Activity decreases during the winter cold… It could be due to obesity
The prevalence of obesity among adolescents has nearly doubled in 10 years.
Closure of the growth plate can cause various diseases in adults such as diabetes.
It must be managed with a “traffic light” diet and moderate to high intensity exercise
Winter is a season when children’s activity levels decrease due to cold weather and holidays. If you don’t pay attention to your eating habits, it can easily lead to obesity. The problem is that, unlike adults, childhood obesity is difficult to manage later. Since this is a period of growth, an extreme diet like that used by celebrities is not possible, and the use of obesity-related drugs is also limited. There is also the problem that the time spent studying is reduced by the amount of time spent on weight control.
Obesity among children and adolescents in Korea has nearly doubled in the past 10 years. According to the “Adolescent Health Behavior Survey” released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in May last year, the prevalence of obesity among adolescents in 2022 is 12.1%, an increase of 5.5 percentage points compared to to 6.6% in 2013. It has been increasing every year, except for 13.5% in 2021 and a slight decline the following year. This is because childhood obesity was simply seen as a matter of fat or nutritional levels had not improved and appropriate dietary treatment had not been implemented due to the belief that “fat in childhood will increase as one grows up”.
Contrary to popular belief, it is difficult for obese children to reach their potential when they grow up. This is because problems arise due to premature growth and premature closure of the growth plate. The possibility of complications is also high. The most common complication of childhood obesity is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. If left unmanaged, it can lead to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Various adult diseases can occur, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and even joint disease due to being overweight. When children complain of reflux or chronic abdominal pain, the cause is often linked to obesity.
However, experts point out that the prejudice according to which children should not eat even if they are obese is wrong. This is because during the growth period the intake of carbohydrates, proteins and fats is essential. You need to maintain your normal eating habits, but reduce your intake of fast foods such as various instant foods and drinks with added sugars and reduce your total energy intake. In particular, if you have to eat late at night after going to an academy, it is advisable to avoid hunger by consuming snacks rather than meals after 9. It is also a good idea to refrain from sleeping immediately after eating.
There are various causes that cause childhood obesity. This is sometimes thought to be caused by a low-fat diet or not consuming vegetables or greens, but it is known that there is a small correlation between this behavior and obesity. However, in the case of obese children, the feeling of satiety they should feel with these foods can be replaced by high-calorie meals. Professor Lee Dae-yong of the Department of Pediatrics at Chung-Ang University Hospital said: “It is known that speed of eating has a small correlation with obesity, but it is also true that we often see cases of obese children who they eat quickly,” adding, “It is also effective for providing visual satiety using small bowls.” he suggests.
It is also important to increase physical activity and maintain adequate sleep. A “family-centered approach” is needed because parents’ lifestyle habits that cause obesity are also linked to their children’s obesity. While parents stress to their kids about keeping their weight in check, scold them for enjoying late-night snacks or increasing physical activity, but if they actually show up lounging around, kids become resentful. Professor Lee added: “Interventional treatment should be implemented in a variety of ways at home, at school and in the community.”
At the same time it is necessary to do physical exercise. It is recommended to carry out moderate intensity physical activity for at least 20 minutes, with a goal of 60 minutes in total, at least 5 times a week. It is effective to perform high-intensity exercises at least three times a week. Moderate- or high-intensity exercise is exercise that makes your heart rate quicken or your breathing slightly heavier. These include brisk walking, cycling, badminton practice, soccer practice, basketball practice, and active physical play. High-intensity exercises include badminton games, fast running, jumping rope, inline skating, basketball games and soccer games.
It can also be effective for children if they receive the help of a professional trainer. However, Professor Lee advised: “If it is difficult to invest time, it may be helpful to extend your walking distance by backtracking slightly on the road to and from school, or walking briskly to a park or gym near your home own and then practice through the structure.
It’s also important to remember that it’s difficult to see the effects of weight loss through exercise alone without reducing food calories. Professor Lee recommended practicing healthy eating habits through the “traffic light diet”. Green group foods, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and broccoli, can be eaten as much as you like, while yellow group foods, such as regular meals, rice, fish, meat, soup, milk, and noodles, are foods that can be eaten in the quantity foreseen as a meal. What you need to watch out for are red group foods, like fast food, and these are foods you should eliminate, not reduce. He explained, “You should eat as much green group food as you want, eat yellow group food in moderation, and stop eating red group food.”
#Adolescent #health #red #light #on…Manage #childhood #obesity #Seoul #Economic #Daily
