Introduction
Being overweight in children has some risks and health issues that are associated with it. Its associated risks include developing type 2 diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, joint pain, and respiratory issues. Obesity in children increases the risks of 2 diabetes development (Childhood Overweight & Obesity | Overweight & Obesity | CDC, 2022).
If a child is overweight, their body has to work harder than it should just to keep them alive. Their heart has to pump blood through extra fat and muscle, and their lungs must work harder to get oxygen into their bloodstream. To compensate for this extra strain on the body, they burn more calories than someone at a healthy weight does.
But suppose they do not do anything to improve the efficiency of their body, like exercise. In that case, the damage from being overweight will eventually take its toll, and their health will suffer, leading to the development of other health issues like type 2 diabetes. In this paper, I will analyze the risks associated with being overweight in childhood and develop strategies for treating the condition.
Health Risks Associated with Childhood Overweight
Obesity in children can lead to potential dangers, including elevated cholesterol and blood pressure, joint discomfort, respiratory difficulties, and nonalcoholic liver disease. Parents should ensure that their children eat healthy food because a poor diet can reduce the risks of high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Poor diet leads to the development of plagues in the arteries, which further causes narrowing and hardening, thus leading to a heart attack. Obesity in children also causes joint pain and breathing problems.
Firstly, extra weight causes joint stress, leading to pains in areas such as hips, knees, and back. Being overweight is a serious condition where children repeatedly stop and start breathing during sleep. Regarding fighting obesity in children, parents should be very much responsible for their children’s health. They must provide healthy meal choices, teach them proper nutrition, and make sure they get enough exercise each day.
A health professional should always obtain a patient’s weight and height to determine their body mass index (BMI) and assess the possible risk of morbidity or mortality associated with obesity. However, there are other factors that they should consider before reaching their conclusion. The doctor must often obtain information on the patient’s diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits, as well as any coexisting conditions or risk factors.
This is important because obesity is a complex medical condition that often requires multidisciplinary management and interventions beyond diet and exercise. For example, a child may be obese due to medical reasons such as hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome, or Cushing’s syndrome. The doctor will also have to check if the patient has an aversion towards physical activity due to other factors such as pain or discomfort from arthritis. All this information is essential in the professional decision towards a condition.
The additional information is vital because it helps doctors understand why their patients are overweight. Identifying and describing risks in an overweight child’s health is a matter of understanding the consequences of their weight. It is the most important step in determining whether or not they require intervention. While the causes of obesity are varied, the consequences are largely linked to increased risk for insulin resistance and type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and musculoskeletal issues. While these risks may be known to some degree by the parents, gathering a more thorough understanding requires a physician’s expertise.
Health professionals should be sure to consider any other possible contributing factors to poor health. For instance, if the child has breathing problems, a caregiver may want to discuss with their doctor whether there are any links between asthma and obesity or whether there are particular factors involved in this case that could help in making a diagnosis for either condition or deciding on a treatment plan. Moreover, if the child has sleep apnea and asthma, both conditions might improve by losing weight. The questions I would ask concerning the child’s health are: Which type of food has the child been eating? Has the child been having difficulty breathing or pain in the joints? Does the child suffer from high blood pressure?
Effective Strategies for Managing and Treating Childhood Overweight
Lifelong healthy eating habits are a strategy for solving overweight in children. Parents should ensure healthy eating habits at home to prevent overweight in children. Childhood is a time of significant growth, development, and change. During this period, children will build their health habits for the rest of their lives. Poor eating habits can affect a child’s physical and mental health and are associated with both current and future chronic diseases.
Regular physical activity is an important strategy for dealing with the excessive weight gain that is common among children today. A parent can engage their child in regular physical exercise to prevent weight gain. The most important thing to remember in helping a child maintain a healthy weight is that it is not so much about “diet” and “exercise” as it is about engaging in both of these things regularly and making sure your child has a lifelong plan for both.
Conclusion
Being overweight in childhood is a serious condition in the world today. Childhood involves faster growth, and children are easily overweight due to continuously dividing cells. The condition can lead to serious diseases like high blood pressure, difficulty breathing, pain in joints, and many others if not treated early.Strategies such as lifelong healthy eating habits and regular physical habits should be considered by parents or caregivers when treating overweight children.
Reference
Childhood Overweight & Obesity | Overweight & Obesity | CDC. (2022). CDC. Web.