Obesity, as defined by the World Health Organization, is the accumulation of excessive fat in the body to the extent that it impairs health. The increase in fat content in childhood leads to metabolic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension in later ages.
So, do we dietitians only make people lose weight, or do we encourage them to be conscious individuals who know how to eat healthy? Are we making it into?
Actually, this is exactly where the problem starts. It is becoming more difficult for us to raise public awareness because of the information pollution in the media and people trying to take part in social media with little information about healthy nutrition even though they are not dietitians.
The prevalence of childhood obesity, known as today's disease, is literally It's growing like an avalanche. This must be what they call occupational disease; Wherever I am, every mother/family-child eating relationship I see attracts my attention. Vegetable meals that are force-fed, rewards that are offered with strict rules without alternatives, consumption of fast food under the name of a weekend feast… How true do you think these are, have you ever thought about these for your own child?
As announced by the World Health Organization, 22 million children under the age of 5 are overweight. This rate, which is already high, is increasing day by day. As a result, families look for people to consult to raise awareness, and often this search may end before it even begins due to prejudices, judgments or reactions from family elders. As I tell my clients; ''Your child's health is not more important than anyone else, do this for his/her sake.''
''My child does not like vegetables'', ' 'Pasta, rice, hamb I can't make him eat anything other than urge.'', ''If I restrict what he eats in the circle of friends, he cannot be a free child. ''These sentences that you take shelter behind are actually things we all hear from individuals in our daily lives.
So how do we prevent this?
Healthy Nutrition Prescription
In order to understand whether the weight and height of our children are appropriate for the age they should be, the percentile curves published by WHO are examined. In this curve, height and weight values suitable for each age range are written. We monitor the nutrition of our children, who we find do not comply with this range, to ensure their continued healthy nutrition and growth development. In this nutrition follow-up, we create a "Healthy Nutrition Prescription", which we do not call a diet, in line with the person's needs and wishes, in order to restore health without hindering their growth and development. There is no rule that says that no child will stay away from ice cream, hamburgers or potatoes throughout their lives!
The important thing is to be aware of the portions of these foods. Dear mothers and expectant mothers, try to create your children's eating habits as non-restrictive as possible. You know that a restricted child is not free. He has the right to be free, just like us. Do not offer potatoes or pasta as an alternative to a child who does not like vegetables. Instead, offer another vegetable dish, and let the child, who has two options, choose the vegetable dish freely. Because the content and nutrition of a vegetable dish and a pasta dish are never the same. Appeal to both their eyes, stomach and imagination by making their breakfast fun. “If he finishes his meal Saying "I'll buy you chocolate" is not a reward but a harm to your child. The reward for the meal should not be chocolate, it should be going to the park or playing games together. In fact, finishing the meal should not be seen as a reward, but rather as something necessary for healthy growth. Even though our new mothers pay great attention to raising their children in good conditions, small behaviors that are overlooked without realizing it can affect your child's eating habits in later ages.
To correct all these mistakes, be careful to feed our children without forcing, limiting or offering attractive rewards. We must. We should not let them eat in front of the television to distract them while eating. We need to be aware of what we eat and feed it consciously. The vegetable alternative should not be fried or pastry, but should be another vegetable option. Instead of giving your child ready-made crackers to prevent him from crying while spending time outside, you can give him a toy or activities that will improve his intelligence development. If there is none, you can give carrots, cucumber, yoghurt or milk, which we call healthy snacks.
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