Ask Our Experts Jan Obesity

Ask Our Experts Jan Obesity

Childhood Obesity: A Growing Concern
By Family Flavours

Many children and teens gained weight during the pandemic. According to the World Health Organisation, more kids are obese or overweight globally than underweight. We consult with three of our experts on the issue.

Paediatrician Dr Mona Choueiry
What are the potential short-term and long-term consequences of childhood obesity?
Obesity in children or BMI above 95 per cent can lead to serious medical conditions such as:
● High blood pressure
● Abnormal lipid levels
● Metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance associated with high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, obesity, and in some cases, liver disease and menstrual irregularities in girls)
● Type 2 diabetes
● Asthma
● Sleep apnea (repeated disruption of normal breathing during sleep)
● Skin infections (usually in skin folds)
● Back pain and pain in the knee, thigh, and hip (often associated with a condition called slipped capital femoral epiphysis)
● Liver disease, gallstones and inflammation of the pancreas
● Menstrual abnormalities (irregular or missed periods)
● Severe headaches with visual disturbances

There are also emotional consequences: children who are obese have low self-esteem and feelings of shame about their bodies, which leads to poor academic performance. They are subject to bullying and teasing, may have trouble making new friends, may be the last chosen on a sports team or gym class and may feel lonely, unwanted anxious or depressed. They may be less likely to be admitted to a prestigious university, less likely to land a job, date or find a marriage partner. Let us not forget that kids and teens who are overweight or obese may find comfort in eating, which aggravates the weight gain.

You can contact Dr Mona Choueiry at [email protected]

Clinical Psychologist Haneen Mas’oud
How can I talk to my child about their weight gain?
Many parents face difficulties in limiting their children’s intake of food. Telling your child that she or he has to stop overeating can make some parents feel guilty as some children don’t understand the importance of healthy eating habits and that parents want what’s best for them. Here are a few tips to help make the process easier for you and your child:
• Avoiding using unlikable words such as fat. Some children get bullied at school and are teased by their peers. They don’t need to hear the same words from their loved ones at home
• Avoiding shaming your child for the extra weight by comparing them to children their age who don’t have extra weight
• Making sure that you express to your child that you love them the way they are, whether they have extra weight or not
• Talking with your child to encourage them to express their thoughts and emotions and check with them when they most feel the need to eat (while watching television, playing video games, when they feel sad and so on). This will help your child make a connection between eating and feelings, and you can discuss alternatives to deal with these feelings
• Not suggesting to your child to lose weight but encouraging healthy eating habits by being your child’s role model and focusing on having a balanced and healthy lifestyle rather than on losing kilos and looking thinner
• Seeking professional help if you feel that the situation is getting out of control

You can contact Haneen Mas’oud at [email protected]

Clinical Dietician Ayah Murad
My child does not like to eat fruits and vegetables. What can I do?

Most children don’t like fruits and vegetables and that can be due to different reasons. Raw vegetables and some fruits like apples are hard to cut with teeth, especially for children at the changing teeth age as it can be painful. The tastebuds of children are not well developed so the flavour of most fruits and vegetables is different to children than it is for adults. Energy-based meals, especially carbohydrates, fat, and mostly yoghurt, are more needed for children as they provide energy and brain development and are easy to eat. You can ask your child why they don’t like fruits or vegetables and which type exactly they don’t like. They may favour bananas, for example, but dislike apples or broccoli.

How to present fruits and vegetables
• Baking vegetables after cutting them into shapes (circles, triangular, cube, heart shape or even stars) – children love games so changing the shape and colours and telling them a story about the shapes before eating will help them focus on the idea instead of the flavour
• Making jello mixed with fruit cuts and homemade fruit juice instead of ready-made jello
• Offering dried fruits dipped into chocolate
• Baking fruits and adding cornflakes or granola on top, then seasoning with small amounts of anise seeds

The Royal Health Awareness Society
What is the role of schools in obesity prevention?
The number of children who are either obese or overweight has been increasing worldwide at an alarming rate due to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the consumption of high fat and sugary foods. Schools can play a major and vital role in preventing childhood obesity as they contribute to children’s healthy behaviours that prevent obesity.

Schools have a role in passing on age-appropriate information about healthy nutrition and physical activity and building students’ self-efficacy to make better choices through awareness sessions, activities and events at school. Moreover, the meals and snacks offered and allowed at school determine the student’s choices during the day and build the habits they continue to follow at home. A class schedule that ensures adequate and engaging physical activity sessions and breaks reduces sedentary time and encourages the students to pursue an active lifestyle. Finally, teaching children healthy coping mechanisms and attending to their mental health through counselling and group awareness sessions reduces their chances of using food to cope with stress or emotional challenges and promotes their present and lifelong health.

Overall, schools should offer an environment conducive to health and promotes healthy behaviours and choices. Working with students, parents, teachers and other school staff can create a health-promoting environment and prevent obesity. RHAS offers the Healthy Schools programme that ensures schools have the needed infrastructure, capacity and resources to promote students and staff health. For more information, visit www.rhas.org.jo or @rhasjo on social media.

You can contact Ayah Murad at [email protected]