Lately the childhood obesity epidemic is more and more prominent on the news. Obesity in a child can aggravate the risk for more child health issues like diabetes, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, skeletal disorders, sleep disorders and problems, psychological symptoms and gastro-intestinal problems. Such disorders can be expected to continue into adulthood. Research has unfortunately shown that obese children has a much higher risk than other people to turn into obese adults.

Despite all the above, it is possible for parents to make a positive impact on the lifestyle of their offspring and give them the guidance that will ensure a happy and healthy adulthood.

What is the role needed from parents to make a contribution to the prevention of obesity in their child? Parents must address the causes of child obesity. Parents must give their children a lot of attention and help them to feel wanted. Children that are neglected by their parents have a much higher likelyhood of obesity than their peers. Be sure not to force your kids to eat more than they feel like at mealtime, all you will achieve is to train your child’s metabolic system to make your child eat more than he or she needs.

Do not emphasize too much the amount of food eaten. It is much more important that the child must eat healthy food and then also get sufficient exercise to burn of the calories. Your kid will acquire abnormal eating behaviours if you are going to be constantly fussing about food intake.

The time that your kid spends in front of the television must be limited. You will find that his or her weight is almost directly proportional to the time sitting motionless in front of the tv, watching television is obviously going to reduce physical activities by the child, it then consequently also reduces the metabolism of the body. The junk food commercials on television also affects children, and they are encouraged to eat more junk food and drink soft drinks that will have one result only and that is increased weight.

If you can see that your kid weights more than he or she should and is on the way to being obese, consult with a physician as soon as you can, and stop obesity in its tracks immediately. It is not really necessary for expecting mothers to eat for two persons, if you eat too much while you are pregnant there is a good chance that both you and your unborn child will become obese. Your newborn should be breastfeeded for a period of not less than one year. With your infant still very young, a greater emphasis should be on fruits, and vegetables and grains while all the time monitoring to see if the youngster is really hungry before feeding it.

If the risk that your child will become obese is high, you should consider using fat free milk instead of full cream milk. Avoid cane sugar and snacks that contain excessive fat, because they are high in low nutritional value calories. For kids that are still of school going age, you must enforce rules as to how much time can be spent each day watching television, snacks must be nutritious, treats can be allowed occasionally and generally good food habits must be encouraged.

The child obesity problem does not remain static, it keeps on increasing with each passing year and, since 1981, there has been a dangerously high increase. The childhood obesity epidemic will pose a huge threat to the future of our children and their children, and it must now be halted in its tracks all over the developed world.