One out of every 5 primary and secondary school students, Xiao Pang Dun’er’s parents are the first person responsible for obesity prevention and control
May 20 is the National Student Nutrition Day. With the continuous improvement of living standards, the nutritional level of students is improving day by day, but the obesity problem accompanying it has gradually become prominent.
In order to effectively curb the overweight and obesity epidemic and promote the healthy growth of children and adolescents, on May 19, the National Health Commission invited relevant experts to conduct an online interview with the theme of "Prevention and Control of Obesity, Starting from the Baby".
According to the "Report on Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents (2020)" issued by the National Health Commission, the overweight and obesity rates of children and adolescents aged 6-17 in my country are 11.1% and 7.9%, respectively, and the total is 19%, which means , Almost one out of every five primary and middle school students has a little fat dun'er.
The overweight rate and obesity rate of children under 6 years old are 6.8% and 3.6% respectively, and the two together account for 10.4%.
Ma Guansheng, director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Peking University School of Public Health, analyzed that compared with the report released in 2015, whether it is children and adolescents aged 6-17, or children under 6, the rates of overweight and obesity are increasing. "This also shows that the situation of obesity (in children and adolescents) has become more and more severe over the past few years."
Obesity is the source of all diseases
“I often hear obese children say that bones or muscles are uncomfortable.” said Liu Ailing, a researcher at the Institute of Nutrition and Health, China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is because obesity can cause harm to multiple organs and systems. Excessive weight can cause bones and muscles. Larger pressure can easily cause damage to joints, bones, and muscles.
Obese children have a significantly higher risk of fractures, lower limb deformities, and mobility impairments than children with normal weight.
Obesity also affects children's reproductive system and endocrine system, leading to early puberty development, and may even lead to precocious puberty.
Liu Ailing said that obesity also affects children's brain and intellectual development.
A large number of studies have shown that the level of intelligence of obese children is significantly lower than that of children with normal weight. The higher the degree of obesity, the greater the impact on cognition and intelligence.
In addition, obesity will also affect children's athletic ability and sports development. Their physical qualities, such as endurance, explosiveness, and flexibility, are significantly lower than children of normal weight.
As the saying goes, "Obesity is the source of all diseases." Liu Ailing explained that fat children may already have symptoms of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, abnormal glucose tolerance, and dyslipidemia; fat children are also prone to psychological problems, such as they are more self-suppressed. Prone to excessive self-esteem and withdrawn.
"Children are obese when they are young, and they tend to be fat when they grow up." Liu Ailing said that this will increase the prevalence of chronic diseases in adulthood, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, which will affect their health, life expectancy and life. Quality of Life.
The harm of obesity to children’s physical and mental health will also increase the economic burden on the family and society. This harm will limit the development of children’s potential, and the labor productivity will decline when they grow up. “Therefore, the improvement of the quality of the family and our entire people will be greatly improved. The long-term economic and social development is unfavorable."
The main reason for the increase in obese children is individual factors
What causes obesity in children?
Liu Ailing said that genetic factors account for about 40%-70% of the incidence of obesity.
It is difficult for genes to undergo major changes in a short period of time. Therefore, in recent decades, the rapid increase in childhood obesity is not due to genetic changes, but environmental factors.
"The environmental factors that have the greatest impact on children's obesity are the individual factors." Liu Ai-ling pointed out that the obesity factors in the individual factors include the unreasonable dietary structure of the children, often eating some high-energy foods, and the fat supply is too high. This leads to an increase in energy intake, thereby increasing the risk of obesity.
In addition, children often skip breakfast or have fewer types of breakfast and poor nutritional quality; often eat some high-oil, high-sugar snacks; often drink sugary drinks; often eat out or order takeaways; violence Overeating.
"These unhealthy behaviors will also increase the risk of obesity."
Ailing Liu further explained that obesity occurs because of an imbalance in energy intake and consumption.
Compared with children's excessive energy intake, children's energy consumption is now showing a downward or decreasing trend.
Children usually have less physical activity, watching TV, playing on mobile phones, and increasing static time. This situation leads to lower energy consumption of children and adolescents and increases the risk of obesity.
In addition, external environmental factors such as school dining, the supply of food in the school commissary, fast food restaurants in the community, and the social and cultural factors that encourage children to eat more and "fat is healthy" have also contributed to children's obesity. The role of.
Parents are the first person responsible for the prevention and control of childhood obesity
Zhao Wenhua, chief expert in nutrition at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, pointed out in an interview that parents are the first person responsible for the prevention and control of childhood obesity.
The birth weight of the child, whether it is breastfeeding, and whether the parents can monitor the child's height and weight regularly, so as to find and solve the problem in time.
In terms of eating behavior and active physical activity, if the parents don’t like to eat, the child may not be able to eat it; if the parent is unwilling to move, the child may not engage in active physical activity, so the parent is the role model for the child. Responsibility to pass on good behaviors to your children.
In terms of physical activities of children and adolescents, Zhao Wenhua suggested that if according to age, children aged 3-5 must have independent outdoor activities for at least 3 hours a day; for children aged 6-17, at least medium-to-high-intensity physical activity every day The activity reaches 1 hour.
Of course, to protect children's outdoor activity time, apart from the responsibility of parents, kindergartens and schools also need corresponding support.
In addition, Zhao Wenhua also suggested that children should reduce static behaviors, such as sitting, leaning, reclining, watching TV, playing Pad, and playing with mobile phones.
In terms of physical activity, you must cultivate at least one of your favorite sports that you want to do every day, and stick to it all your life.
In terms of children's diet, Ma Guansheng puts forward six suggestions:
1. Eat regularly.
Eat a good breakfast, the energy provided by breakfast should account for 25%-30% of the whole day's energy, lunch accounts for 30%-40%, and dinner is roughly the same.
Also pay attention to the diversification of food varieties. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" suggests that it is best to consume 12 different types of food a day, including cereals, animal foods, vegetables and fruits, milk, soy products, nuts, etc.
2. Eat at home as much as possible and eat less out.
Family eating is relatively healthier. Some parents use Western-style fast food as a means of reward or punishment for their children. This is undesirable and will affect their children's normal eating behavior.
3. Create a relaxed and happy atmosphere when eating, especially to allow children to focus on eating. Never let children watch their mobile phones or watch TV while eating. This will affect the child's food digestion and absorption.
Fourth, pay attention to the way food is cooked.
Food should not be fried as much as possible. The way of frying tends to increase the energy content of the food, and it is better to use steaming, boiling, and stewing.
Fifth, ensure that the child's intake of cereals, especially whole grains.
Whole grains are not over-processed and retain dietary fiber and vitamins and minerals needed for the growth and development of the child, which is conducive to the healthy growth of the child.
Sixth, you can let your child eat snacks in an appropriate amount.
The energy provided by snacks should not exceed 10% of the total energy of the whole day. When choosing snacks, choose different types and varieties, such as dairy products, fruits, and nuts.
It is best to eat snacks between meals, rather than close to the main meal, to avoid affecting the child's appetite.
To reduce and limit the intake of sugary drinks.
It is best not to let children drink sugary drinks or drink less, if children want to drink drinks, you can drink light drinks.
China Youth Daily·China Youth Daily reporter Liu Changrong Source: China Youth Daily