definitely needs to be done something about. And the same statistics claim that the majority of mothers and fathers refuse to understand and accept the scale of the problem, even if information about the child’s excess weight is presented to them in open text: only 23% of parents immediately agree to help their offspring, while the rest prefer to pretend that there is no problem at all.

    Many parents tend to feel guilty when it becomes clear that their child needs help: society places responsibility for excess weight exactly on them. But it is obvious, and research confirms this, that the matter is often in the specific developmental characteristics of the child himself, his metabolism and eating habits, which are sometimes very difficult for parents to influence. In any case, you need to start by identifying excess weight as a fact.

    How do you know if your child is overweight?

    To begin with, it makes sense to consult the same children's tables of weight and age - it is better to take those used by WHO, they have a very wide “range” of norms, tied to a certain age up to adolescence. If the child falls within the standard - even at its upper limit - then there is no need to worry too much, but if you are worried about being overweight, it makes sense to limit some foods and increase sports activities - more on that below.

    If the weight exceeds the permissible norms, it is worth talking about the presence of one degree or another of obesity - and then the solution to the problem definitely should not be put on the back burner. Of course, the most reasonable thing would be to first contact a pediatrician, and then a nutritionist. Based on their recommendations, it will be clear what to do next.

    What will a competent doctor do?

    The right specialist will be able to accurately determine how serious the existing problem is and whether it exists at all - he will calculate the child’s body mass index, compare it with the existing table, carefully study the history of the child’s development and growth, evaluate family history and information about the physique of ancestors.

    Only after this will a verdict be received about whether there is a problem with excess weight, how serious the situation is and what, in fact, to do about it. Perhaps, to clarify the full picture, the doctor will write out referrals to other specialized specialists to clarify unclear issues. If, despite the fact that the child is very ahead of his peers in weight and height, his development does not raise any doubts, he will, with a clear conscience, send the whole family to grow up in health and further.

    What are the dangers of being overweight?

    Excess kilograms are not only aesthetic problems and possible difficulties in communicating with peers, for example, in active games. This is also a series possible complications with health. Let's list the most common ones.

    Type 2 diabetes

    This is a chronic disease associated with a failure in the processing of sugar - glucose. One of the most simple ways earning it at an early age means obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

    Metabolic syndrome

    This is a complex of physiological problems that dramatically increase the possibility of developing cardiovascular diseases and ailments associated with metabolic disorders.

    High cholesterol

    Cholesterol impairs blood flow by creating plaque in the arteries. This can cause heart attacks and strokes in the indefinite future.

    Asthma

    The reason here is not entirely clear, but the relationship is clearly established: overweight children are at risk of developing asthma without other apparent causes. Immediately after eliminating the problem of excess weight, the threat of asthma, as a rule, disappears.

    Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

    The disease is dangerous because the accumulation of fat in the liver is asymptomatic - neither the parents, nor especially the child himself, even have time to notice that the situation is close in its picture to classic cirrhosis of the liver - then acting is much more difficult than trying to prevent the disease.

    Why do children become overweight?

    There is no clear answer. The situation is more or less clear when both parents and children are overweight - then we can talk about unhealthy family eating habits, love for fast food and inattention to physical activity. Genetic predisposition can also be included in the overall picture.

    But it also happens that a child of fit and slender parents is clearly overweight, other children are fine, slim and healthy, but one of the children is clearly with problems. Recognizing the difficulties in establishing clear and distinct boundaries and causes of excess weight, doctors speak with more or less caution about the following factors.

    Unbalanced diet

    In other words, the same ill-fated fast food, constant snacking on the go, and an addiction to factory-made sweets (including drinks, including, by the way, fruit juice, which is actively sold under the guise of “healthy and natural”).

    Lack of movement

    Everything here is obvious and simple: how much energy comes in, so much should be spent. Lack of physical activity very quickly leads to an increase in extra pounds and centimeters.

    Psychological factors

    Children, just like adults, often become obsessed with real or imagined problems. “Sweeten” your gray or boring and dull life - the right way earn even more problems, and they will certainly be completely real.

    Socio-economic factors

    Lack of funds in family budget, unfortunately, sharply limits access to fresh vegetables and fruits and vitamins, but forces parents to buy the cheapest - and often the lowest quality - sweets in order to somehow please the baby.

    What to do if your child is overweight?

    It is best to take as a basis a list of actions that a specialist will recommend to a particular child after a full examination and examination of all the reasons. If there are no other indications and contraindications that require special correction, the following actions may be taken.

    Do not give your child sugary drinks - we are talking about carbonated factory-made sweet waters and fruit “juices”. It is best to switch to freshly squeezed juices without sugar, fruit drinks and compotes.

    Try to feed your child as many vegetables and fruits as possible - be prepared that it will take some time to adapt to new eating habits.

    Try to have lunch or dinner with the whole family at least once a day - at this time, remove gadgets from sight, turn off the TV and enjoy not only food, but also full communication with each other.

    Limit the number of snacks - and carefully monitor the implementation of this rule. Children sometimes turn out to be much more inventive than we think.

    Find suitable type physical activity is possible for the whole family - dancing or swimming, for example, are perfect for those who do not want to engage in serious sports.

    In order to understand how pressing the problem of childhood obesity is today, just go outside, walk through playgrounds or parks. Surely you have noticed that almost half of children have one degree or another of obesity.

    Pediatricians also note an increase in overweight children. But parents, unfortunately, do not always pay attention to this aspect of their child’s development. What is the reason for such negligence?

    There are, as always, several reasons. These include chubby babies in advertising and films, and the eternal belief that if a child eats well, then he is healthy. We should not forget about such a phenomenon as natural childhood obesity. This condition is typical for children aged about 9 months. At this time, the fat layer begins to actively form.

    However, this does not mean that you can ignore your child’s excess weight during this period. In addition, you should not mentally stretch out the period of natural childhood fullness. If, after the child begins to walk actively, the excess weight does not disappear, then it’s time to sound the alarm.

    First, it’s worth understanding the causes of excess weight in children. As always, it’s impossible to single out just one thing. Each child has his own problems and his own solution.

    Typically, in children, as in adults, obesity develops due to chronic overeating . The law of conservation of energy also applies here: if you eat more than you burn in a day, you will inevitably become overweight.

    In second place, of course, low mobility . As a rule, both of these factors take place. Today, fatty foods, fast food, and various sweets have become extremely popular. All this can be purchased literally at every step. Even parents themselves sometimes feed their children junk food to save time. At the same time, modern children relax more and more in front of the TV or computer. Naturally, an imbalance occurs in the body, which immediately affects the child’s weight.

    It can also be noted here social factor . Children copy their parents in everything, and if adults eat high-calorie foods, children are likely to prefer the same foods. Often a child is fervently fed, believing that he should eat exactly as much and not a crumb less. Usually grandmothers are prone to this behavior, especially if their childhood did not occur in the post-war years.

    This feeding system violates one of the most important commandments healthy eating– eat exactly as much as you need to feel full. It is better to leave part of the portion on the plate and finish it later than to choke and eat everything, just to leave nothing.

    However, one cannot discount hereditary factors . If one of the child’s parents is obese, then in half the cases the child himself faces this problem. If both parents are obese, the risk increases even more. In the case of hereditary obesity, more attention needs to be paid to prevention, without waiting for the problem to arise.

