Overweight in children: causes, prevention and treatment. How to notice overweight and obesity in young children - signs, weight norms and degrees of obesity

In most cases, overweight in children is formed due to malnutrition and lack of sufficient physical activity. But first of all, you need to make sure that excess weight is not one of the symptoms of endocrinological disease.

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Maria asks:

Hello. We passed the commission at the end of October. Weight was 15 with a little. Recently weighed 18 kg. Is this normal?

Answers:

Good afternoon, it is impossible to evaluate the parameters of weight gain and growth of a child according to general parameters. It is necessary to look at the parents, to know how tall the child is, and many other factors. Therefore, it would be logical to consult with your pediatrician.

Igor asks:

Hello, Doctor! We have such a problem - my child is rather large, but some say that everything is in order, while others - on the contrary, that something is wrong. The doctor has told or said, that it is necessary to look at centile tables. Help with these tables! My son is 7 years old. Thank you.

Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:

Good afternoon, Igor!
To determine the average norm for the weight and height of the baby, depending on the age, scientists compiled special tables, which are called centile. This is a fairly fast, practical and accessible method. In addition, it indicates not only the so-called ideal weight, but also the allowable values ​​​​of body weight (centile corridors), the values ​​\u200b\u200bof which are also within the normal range, but not ideal. So, I present to your attention a centile table for children aged 3 to 12 years and the rules for decoding it. So, the average height of the child should be in the zone of 25-75 centiles. Growth between the 10th and 25th centiles is also considered normal, but indicates some tendency for the child to be stunted. Growth in the range of 75-90 centiles is also normal, but indicates a tendency to outperform growth. Growth between 3-10 centiles is considered low, while growth between 90-97 centiles is considered high. If the growth is 97 centile, then here we can talk about the presence of a child's pathology.
Centile values ​​of body length (cm) for boys (3-12 years old)

Svetlana asks:

Is there a difference in what should be the height and weight of the child, depending on whether it is a boy or a girl? And what should they be? I heard a lot about centile tables, I watched them myself, but I would like to ask you to write in a simple way, how much should boys and girls weigh from a year to 3 years old? Thank you!

Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:

Good afternoon, Svetlana! Of course, a certain difference in height and weight indicators in children, depending on gender, can really be traced. Below I will give a table with the average height and weight for boys and girls. I draw your attention to the fact that this and other formulas, tables, etc. the physical development of the child is provided by average statistical indicators without taking into account the constitutional characteristics of a person (heredity, race, etc.). Therefore, for an adequate assessment of the physical development of the child, contact a specialist - a family doctor or pediatrician.
Table: Indicators of weight and height of children depending on age and gender

Lena asks:

Doctor, help me figure it out! My son is 14 years old, height 144 cm. Today the pediatrician said that, judging by the centile tables, we are in red and we definitely have a disease and we are very small. Explain, please, what kind of table is it and is it possible to immediately make a diagnosis only on it?

Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:

Good afternoon, Lena! Centile tables are a unified method for determining height and weight depending on the sex and age of the child. According to this table, it is possible to determine the range of growth and weight indicators that is characteristic of the normal development of the child. Moreover, for convenience, the groups are divided not only into centels, but also painted in a certain color. So, the average height of a child is considered if it is within the green and blue values ​​​​(25-75 centiles). Height and weight are also considered normal if its indicator is between the yellow and green values ​​​​(10-25 centiles), but the presence of a tendency for a child to lag behind in height and weight cannot be denied. Height and weight in the zone between the blue and yellow values ​​(75-90 centiles) is also normal, but indicates a tendency for the child to be ahead in height or weight. If you found the indicator of height and weight between the red and yellow values, then height or weight is considered low or insufficient (3-10 centile) or high and overweight (90-97 centile). Such a zone does not necessarily indicate the presence of a pathology (but this cannot be ruled out), it may be due to the constitutional features of the body structure. But if the height or weight is outside the red border, then this is a clear sign of the disease (endocrine, neurogenic, etc.). Be sure to seek the advice of a specialist.
Centile values ​​of body length (cm) boys (12 - 17 years)

Valeria asks:

Good afternoon! My son is 4 months old, every time at the doctor's appointment we always weigh ourselves. Tell me - why do this every month? Or maybe we are not all right, and the doctor is just silent? Tell me, what is the normal height and weight for children under one year old? We have a height of 65 cm and a weight of 6800.

Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:

Hello! One of the important indicators of the physiological development of a child up to a year is a normal increase in height and weight, since they are able to objectively reflect the process of a baby's development. Therefore, pediatricians pay such special attention to this - they weigh and measure the child every month without fail! In addition, it is also important to study the dynamics of such indicators as the circumference of the head and chest, because a violation of their ratio may indicate the beginning of the development of a pathological process (hydrocephalus, rickets, etc.). Therefore, the most correct and complete study of the physical development of the baby will be a measurement in the dynamics of growth, weight, head and chest circumference. I will give a table with normal indicators of these values ​​in children under one year old.
Table of physical development of children up to a year (height, weight, head and chest circumference)

Marina asks:

My daughter is 8 years old, she weighs 34 kilograms, doctors say a lot, but they can’t advise me what to do.

Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:

Hello Marina! Unfortunately, you did not indicate the height of the child. For an 8-year-old girl, normal body weight is calculated using the formula P x 0.42-29.9, where P is height in cm. If the calculations showed that the girl is overweight, follow these recommendations:
- Nutrition: the use of vegetables and fruits with high fiber content, establish 4-5 meals a day; the last meal at 17-18 hours, later - only milk or sour-milk products; reduce the consumption of flour, confectionery products, cereals, sweets; exclude the consumption of spices, spices and carbonated drinks; fight food in a hurry and dry food; teach your child to drink more water (especially before meals), weight loss foods: cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, cabbage - fresh;
- active lifestyle, sports, outdoor walks, hardening;
- in the absence of effect - consultation of a pediatric endocrinologist.
Take care of your health!

Natalia asks:

Please tell me my daughter is 1.8, height 85cm, and weight 14,200. Tell me how to properly feed the child so as not to gain weight, since according to the tables, her weight should be 12 kg

Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:

Good afternoon.
To begin with, I would like to note that the weight and height correspondence tables carry average statistical data. When determining the norm of weight for a particular child, one should also take into account constitutional features, for example, heredity.
The child's diet should be balanced, varied, include cereals, meat, fish, vegetables, fruits. Teach your child to 4 meals a day so that he gets a full breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon snack should be light. Avoid snacking between meals. Remove starchy, sweet foods from the diet as much as possible, teach your child to eat fruits.
Be sure to remember about the child's motor activity, even if the child is calm, then exercises, walks on the street, outdoor games should definitely become a habit.
Be healthy.

Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:

Good afternoon.
Considering the data of the centile tables, the weight of your child is above average, but constitutional features should also be taken into account. To correct the child's weight, it is necessary to analyze the child's nutrition, physical activity, and exclude hormonal disorders. To get started, contact your pediatrician and endocrinologist for examination and laboratory tests to exclude diseases in which there is increased body weight.
Optimal for this age is 4 meals a day, excluding snacks (especially sweet and starchy foods). With increased body weight, focus on vegetables, not forgetting meat and fish. Reduce the amount of cereals, but do not exclude them, as they contain vitamins and other useful substances that the child needs. Replace cookies and sweets with dried fruits. You need to pay attention to the nutrition of the family as a whole, because if dad eats a chocolate bar, then it will be hard for the child to explain why he can’t.
Teach your child to exercise, walks and outdoor games.
All the best.

Olga asks:

My parents are fat, and I have been on diets all my life so as not to lose shape. Now I have a girl (she is 6 months old), her weight is normal now, but I am afraid that she will not suffer like I do. Tell me what can be done to prevent obesity, and when is it right to start it?

Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:

Good afternoon, Olga!
The hereditary predisposition to gaining excess weight is indeed traceable, but sometimes it is also confused with the food culture in the family (heavy feasts, a lot of fatty foods, pastries, etc.). In addition, obesity may also be the result of certain diseases that may also tend to be inherited (pathology of the endocrine glands, etc.).
Find out the cause of fullness specifically in yourself and close relatives, and it will be easier for you to deal with it, and you will also be able to purposefully carry out preventive measures. So, it is necessary to monitor normal weight already from infancy.
Prevention of obesity is breastfeeding and late introduction of complementary foods (not earlier than 6 months). In the future, teach your baby to an active lifestyle - maximum physical activity and stay in the fresh air. Avoid stressful situations in the family and try to always be balanced when communicating with the baby.
And now about food. Teaching a child to a diet is fundamentally wrong. But it is necessary to instill a culture of proper and balanced nutrition from early childhood and better by example. An intensively growing organism must receive in sufficient quantities the required amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Here are a few specific examples: the daily diet should consist of lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy products, cereals, vegetables and fruits. Limit the consumption of beef, pork, lamb fat, butter, pasta, confectionery. Small "snacks" that children love so much should consist of fruits, yogurts, crackers, jellies, etc., and not chocolates, chips, etc.
More detailed recommendations can be given to you by your doctor on an individual basis. All the best!

