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Childhood obesity: opinion of pediatricians
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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After numerous studies, pediatricians came to this opinion: if a child spends a lot of time in front of the TV, then his chances of "earning" obesity increase. A similar conclusion was drawn from several studies that have been carried out since the 1980s.
A modern child is attacked from all sides by various sources of information, including interactive ones. It is, first of all, the TV and computer. At the same time, the analysis of the influence of such gadgets on the well-being and health of children showed that the length of the viewing period of the programs or games on the computer directly correlates with the craving for malnutrition.
Prolonged pastime and disconnection from reality is one side of the coin, the other side is the constant imposition of advertising food on us. A small person does not yet have a well-formed opinion, he is not capable of critical perception of advertising. Therefore, what he sees on the TV or monitor screen is perceived by him as a signal to action.
Scientists have found that those children who, instead of watching the programs and sitting around the computer reading or listening to music, are much less likely to have problems with being overweight. In addition, it was found that among children who often sit for a long time in front of the TV, or watch videos on the Internet, there is an opinion that fast food is "cool" and useful. This is the opinion of 70% of children aged 6-8 years.
There is one more problem: children who "sit" in social networks for a long time, and do not switch off their mobile devices at night, do not sleep well at night. Insufficient and bad sleep leads not only to the loosening of the nervous system, but also is one of the factors in the development of obesity.
According to sociological surveys, only about 30% of parents really control the issue of feeding their child. But in many families there is still an opinion that completeness is a sign of children's health. This opinion is a delusion, and very dangerous.
Pediatricians believe that a child can be considered a fat child if his body weight is above the normal level by 15%. The norm is established as follows. For example, doctors believe that by 6 months. The weight of the baby should double, and by the year - tripled. Then, before adolescence, children should add to the mass approximately 2 kg per year, 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 the doctor. However, pediatricians distinguish the main periods in a child's life, when his body is most susceptible to accumulation of excess weight. These are the periods from 0 to 3 years, then from 5 to 7 years, and from 12 to 17 years.
Pediatricians are unanimous in opinion: excess weight in children is not a joke, as many people think. Thick children can subsequently have a huge number of problems - from irritability and insomnia, to heart disease, blood vessels, and diabetes.
Therefore, doctors emphasize the attention of parents: try to prevent the appearance of excess weight in the child, and especially if the family has a tendency to obesity.
Details can be found in the scientific publication Acta Paediatrica.
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