    Strange as it may sound to many, but also psychological aspects can affect excess weight in a child. Children, like their parents, can “eat up” some of their sorrows, experiences and stress.

    In some cases, although quite rare, the cause of obesity is various diseases . Despite the fact that this is far from the most common reason for extra pounds, we should not forget about it.

    What are the dangers of obesity in children?

    It is important to understand that excess weight in children is much more dangerous than the same problem in an adult. After all, a child’s body grows, changes, and develops. Many systems in it are not yet functioning at full capacity, but are just learning to perform their tasks.

    The first to suffer, as it is not difficult to understand, spine. It is he who is suddenly burdened with overtime workload. But in preschool age The skeleton is still rapidly forming, the bones are actively growing, and the child is growing. It is at this stage that posture is formed, and excess weight coupled with low mobility can disrupt it even at this stage, which can lead to various diseases spine.

    The load on the circulatory system also increases, in connection with this, children who are overweight from infancy develop such traditional symptoms by adolescence. age-related diseases, such as hypertension, heart failure, ischemia, increases the risk of heart attack.

    The pancreas also cannot cope with excess nutrients, which results in impaired glucose metabolism, which can lead to the development of diabetes.

    We must not lose sight of psychological problems. Overweight children are often teased by their peers, which is why they develop complexes and become unsure of themselves. And these complexes accompany such children for the rest of their lives, even if the child’s excess weight problems can be solved.

    Is there any reason to worry?

    However, after reading all this, you should not immediately put your child on a diet. Firstly, “adult” diets in the case of a child, especially an infant, are not only ineffective, but also dangerous to health. Secondly, child development is a very individual concept and before taking any measures, you need to make sure that the problem really exists.

    If you think that your child is overweight, you should first try to determine whether this is true yourself. In particular, special tables of weight norms depending on age and height can help with this. Please note that you need to evaluate the situation according to all three parameters.

    So, if a child weighs a lot for his age, do not forget to pay attention to his height. If the height is also higher than normal, then everything is in order. You are simply faced with a particular version of the norm.

    Age Boy Girl
    Weight, kg height, cm Weight, kg height, cm
    Birth 3,6 50 3,4 49,5
    1 month 4,45 54,5 4,15 53,5
    2 months 5,25 58 4,9 56,8
    3 months 6,05 61 5,5 59,3
    4 months 6,7 63 6,15 61,5
    5 months 7,3 65 6,65 63,4
    6 months 7,9 67 7,2 66,9
    7 months 8,4 68,7 7,7 68,4
    8 months 8,85 70,3 8,1 68,4
    9 months 9,25 71,7 8,5 70
    10 months 9,65 73 8,85 71,3
    11 months 10 74,3 9,2 72,6
    1 year 10,3 75,5 9,5 73,8
    1 year 1 month 10,6 76,8 9,8 75
    1 year 2 months 10,85 78 9,8 75
    1 year 3 months 11,1 79 10,3 77,2
    1 year 4 months 11,3 80 10,57 78,3
    1 year 5 months 11,5 81 10,78 79,3
    1 year 6 months 11,7 82 11 80,3
    1 year 7 months 11,9 83 11,2 81,3
    1 year 8 months 12,07 83,9 11,38 82,2
    1 year 9 months 12,23 84,7 11,57 83,1
    1 year 10 months 12,37 85,6 11,73 84
    1 year 11 months 12,53 86,4 11,88 84,9
    2 years 12,67 87,3 12,05 85,8
    2 years 1 month 12,83 88,1 12,22 86,7
    2 years 2 months 12,95 88,9 12,38 87,5
    2 years 3 months 13,08 89,7 12,52 88,4
    2 years 4 months 13,22 90,3 12,68 89,2
    2 years 5 months 13,35 91,1 12,82 90
    2 years 6 months 13,48 91,8 12,98 90,7
    2 years 7 months 13,62 92,6 13,11 91,4
    2 years 8 months 13,77 93,2 13,26 92,1
    2 years 9 months 13,9 93,8 13,4 92,9
    2 years 10 months 14,03 94,4 13,57 93,6
    2 years 11 months 14,18 95 13,71 94,2
    3 years 14,3 95,7 13,85 94,8

    The parameters vary especially greatly among infants. First of all, because they have different starts and a large initial difference in height and weight, compared to their total weight. Some children weigh less than 3 kg, others more than 4. During this period, what is much more important is not the weight itself, but the weight gain per month. This information can also be seen in the table:

    Age, month Weight gain, grams Height gain, centimeter
    per month for the past period per month for the past period
    1 600 600 3 3
    2 800 1400 3 6
    3 800 2200 2,5 8,5
    4 750 2950 2,5 11
    5 700 3650 2 13
    6 650 4300 2 15
    7 600 4900 2 17
    8 550 5450 2 19
    9 500 5950 1,5 20,5
    10 450 6400 1,5 22
    11 400 6800 1,5 23,5
    12 350 7150 1,5 25

    It is important to keep in mind that children artificial feeding They almost always gain weight faster than their peers who are fed breast milk. When assessing your child’s weight, this point must also be taken into account.

    Another way to determine whether a child is overweight is to calculate the body mass index. Please note that this calculation only makes sense after two years of age. This is done quite simply: BMI is equal to body weight in kg divided by cm squared. The resulting value must be compared with the table. It shows the values ​​for overweight and obesity.

    Age Excess body weight Obesity
    boys girls boys girls
    2 18,4 18 20,1 19,4
    3 17,9 17,6 19,6 19,1
    4 17,6 17,3 19,3 19,2
    5 17,4 17,1 19,3 19,7
    6 17,6 17,3 19,8 20,5
    7 17,9 17,8 20,6 21,6
    8 18,4 18,3 21,6 22,8
    9 19,1 19,1 22,8 24,1
    10 19,8 19,9 24 25,4

    If the resulting number is less than BMI for overweight, then everything is fine in your case, if it is equal or greater, then there is a problem. If the BMI value has reached the obesity level, then the child has a very serious problem.

    Regardless of which method you used, if there is a suspicion that your child is overweight, you do not need to immediately rush to solve the problem, limit your child’s food intake and send him to classes. First you need to contact your pediatrician. He will confirm or refute your fears, and also determine the cause of excess weight.

    Only after this will it be possible to select an adequate solution to the problem. So, if the cause of excess weight in children is one or another disease, food restrictions and any physical activity may turn out to be ineffective, and in some cases even dangerous. In this case, it is necessary to first identify and treat the disease - the cause.

    If everything is more prosaic, and the reason lies in overeating, then you can start the fight against excess weight.

    How to deal with excess weight in infants?

    Overweight infant on natural feeding- an extremely rare phenomenon. When a baby feeds on mother's milk, he himself, together with the parent's body, regulates the amount of milk he drinks. Thanks to this, overeating is almost impossible.

    But with artificial feeding, everything is somewhat more complicated. It is still difficult to determine when a child is full at this age. It is necessary to draw up a clear feeding schedule and strictly follow the recommendations for the amount of mixture and volume of water.

