How do kids become obese or overweight?

How do kids become obese or overweight?

Obesity is caused by complex interactions between genes, environment and behavior habits.

Many studies have shown that there is not a big difference in the amount of food eaten and physical activity between obese and non-obese kids. But probably small differences in eating and activity over time really add up and lead to weight gain.

Following pointers may be of help 

Eating patterm -Obese children do tend to eat larger portions or higher calorie foods, like high-fat foods. 

Physical activity and inactivity - Many studies have shown that kids who spend more time watching television and playing video games are at higher risk of becoming overweight.

Obese parents - Kids in families with obese parents tend to be obese themselves.  If one parent is obese or overweight, their teen has an 80% chance of being overweight.  This is probably because of a combination of genetics and family behavior and habits. 

Other factors - Very rarely, obesity is caused by an underlying medical condition.  Illnesses that can cause obesity include endocrine problems and some genetic syndromes.  Your doctor will probably be able to rule out an underlying medical problem by a physical exam, medical history or sometimes lab tests may be needed.

It's not about weight. It's about the present and future health problems that come with extra weight.

If we don't act now, today, this month, this year, we could raise the first generation of kids that live shorter, sicker lives than their parents.

Don't sit back and relax work for it today.

Mrs Shilpa Mittal Nutritionist and Diet Consultant Founder Shilpsnutrilife - Diet and lifestylemakeover

How to Help Your Child Eat Healthy

 How to Help Your Child Eat Healthy

My write up in Healthmeup.com on How to Help Your Child Eat Healthy

Does your child always throw tantrums at the dinning table? Does he always demand unhealthy foods? As a parent it must be tempting to give in to these tantrums once in a while, but what do you do if your child's fixation with junk food begins to take a toll on his health? With childhood obesity on the rise in India, it is cause for concern. Today. Dr. Shilpa Mittal - Nutritionist, Diet Consultant and Founder of Nutrilife Health Management, comes to your rescue and shares some healthy nutritious tips to keep your child healthy and fit…

1. Meal times should be fun and sociable occasions.
2. Have fixed eating times, say 6-7 meals/ day.
3. Introduce only one food at a time.
4. Be honest about what you are offering. 
5. Avoid feeding them with salty nibbles like waffers, chips, packaged foods. 
6. Avoid carbonated drinks.
7. Keep food separate from discipline – it should never be used as reward (chocolates), bribe or threat.
8. Eat with your child so that you set an example of healthy eating. 
9. Eat a variety of foods - the larger the variety of food the better is the nutritional intake of children. That’s because different foods provide different nutrients.
10. As important as nutrition may be, the presentation of food is what will draw your child to the table initially.
11. Make nutrition and exercise family priorities.
12. Connect exercise with activities kids already like to do.
13. Play games – for shopping and serving health foods. eg:- introduce an unusual fruit/ vegetable every week or designate a week as “red foods week” and let your kids select every healthy red food they like.

Getting your child to eat healthy also depends on what you are offering your kids. If you expose them to junk foods often, they will want to eat those foods more, so be very careful about convenient unhealthy fall-back foods like cookies, chips or instant noodles.

source - http://healthmeup.com/news-healthy-living/how-to-help-your-child-eat-healthy/17935

Heart health -women and kids

 Heart health -women and kids

In today’s digital age, men, women and children are becoming less and less active. Even during leisure time, people spend less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, mobile or video-game console. Plus add on to it unhealthy junk food habits of both the parents and the kids are putting them at risk of heart diesease at an early age.

The World Heart Federation goes on to say that heart disease is the number one killer of women, causing 1 in 3 female deaths, which amounts to about one death per minute. Children are also at risk of developing heart diseases because of diet constituting bad fats and sugar, low physical activity and childhood obesity.

Gear up guys....start moving towards healthy lifestyle now.

Eat with Awareness

Eat with Awareness

Eat with Awareness

In today’s world of a million distractions, many children or even adults are eating food while watching TV or playing on their computers. This habit can interfere with digestion, as the body is not primed to digest food when it is distracted. When the body is stressed, it diverts energy away from digestion and instead prepares to fight-or-flight.

Children and families should practice mindful eating around meal times. This habit will encourage the body to digest food that was consumed properly.

NUTRITIOUS SNACKS FOR KIDS

● Cut a papaya into square pcs, chop some dates, sprinkle with peanuts, almonds or cashewnuts. Your nutritious papaya treat is ready.

● Peel and cut some carrots. Put them in your mixer-grinder add honey, sugar, cardamom and nutmeg pd along with milk. A delicious healthy milkshake is ready.

● Whip curds with an egg beater. Pour it in a fancy glass bowl add pomegranate, a dash of salt and pepper and finely chopped capsicum pcs and your curd craze is ready.

● Add dates, a little dry fruits like almonds, walnuts, anjir, kismis and also fruits like pomogranate, grapes to kurmura bhel and make it nutritious and antioxidant rich.

● Pattice of leftover veg.

● Soak mushroom in water, drain n sauté lightly in a non-stick fry pan adding capsicum, green onion salt and pepper

● Soak some rotis in milk for sometime, add jaggery, stir on fire till milk thickens and jaggery melts. Chop and top with sliced almonds.

● On a low fire add some til seeds, jaggery and chopped mixed dry fruits. Roll into small balls when slightly warm, good chocolate substitute is ready.

● Milk substitute – basundi, kheer, milkshakes, custard, pudding, shrikand, fruit yoghurt, cheese, panir, raitas.