Today’s article, USA Health Articles want to remind for parents who have obese children. You should pay attention and keep the food intake for your children. Hence, never underestimate the calorie intake for your child.
A study uses model to show obese children consume significantly more calories each day than healthy children. There’s no question that more children are overweight and obese than ever before. Obesity rates have tripled in the last 30 years and it’s estimated that two-thirds of children are now overweight or obese.
Although many efforts have been taken to help children achieve healthier weights. We haven’t made much headway in reversing recent trends. Why? According to a recent study, obese children and their parents may not realize just how unhealthy their diets are.
Research Regarding Calorie Intake for Obese Children
Published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, this study used a mathematical model to estimate how many calories it takes for a growing child to become obese. While many self-reported studies show that healthy and obese children consume a similar amount of calories. This model found that it actually takes significantly more calories for obese children to gain weight.
In fact, researchers estimated that to become obese between the ages of 5 and 11 years old, boys would need to consume 750-1100 more calories a day compared to healthy weight boys, depending on their exact age. Similarly, girls would need to consume 850-1300 more calories a day compared to healthy weight girls, depending on age.
Researchers also found that it’s easier for overweight boys to achieve a healthy weight after hitting puberty than girls. During puberty, overweight boys can grow so much that they may become a healthy weight without losing any weight at all.
Overweight girls, on the other hand, are less likely to achieve a healthy weight following puberty, unless they actually take steps to lose weight. That is the different of healthy weight between boys and girls.
Never Underestimate the Calorie Intake for Obese Children
From this study, we can take the lessons. Firstly, if there is such a vast difference in caloric intake between healthy and obese children. It’s likely that obese children (and their parents) significantly underreport their food intake and portion sizes. Experts suggest that strategies should be developed to help educate obese children and their parents on exactly what a “healthy” diet is and how to achieve it.
Second lesson is that efforts to combat childhood obesity may need to be tailored for girls vs. boys. If boys are in fact more likely to “outgrow” obesity than girls during puberty. By addressing these factors that may be driving the childhood obesity epidemic. We will have a much better chance of reversing trends and helping children achieve healthier weights.
If you love your children, then you need to control the calorie intake for obese children. Because, overweight and obesity could increase risk for diabetes, heart disease and a number of cancers — all of which can be life threatening.
Don’t miss! Heart Disease in Children: Signs, Causes, and Treatment.