    Sometimes you can hear the opinion that it is better for artificial babies to introduce complementary foods as early as possible. In fact, this is not necessary at all. But if you decide to introduce complementary foods to a bottle-fed baby, then keep in mind that you need to start with vegetable purees. They are the least caloric and will not contribute to weight gain.

    Vegetable purees are often made using potato purees. Please note that potatoes should make up no more than 50% of the serving. Ideally, make puree at home yourself, so you can be sure of the purity of the products and their ratio.

    The next item in complementary feeding will be porridge with skim milk. Give preference to buckwheat or oatmeal, but it is better to avoid semolina. In addition, porridge can be given only once a day, preferably in the morning. If there is a need to sweeten the porridge, it is better to do this with berries and fruits without adding sugar.

    How to deal with excess weight in a preschooler?

    With kids older situation somewhat more complex. When a child moves to a common table with his parents, it becomes more difficult to control his diet. The child sees what his parents eat and tries to eat the same.

    Another aspect that often interferes with the weight loss process is nutrition in the kindergarten. There, parents cannot control the child's menu. First of all, you need to talk to the staff and find out what they feed the children. Next, ask the teachers to cut down portions, if necessary, not to give supplements, to remove particularly high-calorie foods, of course, if possible.

    However, the main difficulties still await you at home. The fact is that the whole family will have to rebuild their diet and get used to healthy eating. It is impossible to explain to a child why everyone will eat dumplings with sour cream or a sweet cake, and he will eat steamed vegetables. He will perceive this as punishment, as a manifestation of some kind of injustice.

    Therefore, everyone will have to come to terms with changes to the menu. However, this is not bad at all, because such a diet is healthy and suitable for people of any age. Your family's diet should be balanced, the right proportions Proteins, fats and carbohydrates must be present. As a rule, this ratio is called: 1:1:4, where the last number refers to carbohydrates - the main source of energy and fiber. The main thing is to remember that these should be complex carbohydrates, and not sweets and flour.

    Abundance on your menu vegetables and cereals It is also necessary because fiber helps restore disturbed metabolism, and also, like a real brush, cleanses the intestines and helps remove toxins accumulated in it. All this normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, relieves various problems digestion, including constipation, which is not uncommon in overweight children.

    However, meat fish, dairy products and fats should also be present. A child's body absolutely needs proteins, as it is constantly growing and needs building material for cells.

    However, it is better to give preference to dietary meat, not fatty. It can be poultry, veal, lean beef. As for cooking methods, it is better to avoid frying and smoking completely, and stick to boiled and steamed meat.

    By the way, the same applies to vegetable dishes. There is also no need to saturate them with oil during frying, this significantly increases the calorie content of the dishes, and apparently there are no harmful substances in the heated oil.

    Concerning dairy products, then you should give preference to skim milk, kefir and sour cream. Also, do not get carried away with various yoghurts with additives. Better to use natural products, no preservatives. Kefir and yogurt can be made at home using a special starter. Buying it today is not a problem. You shouldn’t give up cheese either, but it should be served in limited quantities.

    Fats should be predominantly plant-based, and the child will receive a sufficient amount of animals from milk. Sunflower or olive oil You can season vegetable salads.

    Another little advice: buy for your child separate dishes, smaller than yours. In a small plate, even a truncated portion will seem quite sufficient, and with a small spoon you will have to scoop food from the plate more often. A large number of movements will help deceive the body, and the feeling of fullness will come earlier.

    To do this, it is necessary to organize a calm atmosphere for the child during meals. It is better to turn off the TV and radio; you should not keep your baby busy with conversations. And at this time it’s better to keep silent yourself. This will allow him to fully focus on food and his feelings.

    An integral part of the weight loss process should be physical exercise. The child can be sent to sports section, start walking with him in the evenings, sign up for the pool. But here you also need to take into account that if you continue to spend time sitting, your child is unlikely to be inflamed with the desire to make any effort.

    What can't you do?

    When parents are faced with the problem of obesity in a child, there is a great temptation to start blaming someone, organize terror, or concentrate all their efforts on achieving results. However, it is very important to understand what you can and cannot do. So, in itself, searching for those to blame will lead nowhere. There is no need to blame the kindergarten with its unbalanced diet, the grandmother with her pies, the child with his excessive appetite, or yourself. The most important thing in this situation is to recognize the problem and the cause and deal with them without unnecessary reproaches.

    As mentioned above, simply prohibiting a child from eating certain foods will not work. In preschool age, such measures are perceived very painfully. You should not make goodies a desired prize received for some achievements. In this case, the child can make a kind of cult out of food, and this is unlikely to have a positive effect on the process.

    A separate discussion is physical activity. Force won't solve anything here either. It's better to try to do morning exercises fun game, and study together with your baby. This will not only help instill in him a healthy habit, but will also give you the opportunity to communicate more and better with your child.

    As for the choice of sections... Again, there is a great temptation to choose those where the greatest loads occur, but you need to give the child a choice. Classes should not take place under pressure. Even if it is a calmer and less energy-consuming sport, the child will like it, and, as a result, he will give his best in classes.

    As you know, a specific goal in front of your eyes is the best motivation. However, the goal must be achievable. There is no need to demand everything from your child at once. Start small. First, get him accustomed to daily exercises, only then proceed to selecting a section. Follow the same principle when it comes to food.

    And one more thing: you don’t need to concentrate on the problem yourself and focus the child’s attention on it. He should not feel inferior; this has a detrimental effect on both the process and the child’s psyche. Let it be a game, fun and relaxed.

    Preventing childhood obesity

    Of course, prevention is always better than a hasty solution to a problem that has already arisen. Actually, for the purpose of prevention, you can and should do almost everything that is required for losing weight. That is, morning exercises, exercise, mobility, proper nutrition.

    Of course, if you are not yet overweight, the prohibitions and restrictions may be much less strict. In any case, the child will not have to be strictly controlled, for example, festive table. One piece of cake or a serving of salad with mayonnaise is unlikely to harm him.

    The advantage of prevention is not only that it allows you to avoid the problem of excess weight in children, but also that the child will get used to it from childhood. healthy image life, which means it will avoid many other problems.

    As a rule, most parents worry if their child does not eat well and looks very thin. On the contrary, if the child’s weight is much greater than that of his peers, the parents are very happy. Unfortunately, excess weight can be the cause of many serious diseases, since with obesity there are serious metabolic disorders that arise. pathological changes from the central nervous system, circulatory organs, gastrointestinal tract and endocrine system, which can subsequently lead to such common diseases as flat feet and curvature of the spine (since it is this organ that must bear the full weight of excess body weight), diabetes mellitus (since the excess supply of nutrients sharply “overloads” the pancreas, but it does not can work in this mode all the time, and at some point cannot stand it, which leads to impaired glucose metabolism and, in the future, to diabetes). Very often, already in 10-12 year old patients one can find urolithiasis or cholelithiasis, and sometimes hypertension (high blood pressure), which can significantly reduce life expectancy, not to mention the fact that all these diseases sharply reduce ability to work, and in general " the quality of life".

    Obesity, as a rule, occurs as a result of a large intake of nutrients into the body, the energy value of which significantly exceeds the body's energy expenditure (the exception is a very narrow range of hereditary diseases, where the mechanisms are somewhat different). Unfortunately, 80% of overweight children have mass concomitant diseases, and their “appetizing” appearance leads to the development of certain complexes from childhood, which will also bring them mental suffering...

