Curbing Obesity in Kids
A topic you may have seen in the media or the health industry is the topic of obesity in children. About 14,7 million children and adolescents were affected by childhood obesity from 2017-2019. Obesity, in general, is a serious medical condition. However, childhood obesity is overlooked sometimes as a serious medical condition and doesn’t always get the attention it needs. This can end up causing health issues down the line for these children and can put them on track to living a very unhealthy life. Northwell is focused on curbing childhood obesity, and the NSUH Medical Staff Society looks to reduce childhood obesity cases overall.
How To Tell If My Child Is Overweight?
It is not always easy to tell when a child is obese as everyone’s body type is different. Identifying if there is a weight concern can often be difficult. However, it is very important as obesity can often lead to many other serious health conditions that make living difficult. The NSUH Medical Staff Society can run some tests to help determine if your child is overweight. These tests include using the BMI scale or the body mass index scale to use height and weight relation to determine if your child is overweight. Another way is using growth charts; in some cases, doctors may use other tests to determine if your child’s weight can cause health issues.
Causes
The causes of childhood obesity include many different lifestyle factors. A lot can determine whether a child becomes obese. The NSUH Medical Staff Society can assist in identifying your child’s specific causes; However, some of these reasons include little physical activity or movement, a high-calorie diet, or a sedentary lifestyle.
Risk Factors
- Diet
- Lack of physical activity
- Family
- Psychological factors
- Socioeconomic factors
Treatment
The best treatment to fight childhood obesity is prevention. It is important to be preventative about this certain condition as it is always better to prevent it than to treat it. However, treatment can be done by changing your and your child’s lifestyle. By setting a good example and making time to be physically active with your child, you can help fight your child’s condition.
Contact NSUH Medical Staff Society
Also, by making slight changes in your child’s diet, you can help them live a healthier and happier life and ensure that they lose the weight they need to. Contact the NSUH Medical Staff Society today or visit our website to help curb childhood obesity.