Children are the future, this is a fact and as adults and parents we should do our best to encourage a healthy lifestyle in our children. Today I would like to put my 40 years experience in fitness, healthy eating and competition into guiding you on how to reduce obesity in children.
We all have our own lives and we have a right to enjoy our lives however we see fit. But it shouldn’t be at the expense of the health of our children! Now, I would also like to say that there’s also health reasons that can cause a massive shift in weight, but for this post I’m going to assume that everyone is physically healthy.
How To Reduce Obesity In Children
A child is born into this world, innocent and pure. They have no habits of any kind. So they rely on us for their every need. So, in reality to reduce obesity in children, we need to educate adults on what foods are healthy.
I have noticed that in most cases the parents are also over weight and that doesn’t help the whole situation! My thinking here is that, as children they have also not been educated and so the cycle goes on!
What Is Obesity.
The term is Obese, being Obese means that your body has a large accumulation of fat. This is the definition for the word Obesity. I would also like to add that I have spent many years training and coaching other fighters in training like a professional.
Yet when I went for a check up, the doctor told me I was Obese! Yes I said it, I was Obese. OMG! I was in shock, with a wide mouth I looked at him and said what do you mean and he explained.
The reason lies here.
How To Reduce Obesity In Children – Height and Weight Chart.
Height | Weight | ||
Normal | Overweight | Obese | |
4′ 10″ | 91 to 118 lbs. | 119 to 142 lbs. | 143 to 186 lbs. |
4′ 11″ | 94 to 123 lbs. | 124 to 147 lbs. | 148 to 193 lbs. |
5′ | 97 to 127 lbs. | 128 to 152 lbs. | 153 to 199 lbs. |
5′ 1″ | 100 to 131 lbs. | 132 to 157 lbs. | 158 to 206 lbs. |
5′ 2″ | 104 to 135 lbs. | 136 to 163 lbs. | 164 to 213 lbs. |
5′ 3″ | 107 to 140 lbs. | 141 to 168 lbs. | 169 to 220 lbs. |
5′ 4″ |
110 to 144 lbs. |
145 to 173 lbs. |
174 to 227 lbs. |
5′ 5″ | 114 to 149 lbs. | 150 to 179 lbs. | 180 to 234 lbs. |
5′ 6″ | 118 to 154 lbs. | 155 to 185 lbs. | 186 to 241 lbs. |
5′ 7″ | 121 to 158 lbs. | 159 to 190 lbs. | 191 to 249 lbs. |
5′ 8″ | 125 to 163 lbs. | 164 to 196 lbs. | 197 to 256 lbs. |
5′ 9″ | 128 to 168 lbs. | 169 to 202 lbs. | 203 to 263 lbs. |
5′ 10″ | 132 to 173 lbs. | 174 to 208 lbs. | 209 to 271 lbs. |
5′ 11″ |
136 to 178 lbs. |
179 to 214 lbs. |
215 to 279 lbs. |
6′ | 140 to 183 lbs. | 184 to 220 lbs. | 221 to 287 lbs. |
6′ 1″ | 144 to 188 lbs. | 189 to 226 lbs. | 227 to 295 lbs. |
6′ 2″ | 148 to 193 lbs. | 194 to 232 lbs. | 233 to 303 lbs. |
6′ 3″ | 152 to 199 lbs. | 200 to 239 lbs. | 240 to 311 lbs. |
6′ 4″ | 156 to 204 lbs. | 205 to 245 lbs. | 246 to 320 lbs. |
This chart says that for your height you should be a certain weight. The problem here is that muscle weighs heavier than fat! So, for my height on his chart I was Obese. I think it would be a good idea that if muscle weighs more fat for adults, the same principle applies for children.
So, when we ask how to reduce obesity in children, please remember that children are still growing!
He could clearly see that I wasn’t but regarding the chart I was. This is very dangerous for your body in a number of ways.
Here are a few symptoms that pops to mind.
- High blood pressure.
- Stroke.
- Heart attack/failure.
- Diabetes.
Now, we know what it is and the problems it can cause, it’s time to get it under control! I know we can achieve this together. Lets educate ourselves so that we can effectively learn how to reduce obesity in children.
The Importance Of Exercise For Children.
As I mentioned earlier, being obese means having a large accumulation of fat on our body.
The best way to keep ourselves fit and healthy is by exercising. Getting a child to exercise for the purpose of losing weight isn’t going to happen, but children love to play and have fun!
Safeguarding The Future.
It’s that simple, let children do what they love to do best, play. I have found that children often want to play or participate in activities but their parents are too busy doing life.
And unfortunately because of the way society as become, you can’t even let your child outside to play without having a chaperoned. So, their attention is focused on their games console and unfortunately there’s not much chance of burning many calories there! Learning how to reduce obesity in children is important, but only if we act upon the information.
The benefits of exercise are as follows.
- Healthy heart.
- Increase in bone density.
- Improve blood circulation.
- Good for skin appearance.
- Creates a feeling of happiness.
- A great sense of achievement.
- A fantastic cardiovascular workout.
- Weight loss.
- Body definition.
- An increase in energy levels.
The benefits of regular exercise for children or adults is amazing!
How To Reduce Obesity In Children – Encouraging A Healthy Future.
So, how do we tackle such a delicate problem? No one believes they’re obese and I’ve never met
a parent who has accepted liability for their child being overweight, even though they should.
So, where does that take us, well we should all lead by example. A child is born without any issues and all their faults come from their parents or very close relatives.
If, we can educate ourselves the rest will become easy. We owe it to the future of every child to get this right.
My Conclusion On how To Reduce Obesity In Children.
We need to learn how to reduce obesity in children, this is a fact. The only way we can achieve this is by putting a few things in place.
The first thing is to educate all adults and then children, about healthy food and why it is important. Secondly, we should exercise alongside our children, lead by example.
This is the best way to instil good qualities in our children, ourselves in order to minimise obesity in children.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my post and if you have any comments or questions please leave them below.
Live life to the full.
I think this is a very good topic you have chosen to talk about here. You see whenever I see parents with an obese child, sometimes I feel it’s their fault for not dealing with the problem from when the child is young and it is very helpful that you are dealing with this problem from its root source. I like that you could tell the effects of obesity and the importance of exercising. This is good and I must share this post. Nicely done!
Thank you for taking the time to read my post and leave a comment. Being a parent means so much more than just teaching your child how to read and write. They need to be taught what foods are good and what foods aren’t. it’s that simple!
I think this is such an important aspect that everyone needs to take ownership over. It’s not just up to schools or parents it’s a real concern for the whole of society.
Teaching children about food choices and removing the sugar content from crazy food will be a start, but so much more needs to be done on nutrition education across the world.
Thanks so much for sharing this important message
Hi. I’m glad I have your support. It’s a very sensitive topic to tackle but a necessary one. Children deserve all the care and understanding we can offer.