    How and when can we ensure that our children grow up healthy physically and mentally?

    Nutrition for pregnant women

    Before the baby is born expectant mother you need to carefully take care of your diet, make sure that the majority of your diet consists of vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat (since they contain protein, vitamins, microelements), and limit your consumption fatty foods and sweets, baked goods. Entire generations have lived in the belief that the expectant mother should eat for two, but as a result, the accumulated excess weight can become not only useless, but also harmful to your unborn child, since the course of pregnancy can be complicated by increased blood pressure, edema, and other things. And it is absolutely not necessary that the weight of the unborn child in such a situation will be above average. On the other hand, if the fetus weighs more than 4 kg, this, in turn, can complicate the birth process, and the risk of birth trauma is much higher.

    After birth, one of the important points in the prevention of obesity is preservation, since mother's milk the best way covers the growing baby's need for all nutrients, and overfeeding is unlikely here. If the child is on, then it is necessary to strictly observe the feeding regime and maintain certain intervals between meals. It is advisable from the first days of a child’s life to try not to feed him at night, thus the child will have early age the correct food stereotype is developed.

    Nutrition for large children

    Children prone to obesity, born with a large body weight (more than 4 kg) or having large weight gains, can be given a little earlier - from 4 months, and the first complementary food should be vegetable puree. Vegetables can be of a wide variety, and potatoes should not make up more than 50% of the serving. The next complementary food is porridge, which is given only once a day, and instead of sugar it is better to add fruits or vegetables (apples, pumpkin, carrots). It is better to give oatmeal or buckwheat porridge, and in no case semolina.

    Child's diet

    Try from a very early age to teach your child not to eat a lot at night; offer him a glass of kefir (low-fat), milk, or yogurt, but do not add a bun or cookies to this.

    Feedings should take place in a calm environment, let the baby enjoy the food, he will feel full earlier.

    Another point that is worth talking about in more detail is about eating “outside the schedule.” Many children need a snack between meals - so what's the best way to offer your child? Fruit and vegetable juices, fruits, and berries are quickly and easily digested, contain a minimum of calories and are high in vitamins. Between feedings, do not offer your baby cakes, pies, cookies or sandwiches containing mayonnaise or ketchup. Such food has four disadvantages: it is high in calories, low in vitamins and other nutrients, harmful to the teeth, as it promotes the development of caries, and “clogs” the intestines, contributing to the development of constipation.

    It is best to give your baby a snack halfway between two feedings or no later than 1-1.5 hours before the next feeding.

    Sometimes children do not eat well at the table, but are willing to snack outside of the schedule. This problem could arise if the mother spent a long time persuading and forcing the child to eat at set hours and tried to let the child eat as much as possible at each feeding (even if he was already full). If this went on for several months, then just the sight of the dining room is enough to make a child feel sick. But as soon as lunch is finished (although the child has eaten very little), his stomach returns to its natural state and demands food. The solution to this problem is not to deny the child food at the wrong time, but to try to make the procedure of feeding at set hours so pleasant that he looks forward to it with pleasure in advance. The food should be tasty and have an appetizing appearance so that the child eats it with more pleasure than what is offered to him between feedings.

    And one last thing. Don’t forget that excess calories can be spent during physical exercise, so try to stimulate the child’s motor activity, let him spend more time in the fresh air, if the child is over 3 years old, then you can do swimming, dancing, etc. with him. And then your children will be healthy and beautiful in all respects.

    I wish you success and bon appetit.

    Irina Bykova, pediatrician and part-time mother of two children.

    Discussion

    my child at 7 months weighs almost 11 kg... this exceeds the weight of many children the same age, and even older children... I’m not worried... but should I??? I breastfeed almost exclusively... we indulge in purees, and we don’t even have vegetables We love you very much...is everything okay?

    In theory, everything is wonderful and correct, but I want some kind of technique - how to wean a child from eating at night? Now the baby is 1.9, and he eats 600 ml per night in 2 doses. milk (boiled, from a horn). When he was a year old, I tried to reduce night feedings to 1. For a month, both my boy and I, and the whole family did not sleep at night - the child demanded food, drank up to 2 liters of tea (I tried to replace milk with water to gradually reduce it to nothing) and I gave up. I really want to sleep. And the child became nervous (screaming every night for a month, anyone would get nervous).
    Another 9 months have passed - the picture of night nutrition has not changed. Drink 2 cones of milk strictly 2 times at night, and in the morning also a little water. and I don’t know what to do with it.

    06/04/2004 11:45:18, Olga

    All this is useless if the child is older. Mine is 5 years old. So it's in kindergarten the cook specially fed it! She likes the way he eats. I brought her a certificate from the endocrinologist so that she would stop this.
    Yes, he himself knows where the refrigerator is. But I can’t monitor him 24 hours a day.
    By the way, endocrinologists are an additional topic. This is the first time my child entered the doctor’s office. And she told him: Oh, how fat you are! Do you know that you will die soon? And if not, then other children will mock you all the time...
    Just like that.
    In my opinion, you won’t want to lose weight. For six months now my son has had to explain that his aunt was insane and there is no need to pay attention to her(

    Comment on the article "If your child is overweight"

    It is traditionally believed that motherhood begins with the birth of a child, but it is very important to plan the pregnancy itself in advance in order to take care of the health of the unborn baby and minimize possible developmental risks birth defects. Experts recommend starting pregnancy planning at least two to three months before the expected conception. First of all, you should undergo a medical examination. If a woman has a regular menstrual cycle, hemoglobin and blood pressure are normal, no...

    How to raise children active, healthy and happy, how to protect them from infections, strengthen them immune system, what conditions need to be created so that they get sick less often, are interested in studying, but do not get overworked? These and other questions were discussed by doctors and star mothers. Chairman of the Russian Academy of Pediatrics Leila Seymurovna Namazova-Baranova noted that in 11 years schooling Children's health is deteriorating significantly. If there are about 4 first-graders with the first health group...

    Obesity is a disease manifested by excessive development of adipose tissue, which, as it progresses, is complicated by disruption of various functions and systems of the body. According to WHO, 22 million children are under 5 years of age and 10% of children school age from 5 to 17 years old are overweight and obese. In Russia, more than 3 million children and adolescents (6-10%) are obese. Particularly alarming is the trend towards a significant increase in obesity. Prevalence of obesity in the Russian Federation per 100,000 children...

    Laurie Shemek is a doctor of psychology, a renowned nutrition expert, and a best-selling author of weight loss books. It helps people lose weight and then keep it off. And yogurt, Lori assures, is key element in building a healthy diet. How would you characterize the latest trends in healthy eating? Recent research shows that the key to losing weight and achieving optimal health is getting enough high level consumption of fats and proteins during...

    Our back is quite a fragile thing. And sometimes, sometimes it hurts. Back pain is a rather controversial thing, since it can indicate not only diseases associated with the spine, but also other diseases. For example, the back may ache due to renal colic or some kind of heart-related disease. Back pain can remind us of past injuries, or it can be a signal of an unhealthy lifestyle. This especially applies to those who lead a sedentary lifestyle or a large number of hours...

