To date, the problem of obesity in children is the most acute. A few decades ago, this issue did not exist, and now many parents are clutching their heads, looking for a treatment for their child. The disease develops from early childhood, when there are chubby legs and arms. Of course, now we are not talking about well-fed babies, because many lose weight with age, and weight comes back to normal. Here we are talking about the fact that parents cannot catch the moment when large cheeks develop into a serious problem. Why do children become overweight and how to deal with it? You will find answers to these questions in our material.
Main reasons
Many doctors are very concerned about this pathology. After all, this is a negative trend, ignoring which can lead to terrible consequences. Therefore, in recent years, a lot of research has been devoted to this problem.
So, the causes of obesity in children include:
- Wrong diet. Of course, this is the most common reason for the appearance of the disease. The kid consumes significantly more calories than he needs. Accordingly, he is gaining extra pounds, and this process is difficult to stop. It is necessary to review the child’s nutritional rules, exclude fast food, pastries and sweets.
- Heredity. Obesity in children arises due to the presence of excess weight in the older generation. According to the results of numerous studies, if one parent is overweight, the probability of the same diagnosis in a child is 40%. If mom and dad have a problem, the risk increases to 80%.
- Sedentary lifestyle. Modern life is full of computer entertainment. Obesity in children and adolescents appears due to lack of motor activity. Online games have replaced street entertainment like football and volleyball. The situation is aggravated by the negative example of parents who are resting in front of the TV, lying on the couch.
- Hormones. Violations of the endocrine glands lead to obesity. There are several diseases that provoke the occurrence of excess weight. These include diseases of the adrenal gland, pancreas, thyroid gland, etc.
- Itsenko - Cushing's syndrome. With this ailment, there is an increased level of hormones responsible for the production of insulin. As a result, the baby shows increased fat deposition, coupled with short stature.
Signs
The main symptom is appearance. In children, an increase in the layer of subcutaneous fat and fat deposition in the hips, back, sternum, etc. is observed. Other characteristic signs of obesity in children and adolescents can also be distinguished:
- excessive sweating, shortness of breath during physical activity;
- high blood pressure, decreased performance;
- significant deformation of the figure, deposition of fat in various parts of the body;
- headache and dizziness;
- pain in the muscles and joints.
Symptoms directly depend on the type of ailment, we will talk about them a little later. Due to changes in appearance, the child often becomes depressed, his self-esteem decreases. Therefore, in addition to medical treatment, the baby will also need psychological help.
Classification of obesity in children
If parents in time notice changes in the external nature of their child, the problem can be easily dealt with. To make it easier, experts as a result of research came up with a certain classification of obesity:
- Primary (alimentary, exogenous-constitutional).
- Secondary (for example, endocrine).
There are four degrees of obesity in children:
- The weight of the baby exceeds the normal rate by 15-25%. Outwardly, special changes do not occur, the child seems a little plump. In most cases, parents do not see the problem at this stage, thinking that good appetite is the key to good health.
- Here, body weight exceeds the norm by 26-50%. The child has the first problems, it is difficult for him to climb the stairs, shortness of breath appears. There is increased sweating, the first signs of depression, upper and lower extremities swell.
- Exceeds the normal weight by 51-100%. In this situation, the baby feels constant pain in the joints, high blood pressure. The worst thing is that diabetes develops, and this is an incurable disease. In addition, obesity in children, especially the third degree, causes a lot of ridicule of peers. This leads to psychological and emotional breakdowns.
- The weight of the child exceeds the norm by more than two times. As you know, this is a neglected form of the disease that is difficult to treat.
Danger of the disease for the child
Being overweight is not only an aesthetic problem. In addition to bullying peers, the disease can lead to other consequences. Including we are talking about diseases characteristic of adults. So what threatens obesity to a child?
If you ignore the symptoms or reach such a stage that the treatment will be useless, you can get a lot of diseases. Often, diabetes mellitus, liver dystrophy, cardiac ischemia, hypertension, etc. develop. In addition, the human lifespan is shortened, as the body weakens from year to year. The baby’s gastrointestinal tract is especially affected. Therefore, children with obesity are more often diagnosed with diseases such as pancreatitis, cholecystitis and fatty hepatosis. The heart may also suffer, as there have been cases of atherosclerosis and angina pectoris.
But the most serious burden is on the skeleton, joints and cartilage. Every minute they have to withstand excess weight. Under such a mass, deformation of organs is inevitable, which leads to a change in proportions and severe pain.
Psychology Issues
Obesity in children is a great occasion for the rest of the guys to have fun and laugh. This is not their fault, because they do not understand the seriousness of the situation. Only parents are to blame. After all, they did not notice the change in the child on time. It’s incredibly difficult for obese teens to interact with peers. It is difficult to establish contact with other guys, to adapt in a social environment. Plus, overweight babies often have trouble sleeping.
Children in their ignorance are cruel, and therefore they can make an outwardly different child an outcast. Unfortunately, childhood injury leaves an imprint for life. Therefore, this situation calls into question the future life and institution of the family. In the case of a girl, if she lowers her hands and does not fight the disease, the birth of a child is unlikely.
Parents should monitor not only good appetite, but also the good health of the child. If you have already encountered such a problem, you must follow all the recommendations for the treatment of obesity in children from your doctor.
Diagnostics
Timely detection of the disease will stop the development of pathology in connection with the appointment of effective therapy. The first diagnosis is carried out by parents, assessing the appearance of the baby. If it seems to mom and dad that the child is overweight, you should immediately consult a doctor. The question arises: to which doctor to lead the child? To begin with, in any case, you should visit a pediatrician. In the future, if necessary, he will send you for research to other specialists.
