Overeating refers to the intake of excess food that exceeds the body’s energy requirements and its capability to expel the surplus through excretion. A big number of parents throughout the world watch helplessly as their children overfeed in spite of the imminent dangers associated with the habit. The excessive intake of high-calorie and fatty foods is one of the leading causes of health problems for most children in the modern society. Heart problem, type 2 diabetes, and obesity are the imminent consequences of overeating, and in a bid to prevent them in children, parents should be mindful of the eating habits of their children.
Heart Disease
Fatty meals can trigger lethal heart problems by altering the normal functioning of the endothelium. Overconsumption of fatty meals prompts an abnormal increase in insulin levels that might result in the decrease in the coronary arteries’ ability to relax. The pressure of the blood becomes high, and this might cause the arteries to rupture causing a lethal heart problem. Allowing children to overeat without being mindful of the nutritious value of the food can be very dangerous to them. As such, guardians and parent should ensure that children desist from overeating especially fatty and high-calorie foods.
Diabetes
Many people tend to believe that diabetes is caused by the intake of excess sugar. However, it is the consumption of too much food that is responsible for most cases of type 2 diabetes in the world. Every type of food (proteins, carbohydrates, or fats) gets converted into glucose while in the body. An increase in the bodily weight makes the body somehow resistant to insulin that increases the chances of contracting type 2 diabetes.
The activity level of a person determines the consumption of the available sugars in the body. In most societies, children are less likely to be involved in tough jobs that might ensure the high consumption bodily sugars. When they take excess food, the excess sugar accumulates in their bodies causing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. It is, therefore, the parents’ role to ensure that their children only take enough food to sustain their activity so as to ensure that no excess sugar accumulates in their systems.
Obesity
Obesity is a widespread health problem in both the developed and the developing world. Almost all cases of obesity are as a result of overeating. Obesity is closely connected to high mortality cases and the prevalence of other lethal conditions such as hypertension, asthma, and heart disease. In addition, obesity does affect not only the physical well-being of a person but also the psychological well-being. Among children, obesity causes low self-esteem. The condition has been connected with poor academic performance among children. Controlling the eating habits of children can substantially reduce the prevalence of obesity among children.
Conclusion
Excessive intake of food is a major health threat that parents can easily control by being keen on the quantity of food that their children take. Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity are among the most dangerous effects of overeating. These conditions elevate the mortality rate of children as well as adults and are increasingly becoming public health threats in the world. Parents are in a position to control the prevalence of these conditions by monitoring the amount of food that their children take. In addition, parents can make wise dietary choices to save their children from the dangers posed by overeating.