    Firstly, it is not easy for overweight people to use 2000 calories. They are not athletes, to be honest. the body does not like to give, it begins to spend less. and secondly, if the child was fed only milk, and suddenly stops abruptly, this is your option.

    Discussion

    You need to think about not only how excess weight affects your appearance, but also how dangerous it is for your health! Excess weight can cause life-threatening diseases such as cancer, gastrointestinal diseases, gallbladder disease, diabetes, and can also lead to severe heart disease, osteoarthritis and sexual dysfunction. If you maintain normal body weight and watch your figure, then the risk of getting sick becomes minimal!

    Some diets helped some, others didn’t, and so we try the next one. And they try this until something helps. But there are times when neither diet nor exercise helps. And I really want to lose weight! So what should we do? First you need to find out why you gained excess weight. There are many reasons leading to excess weight. Some of these reasons are consequences wrong image life, and the second part is more serious reasons. Serious reasons preventing...

    excess weight affects conception. Another thing is that this is very individual and 20 kg is probably not very much... what is your 20 kg, is it 80 instead of 60? Overweight in children: causes, prevention and treatment.

    Discussion

    How are you doing with your cycle/ovulation?

    For example, I have polycystic disease and am only 5-7 kilos of excess weight (after already losing five). But most polycystic people have serious weight problems.

    It is excess weight that affects the lack of ovulation. Losing weight with polycystic disease is very difficult (due to hormonal imbalance), but I have seen examples of girls losing weight (by 15-20-30 kg) and becoming pregnant on their own, without stimulation!

    In general, I see “plump” pregnant women all around - that is, there seemed to be no problems getting pregnant if the cycle was in order. But excess weight in general is not useful in life, so if there is an opportunity to lose at least a little, I would lose it :)))

    excess weight affects conception. Another thing is that this is very individual and 20 kg is probably not very much... what is your 20 kg, is it 80 instead of 60?
    And so, in theory, the greater the weight, the more likely lack of ovulation. The mechanism there is complex, the point is that fat cells are hormonally active, they have receptors for various hormones, incl. to estrogens.

    Since the topic of nutrition and obesity has caused a stir, I present official data. The floor is given to an expert: nutritionist, psychotherapist Natalya Lyutova, representative of the nutritional center “Palette Nutrition”: “According to statistics, in the United States, one third of children over 2 years of age are obese and overweight. Russia is not far behind in terms of its indicators: 17% of Russian children are obese, 49% are overweight. According to data from the WHO European Bureau, reported at a report at the Congress of Nutritionists in Stockholm in 2010...

    Discussion

    I will not discuss with you, because:
    1. During the last discussion, you did not answer any of my questions.
    2. The problem of obesity in schoolchildren, firstly, did not cause any resonance, and secondly, it does not interest me personally at all - a different term would rather be applied to my children - “weight deficiency” *-)
    3. The numbers you give are strange. Particularly touching is the phrase about the lack of clear criteria - and some percentages *-)
    How do you get “statistics for every taste?” I advise you to ask Google or Yandex. I have no desire to explain this to a person with a humanities education.

    How can Russia _keep up_ if 17 plus 49 is clearly more than one third?

    Below is what should be included in the consultation (stated on the website): * Collecting anamnesis and identifying the causes of excess weight - I TRIED SOMETHING, BUT IT WAS VERY SLOW. :(sad experience:(if I were you, I would write all this on their forum.

    Discussion

    It’s cheaper to study everything on the Internet.

    12/27/2017 19:17:16, Kuznetsova N

    Conclusion: our conference is an invaluable, but completely free source of information, useful tips and consultations. As well as moral support and a warm emotional atmosphere, and communication time is unlimited!

    The reason for excess weight does not always lie in our diet and physical inactivity. When a visible mark remains on your shin for a long time after pressing, it means that the lack of iodine is already quite noticeable for your body.

    Discussion

    Excess weight? Check your thyroid
    Sometimes it happens that you are on a strict diet, systematically doing physical exercises - but for some reason the hated kilograms do not want to melt away. Why?
    The reason for excess weight does not always lie in our diet and physical inactivity. Although these two factors still lead the list of reasons for obesity. But it also happens that the cause of fat accumulation is various kinds of endocrine disorders. One of these disorders is decreased thyroid function, which is so common in Ukraine. And this is not just a problem of aesthetics appearance, but a very real disease that needs treatment.

    When to go to the doctor?
    Here are a few signs that signal us about iodine deficiency in the body and insufficient thyroid function:
    Dry skin. With a lack of iodine, this dryness is slightly different from what is meant by “dry skin” in the classical sense of cosmetologists. The first to suffer from dryness are the shins and forearms. The skin becomes dry, rough and acquires a yellowish tint.
    Increased fatigue. If there is a lack of iodine in the body, a person gets tired very quickly. I just went to the store to buy bread, and I was tired as if I had been running errands all day. Are you familiar with this condition? Then run to an ultrasound of the thyroid gland.
    The appearance of edema. When a visible mark remains on your shin for a long time after pressing, it means that the lack of iodine is already quite noticeable for your body. But you should be wary even if rubber bands from underwear, socks, and watches begin to noticeably imprint on your body - this is already a reason to pay more attention to the iodine content in your diet.

    Brittle nails, hair loss. Nature has designed it in such a way that the shortage or excess of something primarily affects those organs and parts of the body that play the least role in the survival of the organism as a whole. It is primarily the appearance of the skin, hair, and nails that deteriorates.

    “Freezing” - with iodine deficiency and decreased thyroid function, we begin to “freeze” intensely, even if it’s summer outside and the air temperature has exceeded the “twenty” mark with a plus sign. What can we say about winter in this case? The feeling of cold is primarily due to poor circulation in the tiny vessels of the extremities.

    The sense of time is lost: in patients with thyroid dysfunction, the internal clock would definitely “slow down” and begin to “lag behind”. This is due to a slowdown in general of all functions in the body.

    Excess body weight is precisely the reason that drew our attention to thyroid problems. Because, alas, girls pay much less attention to their personal health than to their waist that has increased by one centimeter. If thyroid function is impaired, weight gain will never be significant - because, among other things, patients' appetite decreases significantly. But slight excess weight that does not decrease as a result of diet and physical exercise– just typical for similar cases. Weight appears due to a slowdown in metabolic processes and the appearance of edema.

    natural cosmetic

    How to check?
    It goes without saying that in order to accurately assess the functioning of your thyroid gland, you need to undergo comprehensive medical examinations: an ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland and a blood test showing hormone levels. But it is entirely possible to conduct a preliminary mini-test at home. To do this, dip cotton swab into an alcohol tincture of iodine and draw a small line on the inside of the forearm. If the iodine content in your body is normal, the streak will last long time. If there is a significant lack of iodine, the band will disappear literally within one to one and a half hours.

    How to be treated

    How to deal with excess weight. The main treatment recommendation is very simple - consult a doctor. An excess of iodine in the body will cause no less harm than its deficiency. Therefore, only a doctor should prescribe iodine-containing drugs and their dosage, based on the results of clinical studies.

    If you want to help your body a little, add iodine-rich foods to your diet. One of these “iodine hits” is seaweed - it contains not only iodine itself, but also additional substances that help us absorb this iodine to the maximum. In addition to iodine, seaweed contains alginic acid, which allows the removal of toxic metals and radionuclides from the body.