Diagnosis of obesity in children is based on the results of the following procedures:
- medical history, in other words, the doctor conducts an in-depth interview in order to clarify the characteristics of nutrition, physical activity, etc.
- anthropometry - here the doctor records the indicators of growth and body weight, waist circumference, hip size and other data needed;
- bioelectric resistance method is a measurement of the thickness of the skin fold in comparison with adipose tissue.
To finally understand the causes of the pathology, the pediatrician sends the child to a neurologist, endocrinologist, nutritionist, cardiologist, psychologist, etc. Of course, this does not happen in all cases, but only if necessary. If it is necessary to confirm the diagnosis, other therapeutic measures are also carried out: biochemical and general blood tests, ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland, magnetic resonance therapy of the pituitary gland.
How to lose weight?
Depending on the degree of obesity and the reasons that led to this condition, therapy is prescribed. The main task is to eradicate the foundations of the problem. In any case, the most effective option is a comprehensive treatment, which includes:
- proper nutrition;
- normalization of physical activity;
- drug therapy.
The period of full recovery is quite long, therefore, the solution to the problem should be taken seriously. Each step must be coordinated with the attending physician, as well as follow all its recommendations. So, we will consider treatment methods in more detail.
Diet and physical education
Without proper nutrition and physical activity, it is impossible to cope with the problem. These methods are aimed not only at weight loss, but also at preventing further relapse. If a child has a first-degree disease, then he will be prescribed proper nutrition, with which you can reduce body weight. Other events in this case are not assigned.
A diet for obese children is compiled by an endocrinologist. The specialist takes into account the smallest details of the body and prescribes the most effective diet in each case. A sharp weight loss is unacceptable, this will only exacerbate the situation. Therefore, the endocrinologist studies the body's need for proteins, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins, and only after that makes a diet.
Usually all kinds of animal fat, pasta, sweets, cookies, semolina, etc. are completely excluded. Low-fat meats, low-fat cottage cheese and kefir are recommended for consumption. Bread can only be special, made from wholemeal flour, such as Borodinsky. The main component of the diet is vegetables and fruits.
As for exercise therapy for obesity in children, the complex should include swimming, aerobics, athletics and outdoor outdoor games. To make it easy for a child to be accustomed to sports, parents should set their own example and encourage the child for achievements. You need to start small: take a walk with your baby every day for at least half an hour. At a minimum, this will improve the well-being of the baby and prevent the development of complications.
Psychological help
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of psychology, namely the atmosphere in the family. The child will need the constant support that only the closest people can give. You need to convey the idea that you should not focus on being overweight, you need to live on.
As already noted, such children become objects of ridicule in the street. In especially difficult situations, the guys get used to the role of a clown and cannot get out of it. Then only the help of a qualified psychologist will save. Much of the treatment of obesity in children depends on the involvement of parents. Recommendations for them:
- communicate more with the baby, give him the necessary support;
- Set an example, give up harmful foods and follow a diet with your child;
- organize a sports corner, instill a love of physical culture on your own example;
- encourage and praise the baby more, talk about its uniqueness and uniqueness, celebrate even the most minor achievements;
- choose the right clothes for the child. Flax is perfect as a material, because it visually hides magnificent forms. This is necessary to eliminate the complexes.
Drug therapy
This method is prescribed extremely rarely, because its effectiveness is in question. The essence of drug treatment is to reduce the level of appetite. In other words, the doctor prescribes medicines, after drinking which the child will not want to eat for some time.
At the same time, most medicines theoretically able to cope with the problem are prohibited for children under 16 years of age. This method of treatment is addressed only at the third stage of obesity. Then the doctor can prescribe the following funds:
- Orlistat. A drug that inhibits gastrointestinal lipases.
- Metformin. If obesity has led to diabetes, then this medicine can help.
- Phentermine. Psychostimulant, suppresses appetite.
Massage
During diagnosis, doctors measure the size of adipose tissue. This is done in order to understand how much fat is deposited. If the problem lies in metabolic disorders, then massage is one of the most effective means. Using it, you can do the following:
- improve metabolism;
- reduce fat deposits in certain areas;
- improve the general condition of the musculoskeletal system;
- normalize muscle tone;
- increase the performance and elasticity of muscle tissue.
Some children suffer from heart problems, in which case you need to be extremely careful to conduct the event. Only a qualified specialist can do this kind of massage.
Surgical intervention
We will not consider this method in detail, since it is practically not used for persons under 18 years of age. This is not necessary if the patient's condition is more or less normal. Surgical intervention (for example, bandaging or shunting of the stomach) is resorted to only in the presence of serious vital indications. For example, there is a high probability of death if you do not have surgery. Often, the radical method is used in relation to children who are diagnosed with a fourth degree of obesity.
Prevention
Prevention measures should be carried out starting from infancy. Overfed baby will not develop faster. But impaired metabolism is very difficult to restore. In fact, the prevention of obesity in children is similar to the treatment of this disease. In other words, it includes two main points: physical activity and proper nutrition.
From early childhood, teach your baby to eat healthy foods, avoid processed foods, chips and soda. It is recommended to feed the baby four times a day, preferably at the same time.
As for adolescents, they often opt for computer games. The task of parents is to interest the child in sports, it is necessary to reward for any achievements, even the most insignificant. Do not forget about psychological support. If your child is overweight, act as his friend. In this case, even a long period of treatment will pass unnoticed.
Obesity in children is a very serious problem. Unfortunately, the trend is negative, and every year more and more such cases. Parents should carefully monitor the diet of the child, motivate them to physical activity. It is best to set your own example, then it will be easier for the baby to adapt. To solve the problem globally, you need to deal with it in every family.