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Children's Health: The Facts About Childhood Obesity
Obesity is at an epidemic level in the UK, as a result of huge changes in the British lifestyle over the last 20 years. Here's our help for parents about children's health and the facts you need to know about childhood obesity.
Obesity
Obesity vastly increases the risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes, and can cause many other problems too, such as sleeping difficulties, back pain, mobility and joint problems. It is also one of the biggest causes of premature death in the UK.
Causes
In simple terms, the biggest contributor to obesity is a diet high in fat, salt and sugar, which promotes over-eating, as well as malnutrition. An inactive lifestlye compounds this problem, as do rising levels of stress at work and at schools.
Solutions
The key to tackling obesity is to make small, healthy changes to what you and your family eat, and to slowly lead a more active life. Even losing small amounts of weight loss can reduce strain upon the heart and benefit physical and health.
Try to follow, and encourage your children to follow, simple steps like these to avoid ill-health.
1) 30 minutes of physical action is recommended per day by medical experts. Don't worry about doing it all at once. The more opportunities you can find to walk - to the shops, or to school - the easier it will be.
2) Avoid fatty foods, sweet foods and sugary drinks. Eat foods that are high in fibre, for energy, and replace sugary treats with fruit.
3) Reduce your salt intake. The sensation of thirst is often mistaken for hunger, and the more salt we consume, the thirstier we become. This could lead to accidental over-eating. A diet high in salt can also have detrimental effects on the heart.
4) Increase your fruit and vegetable intake. Filling up on these foods, as well as fish and lean meats, will help suppress the temptation to snack.
5) Don't aim to lose weight rapidly. You are more likely to keep it off if you lose it slowly at about one to two pounds a week, so avoid crash diets. They cause you to lose essential water and muscle as well as fat. In fact, crash diets are more likely to result in not only regaining the weight but putting on even more.
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