    Sea kale and other algae are valuable not only when consumed internally, but also when used externally. If you want not only to improve your health, but also to remove excess weight, tidy up your skin, reduce fat deposits and the appearance of cellulite, take the course seaweed wraps. This will speed up your weight loss process by an average of 30%

    Who is overweight? My boy, yes, he’s chubby. We recently went to the pediatrician, and she casually wrote down that the child was overweight. and 09/12/2007 17:48:01, Princess SmeYana. it's your complex - psychological problem skinny people have complexes and others too

    Discussion

    Danka is also mine and the same. 132 height and 38 live weight

    Ideas for finding directions:

    1. Yes different types people, each type has its own “rational” diet. For example, for blood types, see Levi’s chapter on nutrition in the book “Health Mistakes,” etc. It’s not necessary to get into it (maybe it’s not necessary at all:), but it would be good to take a closer look at your child: what he eats, how he combines foods with each other, how food is distributed throughout the day, etc. It seems to me that healthy children often very accurately select their diet THEMSELVES.

    2. To relieve “parental stress” - look at Western and American standards for completeness.

    What about heredity? With the constitution? Large and powerful people always weigh more :).

    In the end, there is healthy fullness, i.e. The weight seems to be overweight, but the child is healthy, develops normally, feels well, and does not limit movement.

    What dynamics? There are records of how height and weight changed in last years? Look at the photos.

    3. You didn’t indicate anything about lifestyle. Is the child healthy? Hockey how many times a week for how many hours? Walks for how many hours, how often, how are they? How's the weekend going? Appetite? Dream? Physical activity In general, what is characteristic of him?

    The child’s character is also important, the psychological portrait. How does someone react to stress (some people “eat”, others can’t eat)... and so on.

    It seems to me that questions like these should help you get an overall picture.

    BUT.. the doctor told me about being overweight BEFORE weighing, i.e. conclusion based on visual sensations. After all, she completely undeservedly offended your child and will continue to offend, because... feels permissive.

    Discussion

    The doctor is of course a fool, but quietly send your girlfriend to do some kind of sport “for her health.”
    P.S. I’m 10 years old, height 144, weight 32-33. I’m not skinny.

    There is no one in my family who is overweight either.
    True, I wasn’t particularly worried about my son, since I myself was very plump until I was 3-4 years old.

    Why didn’t you write your height? maybe a big one? Well, the bone is wide, heavy?
    The weight is, of course, more than normal, but IMHO, not much. Go to an endocrinologist.
    about food: dairy products - not fatty, smaller potatoes, more vegetables, after 18 hours - only low-fat kefir, raw fruits and vegetables, not bananas, and breasts, of course, in your case you should never abandon the cat!!! especially if these exchange processes are not established. You don't gain excess weight from breastfeeding!!! and it’s too early to wean, at least until 2-2.5 wait!!! and at night - let him suck, if he screams even more so!
    Otherwise, God forbid you eat your *grief* - you’ll get used to drinking it down, then you definitely won’t be able to avoid weight problems.

    7. Limiting sugar is necessary only according to indications - intolerance to any carbohydrate, impaired glucose tolerance, excess weight, sugar. diabetes. This does not necessarily mean that your child is actually allergic to all these foods, but rather...

    Discussion

    And here’s another post translated from English: about autistic children who are completely healthy, but who nevertheless benefit from diet:
    .
    .
    .
    ---In [email protected], "cynthiazhu2003"
    wrote:
    > Hello! Dear parents on the forum:
    >
    >Tomorrow we are going to the DAN doctor.
    > I read the book "Saving the Starving Brain."
    >I'm completely confused.
    > My daughter belongs to the regressive type: she could repeat some words at 6 months, could wave “bye” and “hello” by 10 months. After that, she lost a lot of skills, and it happened gradually, and we didn't pay attention until it became too obvious.
    > With all this, she is very healthy child. She never got sick in kindergarten, only caught three or four colds during the entire period (she is now three years old), and did not get sick even when all her ABA therapists had the flu this winter; no food allergies; some food intolerances, according to Igg analysis, and we have now removed all relevant foods. The only health problem is constipation, but I know many other normal children whose constipation is even worse. The doctor told me that this is normal at her age.
    > We put her on the BGBK diet and within a month we saw significant improvements: she began to make sounds and learned to repeat words. Until then, we weren't sure if she would ever speak.
    >When we started giving her vitamin B-6, she started sleeping better and acting better.
    > When we started giving dimethylglycine, she initially started talking more, but now dimethylglycine doesn't seem to have as much of a positive effect (though it doesn't have any negative effects either).
    > We introduced essential fatty acids - it helped with constipation.
    > In addition, we give her vitamin C and a multivitamin for children..
    >
    > With all these treatments (plus ABA classes) she has improved a little, but progress has slowed recently. She has fewer spontaneous utterances now than she did a couple of months ago.
    >I don't know what it could be real reason her problems - she is very healthy. I know that many autistic people also have health problems, but for her this was not the case. Is there anyone on this forum who has children similar to my daughter? Very healthy, but autistic.
    > Diet appears to have played some role in the development of her brain and speech. What else could be the reason?
    > Please share if anyone has similar children.
    >
    >Thank you!
    >
    >Cynthia

    Date: Wednesday, 14 January 2004 20:22:09
    From: "wong_dai"
    Subject: Re: no obvious health problems

    We are comrades in misfortune. At 10 months my son imitated words, waved "bye," and could even identify several letters from the alphabet. Shortly after this (possibly after the MMR vaccine) there was a turn towards an autistic state: he began to bang his head, stopped making eye contact and did not say anything until we introduced the diet. This regression was slow, and since he is our first child, we didn't recognize the symptoms (and also, we refused to notice that anything was wrong - I think that's what a lot of parents do at first).

    In addition, my son, like your daughter, is absolutely healthy. He has never had diarrhea, he is not sick, and he has no obvious problems with the gastrointestinal tract. When I first heard about the diet, I didn't think it would help my son (he wasn't like other kids who have obvious intestinal damage).

    After four weeks on the diet, we saw no change and were ready to quit the diet, but all of a sudden he suddenly looked like the child he once was again. This is an accurate description: he was undoubtedly very behind children his age, but it was as if he was back to being the ten-month-old baby we once knew. Now he's babbling again, saying a small amount of words (“dad” especially warms my heart), he waves “bye” again, he pays more attention to his surroundings, makes eye contact better, etc.

    I think the short answer is that we don't fully understand this disease. Most autistic children definitely have bowel problems; It's possible that kids like my son and your daughter have them too, they just have less noticeable symptoms.

    I'm still not 100% convinced that it was the diet that helped him (maybe he would have gotten through it on his own?), but still, what happened doesn't seem like a pure coincidence. My son is 10 months old. went from a healthy, active and attentive (even precocious) child to an oblivious and non-verbal child, and remained that way until we started the diet (at two and a half years old).

    Discussion

    Well, here we are, the main fat people at this conference :)! Let's see if you beat our record or not :). During the first three months we gained 2 kg. And our height increased by 5 cm per month. From 5 months the increase began to decline. For the last three months we have been adding 200 g. I had the same problem - how not to feed when the baby is crying. Well, I fed while the doctors were screaming. But at the same time, we actively swam, had massages, and from the age of 5 months we moved to the floor. And now no one would dare call us fat. (True, to reassure us, we did an ultrasound of the thymus gland).

