Childhood obesity is excess fat in the child's body, which can have serious consequences for their health, such as bone problems, high cholesterol (blood fat), diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems. The child may also have psychological problems, as they are often rejected by school friends.
Obesity can be caused by eating a high-calorie diet (with a lot of fat and sugar), a lack of physical activity, or a health problem. In addition, problems that happen in the first thousand days of a child's life can also influence the causes of childhood obesity, such as maternal malnutrition, cigarette use during pregnancy, and a lack of breastfeeding. Read more about the First Thousand Days of Life in Stage 3.
It is important to take the child to the health service for a visit and to see how their health is.
To prevent and fight childhood obesity, advise the family to avoid foods such as filled cookies, ice cream, puddings, candies (candy, sweets), chewing gum (tablets), sweets, fried foods, packaged snacks, soda, powdered or boxed juices, milk with chocolate, or flour.
It is also important to create opportunities for children to play and move around in appropriate spaces with other children. Children need to exercise to burn energy.
Processed foods should not be offered to children until the age of two.
After two years of age, processed foods should not be prohibited, as they can increase the child's curiosity even more, but they can’t be given every day either. Advise parents or guardians to leave these foods for the weekend or party days and set limits on the time and amount.
- e-Capacitação
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- e-Basic Guide from pregnancy to 2 years old
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- The baby from 6 to 12 months of age
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- Childhood Obesity
- e-Capacitação
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- e-Guide from pregnancy to 6 years old
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- The six to eight month old baby
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- Childhood Obesity