Obesity is no longer a problem that is found among adults, as more and more children and teenagers are becoming overweight. Teenagers and young adults are now suddenly dying from heart attacks at a higher rate than before. The underlying cause is the rapid rise in obesity among the young people and childhood obesity has also been found to have negative implications.
Due to more and more people now adopting western culture, a large number of people are now developing an unhealthy western diet and lifestyle that includes fatty foods, little or no exercise and very little fibre, fresh fruit and vegetables. All of these factors have been found to contribute to the development of heart disease. Children are also eating more junk food as a result of fewer numbers of families cooking meals at home. This means that they have increased levels of sugar, fat and salt in their diets, and all the while are becoming less physically active, preferring video games and watching TV.
Excess weight can put strain on the heart as it tries to pump blood through the body at an increased rate, burdening the heart, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Being obese also leads to other major risk factors such as stroke, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels and diabetes. Obesity can be treated and prevented if parents intervene and monitor their children’s diet. A study showed that parent intervention in getting children to lose excess weight had greater results than when children worked alone with a dietician. A change in lifestyle can beat obesity and reduce heart disease. There are, however, no miracle cures or quick fixes.
Tips To Treat And Prevent Obesity
Children must be given food from all groups, from fruits and vegetables to dairy products and foods with fibre. Help children to maintain a healthy and realistic goal weight so as to not get disappointed when that goal is not reached. They should be taught to use sugar and salt in moderation because an excess of these two leads to obesity. They need to be educated about the hazards of smoking and excessive intake of alcohol. Encourage them to take part in regular exercise such as swimming and running. Obesity is high in black females as it is believed that it is seen as a mark of success. The traditional African diet is healthy and should be encouraged but it‘s the quantity consumed and what is added to the staple foods that must be controlled as this is what causes obesity not the diet.
How To Purchase And Prepare Foods
Meat contains a lot of invisible fat, so to reduce fat in meat, cut off all the visible fat when preparing meat. It is better to choose either skinless chicken or fish. Avoid using too much cooking oil as too much of it will also lead to obesity. Too much salt increases high blood pressure and causes the body to retain water. Drink lots of water to cleanse the system if your salt intake is high.
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