The World Health Organisation defines obesity as the excessive and unreasonable fat build-up in the body that eventually poses a health risk.
Here are 10 Effective Ways to Avoid Bad Habits that make it Simpler to put on Weight
- Focus on maintaining a healthy weight: Following fad diets to lose weight can cause harm to the body. Eating a balanced diet that has sufficient amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats will help in providing the body with correct nutrition.
Delhi-based nutritionist Gurveen Toor says, “A plate that has macronutrients and fiber-rich foods on it, complex carbs, a portion of protein, and an adequate portion of fiber is considered a healthy plate that will keep the child full for a long time.”
- Strict no to sugar: Refined sugar is particularly harmful to those who are struggling to lose weight. Processed food, juices, aerated drinks, and other such food items can prove to be harmful. Studies have found that sugar is more addictive than cocaine, therefore, it must be avoided at all costs.
- Physical exercise: Make sure that your child has enough playtime. Swimming, cycling, jumping a rope, and also commonly known as skipping are basic exercises that do not require any kind of expensive equipment but are very beneficial for health.
- No junk: Foods that are unhealthy are bad for a person’s health. Foods containing a lot of fat are those that contain a lot of cheese, all-purpose flour, and processed sugars. Such calories can be quite challenging to burn off.
- Identify psychological issues: Having commercially baked goods is neither good for physical health nor is it good for mental health. Studies link refined carbohydrates to mental health issues like depression.
- Hormonal evaluations: Regular hormonal tests and monitoring hormonal levels are a must, especially for girls who are 14 or above. Early detection of thyroid conditions or other issues like PCOS and PCOD can prevent lots of health issues at a later stage in life.
- Reduce screen time: A child’s brain and vision can suffer if they spend a lot of time in front of TVs, playing electronic games, or using phones. Additionally, it could result in poor posture. Binge-eating while watching movies can cause the proportion size to go haywire. They must be encouraged to read books or play with friends outdoors which is vital for a healthy mind.
- Sip on wholesome drinks: Liquids besides water must be included in the diet. Drinks like coconut water, a glass of milk without adding artificial flavouring powders, lemonade, and jaljeera in summer, and the occasional consumption of freshly squeezed juices can help in the overall improvement of health and keep the body hydrated for a longer period of time.
Also, drinking liquid at the right time also makes a lot of difference. For Dr. Toor, the right time to have “water is 30 minutes before having a meal. It will help in creating a feeling of fullness and make it easy to manage the portion size. “
- Maintain proper sleep cycles: A body’s ability to function properly might be hampered by not getting enough sleep, which is linked to a higher BMI. Sleep deprivation can lead to hormonal imbalances in the body, which can lead to weight gain.
Inculcating the habit of going to bed early would cause the body to begin working that way for the rest of your life.
- Awareness of portion management: According to nutritionist Gurveen Toor “encouraging a child to eat in small bowls, eating slowly, using teaspoons and not tablespoons.” She explained that by eating slowly, and taking a pause “the stomach sends a signal to the brain cells which decline the action of ghrelin i.e., the gut hormone that stimulates hunger, subsequently increasing the feeling of fullness.”
A simple way to identify whether a person is overweight or obese is to divide weight in kilograms by height in meters which will give the Body-Mass Index (BMI).
Parental explanations and proper justifications at the same time for dietary changes are crucial when it comes to monitoring a child’s eating habits. A child’s psyche will be negatively impacted if they are forced to acquire habits that they cannot understand.
