Obesity: Definition, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment & More

Prevention

Prevention
Prevention

Obesity is the most occurring health condition that is defined by attaining a high amount of body fat. A body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above is an obesity indicator. Over the past few years, obesity has become a noticeable health problem. It is now considered in the United States as an epidemic. According to the statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hardly 93.3 million adults (39.9 percent), and 13.7 million children and teenagers, which is almost the percentage of 18.5 in the United States, are overweight.  Other than the increasing percentage, there are various ways to cure obesity in both adults and kids. Here’s all the reason that might aid in preventing obesity. (12)

Prevention of obesity in kids

Prevention of obesity starts at a young age. It is essential to aid young people in maintaining a healthy weight without focusing on the scale.

  • Breastfeed infants

One study in 2014 finds that breastfeeding links with reducing the chance of childhood obesity. Therefore, studies mix when it comes to the breastfeeding role in the prevention of obesity, and still more research is required.

  • Feeding growing children in moderate portion sizes

The American Academy of Pediatrics tells that toddlers do not need huge amounts of food. From the age of 1 to 3 years, each inch of height must be equal to hardly 40 calories of intake of food. Encourage elder children to know what several portion size looks like.

  • Form early relationships with foods that are healthy

Encourage your child to try various vegetables, fruits, and protein from an early age. As they get older, they might be more likely to associate these healthy foods with their diet.

  • Consume healthy foods together

Altering the eating patterns as a family lets the children experience healthy choices early on. This will form it simpler for them to continue the good eating habits as they grow older.

  • Reduce the child’s screen time

More time is spent sitting in front of the screen is like less time of good sleep and physical activity. Because sleep and exercise play a vital role in a healthy weight, it is essential to encourage the activities over TV time or computer.

Prevention of obesity in adults

Many of the prevention tips of obesity are the same for maintaining or losing healthy weight. The bottom line is that consuming a healthy diet and attaining more physical activity might aid in preventing obesity.

  • Eat more good fat and less bad fat

Contrary to the short behind the low-fat diet vogue of the 90s, not all of the fat is bad. The intake of healthy dietary fats just like polyunsaturated fat might enhance cholesterol levels and lower obesity risk.

  • Consume more fruits and vegetable servings

The daily fruit and vegetable intake recommendation is almost five to nine servings each day for adults. Filling your plate with fruit and veggies might aid in reducing the risk of overeating and keeping the calories reasonable.

  • Eat less sugary and processed foods

According to a 2016 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating processed and extremely processed food is associated with the increasing obesity risk.