    Mom's diet, fortunately, has virtually no effect on the quality of milk. If you eat too much, the credit will be given to you, not the milk; if you don’t get enough of something with food, the milk will take it from your body again. So, if problems with the child’s health are excluded, then do not complicate your life.

    If a member of your family is struggling with excess weight, it can be very difficult to resist advice, lectures, and even jokes.

    But when a child gets rid of extra pounds, you should be extremely careful so as not to injure the baby who is suffering due to his deficiency.

    Here are ten things to avoid if your child is overweight:

    Look for someone to blame

    Obesity in children has many causes, some of which are quite difficult to control. There is no point in wringing your hands and blaming yourself, food producers or doctors.

    You just need identify the problem and solve it: visit specialists with your child, get tested and teach the whole family to eat properly and exercise regularly.

    Ignore the problem

    If you doubt that your child is overweight, try calculating his body mass index yourself or go for a consultation at the Children's Health Center.

    This will allow you to determine how serious the problem is and immediately get specialist advice.

    Create forbidden fruit

    Banning products outright can backfire. Most likely, your child will begin to provoke conflicts over food and look for favorite treats on the way from school. And he will definitely feel guilty.

    You need to show the baby personal healthy example and explain in a simple way what sweets and chips do to the health of adults and children. Kids understand much more than adults think - provided that they communicate with them on equal terms.

    Encourage a sedentary lifestyle

    If you decide to fight your child’s excess weight, you will have to forget about passive leisure yourself.

    Doctors never tire of repeating that obesity is a real war, where there is only one enemy, but there are countless victims. This problem modernity is aggravated by the fact that children find themselves on the “battlefield”.

    According to statistics, in the United States, every second child is overweight, and every fifth child is obese. In Western European countries these numbers are lower, but they are growing steadily. The disease already goes beyond hereditary predisposition. Increasingly, physical inactivity and abuse of fast foods and trans fats are cited as the main reasons.

    Causes

    As in adults, obesity in children is difficult to treat. In order for therapy to be successful, it is necessary to first find out the causes of the disease. To do this, doctors collect anamnesis and conduct all kinds of laboratory tests.

    The most common factors causing excess weight include:

    • excess calorie intake;
    • physical inactivity;
    • hereditary predisposition;
    • metabolic disease;
    • hypothalamic tumor, hemoblastosis, skull trauma;
    • neuroendocrine diseases: hypercortisolism, hypothyroidism;
    • lack of sleep;
    • lack of daily routine;
    • long-term use of glucocorticoids, antidepressants;
    • gene mutations;
    • chromosomal and other genetic syndromes: Prader-Willi, Ahlstrom, Cohen, fragile X chromosome, Down, pseudohypoparathyroidism.

    All these risk factors must be identified in a timely manner in order to begin the necessary treatment. Unfortunately, parents often wait until the last minute, until first-degree obesity turns into third-degree obesity with all the complications and consequences for life and health.

    Symptoms

    The clinical picture of the disease is closely related to the age characteristics of the child. So at certain stages of his life the symptoms may be different. As a rule, signs of obesity develop progressively, that is, they appear more and more clearly with each stage.

    Preschool age:

    • overweight;
    • severe allergic reactions;
    • dysbacteriosis;
    • constipation

    Junior school age:

    • overweight;
    • excessive sweating;
    • shortness of breath when walking and physical activity;
    • deformation of the figure due to the appearance of fat folds in the abdomen, hips, buttocks, arms and shoulders;
    • high blood pressure.

    Adolescence:

    • pronounced symptoms described above;
    • fast fatiguability;
    • violation menstrual cycle in girls;
    • dizziness, frequent and severe headaches;
    • swelling of the limbs;
    • aching pain in the joints;
    • depressed, depressed state;
    • conscious isolation from peers.

    IN adolescence the disease reaches a new level, covering not only the physiology, but also the psychological state of the child. Being overweight prevents him from fully communicating with his peers. This often leads to maladjustment, antisocial behavior and even autism.

    Diagnostics

    Having noticed the first signs of the disease in your child, you don’t need to hope that it’s temporary, this happens to everyone, it’s all age-related and will soon pass. You need to contact an endocrinologist as soon as possible, who will make the correct diagnosis and give appropriate recommendations.

    Taking an anamnesis:

    • birth weight;
    • age of onset of obesity;
    • growth dynamics;
    • presence of type II diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases;
    • neurological complaints: headaches, vision problems;
    • psychomotor development;
    • height and weight of parents.

    Objective data:

    • androgen-dependent dermopathy: hirsutism, oily seborrhea, acne;
    • arterial pressure;
    • waist circumference;
    • distribution of fatty tissue across parts of the body;
    • height;
    • stage of sexual development.

    Laboratory diagnostics:

    • blood chemistry;
    • lipid profile;
    • Ultrasound of the liver to determine its enzymes;
    • glucose tolerance test to determine insulin resistance;
    • Here are the hormones that will need to be tested: thyroid, cortisol, ACTH, leptin, parathyroid hormone, proinsulin, prolactin, LH, FSH, SSSH, testosterone, anti-Mullerian hormone, growth hormone;
    • 24-hour blood pressure monitoring.

    Instrumental studies:

    • bioimpedansometry;
    • MRI of the brain;
    • ophthalmological examination;
    • polysomnography;
    • Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity;
    • ECG, ECHO-KG.

    Molecular genetic studies:

    • determination of karyotype;
    • search for gene mutations.

    Specialist consultations:

    • physical therapy doctor;
    • gastroenterologist;
    • geneticist;
    • gynecologist;
    • nutritionist;
    • cardiologist;
    • neurologist;
    • otolaryngologist;
    • psychologist;
    • endocrinologist

    There is no need to be afraid that if obesity is suspected, the poor child will be put through all these studies and tests. After collecting anamnesis, the doctor will make assumptions about what factors caused the disease and prescribe only those diagnostic methods that are necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

    Age characteristics

    Due to the fact that adipose tissue in the body is formed at different rates, there are stages of childhood obesity associated with age-related characteristics:

    • in children under one year of age, the first accumulation of adipose tissue occurs and obesity is not diagnosed;
    • 1-3 years is a critical period when parents and relatives overfeed the baby with sweets - this is the first stage when symptoms of the disease may appear;
    • 3-5 years - fat growth stabilizes, weight problems are rarely observed;
    • 5-7 years - second critical stage, characterized by the growth of fat deposits;
    • 8-9 years - for school-age children in primary school Weight problems are rarely reported because active life, physical education, lessons allow them to expend a sufficient amount of calories;
    • 10-11 years is also a relatively calm stage, but here it is very important for parents to prepare the teenager for the upcoming puberty and instill in him healthy eating habits;
    • 12-13 years old - it is at this age that serious hormonal changes occur in the teenage body due to puberty, which often becomes the impetus for gaining extra pounds.

    Knowing the critical periods in a child’s life, parents can be more attentive to the problem of excess weight at these stages. This will allow everything to be corrected in the initial stages, when the disease has not yet started.

