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All this, to stay healthy

Obesity in kids is a growing urban phenomenon that can be tackled only through regular exercise

Photo:K.R.Deepak

STAY FIT Kids at an aerobics training session

You are terrified to see the fat layers hanging from your kid's tummy! Your child is becoming an embarrassment as he totes the school bag and steps into the classroom inviting peer ridicule. He won't bother to even stretch to fetch a glass of water. After school, he comes back and sags on the sofa to watch the endless channels on the television.

Sounds familiar? Here comes the latest problems faced by most parents in this age of 24/7 eateries and pizza chains, and vada and bhel puri stalls, and just-a-dial-away food. Obesity is a growing urban phenomenon that is as much a cause of concern as malnutrition.

Do you coax your child with extra butter on the paratha at breakfast? Do you force your daughter to eat more than what she wants because you want her to look chubby and cute? Well...beware of the consequences then!

Overweight children have increased risk of being overweight in adulthood. Obesity increases risk for insulin resistance, high blood pressure, respiratory disorders and cardiovascular diseases and obesity is also linked to certain types of cancer, apart from psychological problems like anxiety and depression. There are also other associated debilitating conditions like hyper thyroidism. Research indicates an increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity, which is linked to a lack of physical activity. Both obesity and inactivity are modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular disease. "A regular pattern of exercise improves the child's mental health and contributes to their growth and development," explains fitness trainer Ganga Raj. Her Vyayaam fitness club will shortly start a kid's special aerobics batch.

Daily physical activity improves children's skeletal health, thereby reducing the risk of future development of osteoporosis, says Ganga. Her five-day fitness classes for the kids will include a free style dance session as well. "Children resist any form of monotonous activity. To keep them motivated, there should be a mix of fun and action," she adds. "Evaluation and treatment of obesity in childhood offers the best hope for preventing disease progression with its associated morbidities into adulthood," she says. "It is important to involve the whole family when treating obesity in children. There is a familial aggregation of risk factors of obesity and the family provides the child's major social learning environment. It has been shown that the long-term effectiveness of a weight control programme is significantly improved when the intervention is directed at the parents as well as the child, rather than aimed at the child alone." Parents who are health freaks or do regular exercises are important determinants of physical activity among preschoolers, older children and teenagers. When regular exercise is a way of life at home, children are more likely to develop the exercise habit early and stick with it for life.

Of course, obesity can be genetic as well, especially maternal obesity, which is inherited. The cure is not through medication but a decrease in calorie intake through diet, increase in dietary fibre, regular aerobics, less TV and computer games.

"The computer and television eats away the most productive time of the kids. They sit mindlessly in front of the idiot box and while away time. A regular exercise schedule not only keeps the kids healthy but also makes them more disciplined," says Kavita Khara, a mother and a fitness freak.

"Schools give too much importance to studies and ignore sports or any form of physical activity. Exercise is a must and children must be motivated to get involved in some form of physical activity," says Sunita Reddy, a mother of a six-year old girl.

NIVEDITA GANGULY

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