News

This summer is probably an unforgettable memory for us adults – when we have to face many problems of food and money due to the epidemic situation, the State’s social distancing regulations – and also for us. children when they are not allowed to go out, cannot go to amusement parks and must stay at home.

The concern of mothers is not entirely about how to make their children happy, without feeling bored, but how to properly prepare all meals for their children, avoiding overweight and obese children, but always full of necessary nutrients, to maintain and improve better resistance and immune system.

The main reason why babies easily gain weight comes from being inactive due to staying at home often, eating, sleeping a lot, and staying in the same place with technology devices all day. Another reason, equally common, is that mothers, because they want their children to be healthier during the epidemic season, constantly focus on feeding their children with too many high-energy meals, leading to excess energy intake while the remaining energy is not enough. consumption is too low. This imbalance is one of the core factors that cause overweight and obesity.

It is alarming that overweight and obesity rates tend to increase rapidly in our country, especially in urban areas. According to the results of the National Nutrition Census 2019-2020 of the National Institute of Nutrition, the proportion of overweight and obese children increased by 2.2 times, from 8.5% in 2010 to 19.0% in 2020.

In particular, 53% of parents do not know their child is overweight or obese, and only find out when taking their child to visit the hospital.

Serious harm is not known to everyone. Overweight and obesity in childhood is a prerequisite for overweight and obesity in adulthood, leading to the risk of dangerous diseases such as cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, diabetes, respiratory and digestive diseases. , skeletal,…

Overweight and obesity also negatively affect children’s height development and puberty such as early puberty. Moreover, when children are aware of their body shape, they will easily have low self-esteem, lack of confidence in front of friends, and are afraid to communicate. According to many experts, obese children have a high risk of depression.

Parents like us play a very important role in helping our children fight overweight and obesity:

• Equip the necessary knowledge such as the nutrition pyramid for children by age to make a menu of reasonable meals with “enough” nutrients, and know how to use growth standards, growth charts to monitor their growth. growth and nutritional status of children
• Limiting children to eat a lot of fried, deep-fried, greasy foods, high-energy foods, fast foods, processed foods such as hot dogs, hamburgers, fried breaded chicken, instant noodles, ice cream, cakes ice cream, chocolate and cakes, and limit the intake of carbonated soft drinks and sugary drinks. For milk, children should drink unsweetened fresh milk or skimmed and calcium-rich milk without added sugar. .
• Limit all foods high in fat, high in cholesterol such as: fatty meat, meat broth, butter, cheese, brain, heart, liver, pork intestines, etc.
• Encourage, and practice for children to eat vegetables and fruits that provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber to help the child’s body develop, help improve resistance against diseases, limit sweet and high-energy fruits. quantities such as bananas, mangoes, jackfruits, and lychees, feed children with a variety of fruits and vegetables, multi-colored.
• Offer your child legumes, nuts and whole grains, foods that are low in fat, sugar, and salt.
• Encourage children to be active at home during the time of separation, practice basic exercises with them, play games with children suitable for their age and physical condition, and limit sitting time. watching television, videos and video games.
• For children who are overweight or obese, mothers should not force their children to fast, or try to reduce their children’s food portions, and let them eat fewer meals, instead, besides the above measures. must find a way to balance, and provide enough energy, nutrients, vitamins, minerals, water for children.
• At the same time, change the children’s eating habits such as encouraging them to eat only when they feel really hungry and stop when they feel full, not as a habit, eat for pleasure, eat more because the food is delicious, eat for boredom, relieve stress,…
• If the children are sad and self-deprecating because of their too plump body, the mother, instead of scolding them, should encourage and talk to the children about solutions, typically increasing reasonable exercise, playing games and playing games. Sports games but not too much effort, and accompany your children on the journey to repel overweight and obesity such as setting specific goals, rewarding children when they have changed their eating habits.

Let’s take note of useful information to protect children against overweight and obesity, and promote better health for children.

Information sources: Ministry of Health, Health and Life Online Newspaper (the mouthpiece of the Ministry of Health), Vinmec’s medical information page, and Hello Doctor