All Together to Prevent and Combat Children’s Obesity

Abstract

WHO defines obesity as excess body fats that are accumulated to the point where health begins to suffer. Children’s obesity is measured using percentiles (crossing graphics) under standardized growth charts for boys and girls. There are over 31 risk factors that cause obesity in children. These factors are potentially recognized, but not confirmed. Identification of risk factors is the key to prevent the obesity. These factors lie along life as before conception (parents-genetics), during pregnancy (nutrition, addictions), the period of birth (breastfeeding or not), preschool, school age, adolescence, adulthood. That you get these factors should include a study of all these stages and to be measurable factors. This requires at least 20-30 years to see how it is caused and how it affects the life of subsequent obesity. This does not mean that should be expected. Measures should be taken for every stage of life that exceeds one, to avoid factors that are known, whether they be general as ethnic factor, socio-economic situation, globalization, urbanization and others whether they are individual factors as parents BMI, family tradition of feeding, child’s sedentary life etc. There’s necessary an urgent intervention based on everything we know. This should involve all of us with dedication and willfully (institutions-medical stuff-individual). The fight against obesity must be done in two directions: social and healthcare. Important point is that obese child to be cooperative with his desire, to offer individual solutions and pleasing to him. It’s necessary to draft programs by decision-making institutions as Ministry of Health and PHI. Must be designed brochures and books that talk about obesity, talking on TV, in schools, to increase the hours of physical education, doctors of kindergarten and school to chat occasionally with children about obesity, to add spaces like playgrounds, swimming pools and to encourage increasing the number of professionals in this field. Every public healthcare institution to assign 1-2 hours a day to talk about healthy nutrition. All of us must work with dedication and without prejudice to the long term because this is the only way to increase healthy generations.