    Classification

    Doctors have more than one classification of childhood obesity: according to etiology, consequences, degrees, etc. In order for parents not to wander into them, it is enough to have minimal information.

    Firstly, the disease can be:

    • primary - due to heredity and congenital pathologies;
    • secondary - acquired as a result of poor nutrition and physical inactivity.

    Secondly, there is a special table that will help determine obesity in a child based on body mass index (BMI), which is calculated using the formula:

    I (BMI) = M (weight in kilograms) / H 2 (height in meters).

    • I degree

    Slight excess weight in a child does not cause concern among parents. They even rejoice at his excellent appetite and plump cheeks. Pediatricians do not take diagnoses seriously, always appealing to the good health of their child. In fact, stage 1 obesity can be easily cured by exercise and proper nutrition. But because of this behavior of adults, this happens extremely rarely.

    • II degree

    The disease gradually progresses, leading to stage 2 obesity. At this stage, shortness of breath and excessive sweating. Children move little and are often in a bad mood. Problems begin with physical education at school and social adaptation in class.

    • III degree

    At this stage, the disease is already manifesting itself with all its might, so it is difficult not to notice it. The joints of the legs begin to ache, blood pressure rises, and blood sugar levels fluctuate. The child becomes unbalanced, irritable, and depressed.

    So parents themselves can determine the degree of obesity at home. This will allow you to seek medical help in a timely manner.

    Norm and pathologies

    In addition to degrees, a table by age will allow you to identify excess weight, where, according to WHO data, pathological values ​​​​of body weight are collected. The parameters will be different for boys and girls. In addition, they still need to be adjusted depending on growth.

    Weight of girls 1-17 years old, according to WHO

    Weight of boys 1-17 years old, according to WHO

    If the child is very tall, it is possible to slightly increase the parameters given in the table.

    Treatment

    Parents and the child themselves will have to undergo Obesity School. This is what doctors call a set of measures to correct eating behavior and adequate physical activity. This motivational training is considered the basis of therapy. It is there that clinical recommendations for the treatment of pathology are set out in full detail.

    Nutrition

    First of all, for childhood obesity, diet therapy is prescribed, compiled according to Pevzner’s table No. 8. Without it, it is impossible to treat this disease.

    A special diet for obese children according to Pevzner recommends including the following foods in their diet in the following volume:

    • bread (coarsely ground or bran) - up to 170 grams per day;
    • fermented milk products up to 1.5% fat - 200 g;
    • (minimum potatoes) - 220 gr;
    • chicken, turkey, lean meat and fish - 180 g;
    • , buckwheat and barley porridge - 200 g;
    • vegetables in unlimited quantities, prepared in any way;
    • unsweetened fruits - 400 gr;
    • tea, uzvar, freshly squeezed juices - in any quantity.

    Sample menu for stage 2 obesity

    In the first degree, the diet can be diversified with honey, higher-fat dairy products, sweet fruits, and fried foods. At 3 degrees vegetable oil and any indulgences in food are excluded.

    • reducing portion sizes;
    • mode of fractional 5 meals a day;
    • dinner - 3 hours before bedtime;
    • drinking plenty of plain water;
    • complete exclusion of fast food, chips, snacks, soda.

    Children's dietary dishes:

    • cottage cheese-banana dessert;
    • beet and carrot casserole;
    • dried fruit pastille;
    • lazy meatball soup;
    • meat soufflé;
    • curd cheesecakes;
    • chicken cutlets in a double boiler and others.

    Recipes

    • Steamed meatballs

    Remove tendons and film from 150 grams of lean beef and grind through a meat grinder 2-3 times. Boil a tablespoon of rice, cool, and stir into the minced meat. Pass through the meat grinder again, add a quarter of a boiled egg and 5 grams of butter. Beat the whole mass with a blender. Roll small meatballs, place them in a frying pan, thinly greased with oil, add cold water, boil for 10 minutes.

    • Vegetable soup

    Chop 2 small and 2 stalks of celery. Chop the onion. Mix chopped vegetables, add 100 grams of white beans, 4 cherry tomatoes cut into halves. Pour in 500 ml of vegetable or chicken broth. Cook after boiling for half an hour. Season to taste sea ​​salt. Before serving, add a little low-fat sour cream.

    • Cupcakes

    Grind 1 medium banana and a handful of almonds in a blender. Mix them with grated carrots. Add 200 g oatmeal, 10 ml honey, 20 ml lemon juice. Fill the molds with the resulting mixture and place in the freezer. After 2 hours, transfer them to the refrigerator for an hour. Serve with tea.

    Physical exercise

    Treatment of obesity in children cannot be done without adequate physical activity. It assumes:

    • daily exercise for at least 1 hour (if more is encouraged);
    • It is better to devote most of such activities;
    • games;
    • competitions;
    • travel;
    • recreational activities;
    • various complexes.

    Drug treatment

    Due to age-related contraindications for most drugs drug treatment diseases are limited.

    In certain cases, according to specialists, the child may be prescribed the following medications:

    • Orlistat - allowed from 12 years of age, helps fats to be absorbed in the small intestine;
    • - appointed from 10 years of age with diabetes mellitus Type II.

    The use of drugs such as Octreotide, Leptin, Sibutramine, growth hormone is limited to clinical and scientific research and is not recommended for the treatment of childhood obesity.

    According to research, dietetics, physical education and drug therapy are not very effective. In this regard, in some countries, childhood obesity is treated with surgical methods. However, clinical trials have shown that the use of bariatrics in children and adolescents (when compared with adults) is accompanied by numerous postoperative complications, low compliance, and frequent relapses in weight gain. In the Russian Federation, performing such operations to treat obesity in those under 18 is prohibited.

    Prevention

    Parents should know how to prevent childhood obesity:

    • full awareness of proper nutrition;
    • breastfeeding up to 6 months;
    • physical activity;
    • playing sports;
    • constant monitoring of BMI, timely identification of children with this indicator more than 10 at the age of 2-9 years;
    • instilling healthy eating habits;
    • walks in the open air.

    If this is implemented from a very early age, children and adolescents will never be diagnosed with obesity.

    Complications

    The worst thing in all this is what this pathology threatens. Unfortunately, parents do not always represent the full danger of the disease. Meanwhile, the consequences can be the most serious - even death (at grade 3).

    Among the most common complications:

    • apnea;
    • arterial hypertension;
    • gynecomastia;
    • hyperandrogenism;
    • dyslipidemia;
    • cholelithiasis;
    • delay or acceleration of sexual development;
    • pathologies of the musculoskeletal system: osteoarthritis, Blount's disease, spondylolisthesis;
    • carbohydrate metabolism disorders: insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, fasting glycemia;
    • fatty liver: hepatosis and steatohepatitis are the most common conditions in children;
    • relative androgen deficiency;
    • diabetes mellitus type II;
    • gastrointestinal diseases: inflammation of the pancreas, gastritis, hemorrhoids, constipation;
    • liver failure;
    • mental illness, psychosocial disorders;
    • decreased male reproductive function, female infertility in the future.

    Parents must understand that obese children are unhappy. Therefore, their main task is to prevent such a development of events, and if this has already happened, to do everything to cure the child. The sooner adults come to their senses, the greater the chances of recovery and a prosperous life he will have in the future.

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