What to do when children are overweight or obese?

Among the many causes of overweight and obesity, there are causes due to improper nutrition and passive lifestyle.

It is necessary to increase children's physical activity in addition to providing them with a proper nutritional regimen to limit obesity.

Control of TCBP status in children

Ms. Huynh Cam My, teacher in charge of class 3, Vanh Khuyen Kindergarten, Vi Thanh city, said: "At the beginning of the year, through weighing and measuring, there were 2 obese children. For obese children, we will limit the amount of starch they eat, increase their intake of vegetable soup, and allow them to participate in games and physical activities." In the 2023-2024 school year, through weighing and measuring the nutritional status of children at the beginning of the year, Vanh Khuyen Kindergarten has a total of 6 obese children, concentrated in the preschool classes.

Similarly, at Luong Tam Kindergarten, Long My district, taking care of children with disabilities is emphasized. Ms. Vo Thi Kim Guong, Principal of Luong Tam Kindergarten, said: “In reality, the living conditions of families are better, children eat more and many children like to eat milk tea, fried chicken, eat a lot of cakes, drink carbonated drinks, and have little exercise, often watch phones, TV,... so they are susceptible to disabilities. We remind teachers in child care to increase exercise through physicaleducation .”

Preschools and kindergartens will periodically weigh children four times a year to closely assess their nutritional status in order to have appropriate solutions to improve proper nutrition for children. Relevant sectors have also increased many communication activities to prevent and combat obesity in children, communicate the risk of diseases in obese children, etc., which has contributed to controlling the rate of children under 5 years old with TCBP in the province at the current level of 0.55%.

How to take care of nutrition and exercise when children are obese?

According to Dr. Thach Neng Xuan Chinh, Head of the Department of Nutrition, Provincial Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, the cause of TCBP in children can be due to endogenous obesity, accounting for less than 10%. This obesity can be due to endocrine factors, children with hypothyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism, primary hyperinsulinism, acquired hypothalamic pathology... or genetic when children have Down syndrome, Parder-Wili syndrome... In addition, it can be due to exogenous causes, accounting for over 90%. Children have an unreasonable diet when eating more energy than needed (eating a lot of fat, starch, snacking, eating at night, eating fast...) or a passive lifestyle (little muscle movement).

Taking care of children with TCBP requires a reasonable diet. Feed children on time, do not skip meals, especially breakfast, and limit eating after 8pm. That is, eat a lot at breakfast and lunch and reduce eating in the afternoon and evening. Give children unsweetened fresh milk or skimmed, calcium-rich unsweetened fresh milk. Encourage children to eat a lot of vegetables. Limit sweets. Limit giving children foods high in energy such as sausages, hamburgers, fried chicken, instant noodles, ice cream, cakes, chocolate and pastries. Limit fat, animal organs and animal skin. In addition, it is necessary to increase physical activity for children.

In treating childhood obesity, dietary adjustments should be combined with increased physical activity. Children and adolescents should be physically active for at least 60 minutes per day. Exercise should be varied as much as possible, and time spent sitting, being sedentary, and using screens should be limited.

Article and photos: HONG DIEM

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