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Childhood obesity: pediatricians' opinion
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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After numerous studies, pediatricians have come to the following conclusion: if a child spends a lot of time in front of the TV, then his chances of “earning” obesity increase. This conclusion was made on the basis of several studies that have been conducted since 1980.
A modern child is attacked from all sides by all sorts of sources of information, including interactive ones. This primarily concerns television and computers. At the same time, an analysis of the impact of such gadgets on the well-being and health of children showed that the duration of the period of watching programs or playing games on the computer is directly related to the craving for unhealthy eating.
Spending a long time and disconnecting from reality is one side of the coin, the other side is the constant viewing of food advertising imposed on us. A small person does not yet have his own clearly formed opinion, he is not capable of critical perception of advertising. Therefore, what he sees on the TV screen or monitor is perceived by him as a signal to action.
Scientists have found that children who read or listen to music instead of watching TV or sitting at the computer are much less likely to have problems with excess weight. In addition, it was found that among children who often sit in front of the TV for a long time or watch videos on the Internet, there is an opinion that fast food is “cool” and healthy. This is exactly what 70% of children aged 6-8 think.
There is another problem: children who spend a lot of time on social networks and do not turn off their mobile devices at night sleep poorly at night. Insufficient and poor sleep not only leads to a weakened nervous system, but is also one of the factors in the development of obesity.
If you believe sociological surveys, then only about 30% of parents really control the issue of their child's nutrition. But in many families there is still an opinion that obesity is a sign of children's health. This opinion is a delusion, and a very dangerous one at that.
Pediatricians believe that a child can be considered obese if his body weight is 15% higher than the normal value. The norm is set as follows. For example, doctors believe that by 6 months the baby's weight should double, and by one year - triple. Then, until adolescence, children should add about 2 kg to their weight annually, and after 12 years - from 5 to 8 kg per year. Of course, these norms are conditional - in each specific case, the diagnosis of obesity is established by a doctor. However, pediatricians highlight the main periods in a child's life when his body is most susceptible to the accumulation of excess weight. These are the periods from 0 to 3 years, then from 5 to 7 years, and also from 12 to 17 years.
Pediatricians are unanimous in their opinion: excess weight in children is not a joke, as many people think. Fat children can subsequently have a huge range of problems - from irritability and insomnia to heart disease, blood vessels, and diabetes.
Therefore, doctors emphasize to parents: try to prevent the appearance of excess weight in the child, especially if there is a tendency towards obesity in the family.
Read more in the scientific publication Acta Paediatrica.
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