Natalia asks:

My daughter is 8 years old, height 142, weight 42 kg, is she overweight. Thanks

Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:

Hello Natalia! In the vast majority of cases, overweight in children is associated with malnutrition and physical inactivity (lack of mobility). Therefore, start by organizing the right diet for your child: limit sweets, bakery and confectionery products, fatty, salty, smoked, fried foods, exclude semolina, chips, snacks and chocolate bars; increase the consumption of vegetables, fruits, berries; give your child milk and dairy products regularly. Forbid the child to sit in front of the TV or at the computer for a long time - let the girl spend most of her free time in motion - sign her up for dancing or in the sports section. All these recommendations are applicable if, in addition to being overweight, the child does not have serious diseases. To exclude them, you need to consult a pediatrician and a pediatric endocrinologist. Take care of your health!

Lena asks:

Good afternoon! My son gained almost 2 kg in two months of life. The doctor says that this is a lot and you need to feed less, otherwise there will be obesity. Is there obesity in infants and what should I do? Thank you.

Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:

Hello Lena! In medicine, there are special tables and formulas with the help of which the optimal weight and its increase for children are calculated.
You do not indicate how many months the baby is, and therefore it is difficult for me to determine 2 kg - is it really a lot or a little. So, normal weight gain in children of the first year of life is considered to be as follows: for 1 month - 600 g, 2-3 months - 750 g each, then 3-6 months - 700 g each, at 6-9 months - 550 g each and in 9-12 months for 350 g.
Please note that these are average data that require individual correction. Obesity in infancy is quite rare and is usually mild. The main reason for increased weight gain is the usual overfeeding of the child, especially if carbohydrate foods predominate in the baby's diet.
I must say that children who are bottle-fed are more prone to the possibility of excess fat. An important role is played by the constitutional type of body structure, hereditary predisposition, and most importantly, the presence of certain pathological conditions in the body.
I say “most important” because the main thing here is not to miss the disease at the very early stage of its development.
So, a number of hereditary diseases, disorders in the work of the thyroid and other endocrine glands, diseases of the brain can be manifested by a sharp and unreasonable weight gain. Therefore, without fail, consult with an endocrinologist and a neuropathologist. The pediatrician will select the optimal diet for your baby and determine the required amount of food taken. Also, the doctor should give individual recommendations on ways to control weight, and introduce measures for its correction. All the best!

Dmitry asks:

Good afternoon! My nephew is very fat. I can’t say for sure neither weight nor height, but even outwardly I see that he is obese. Poor parents put him on a diet and forced him to run, but they never got any real results. I insist on consulting a doctor, but they do not listen to me. Tell me, can the disease be the cause of fullness, and which specialist should I go to? Thank you.

Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:

Hello Dmitry!
Obesity is a disease that only a specialist should treat. And even if the extra pounds did not appear as a result of any disturbances in the body, but were the result of a banal overeating, all the same, the struggle for normalization of weight should take place under the supervision of a specialist. It must be pointed out that although primary alimentary obesity (developed due to increased calorie intake with minimal consumption) is much more common among overweight people, one should not forget about those situations when the disease of the internal organs served as an impetus for weight gain.
So, obesity can develop as a result of: pathology of the endocrine system (diseases of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, ovaries, etc.), digestive tract (pancreas, liver, small and large intestines), metabolic disorders (diabetes mellitus), central nervous system and genetic disorders. Therefore, to find out the true cause of excessive fat deposition, you may need a complete comprehensive examination: consultation of an endocrinologist, neuropathologist, gastroenterologist and geneticist. In addition, sometimes prolonged psycho-emotional stress and stress can contribute to weight gain. In this case, a psychotherapist can help. :

Good afternoon!
Obesity is a multifactorial disease with many causes, and they can be quite different in nature. So, the deposition of an excessive amount of adipose tissue in childhood may be associated with:
- excessive food intake (when the diet is dominated by high-calorie foods containing a large amount of fats and carbohydrates),
- with a sedentary lifestyle (this issue is especially relevant in the modern world, since many children prefer to spend time at the computer or in front of the TV),
- diseases of the endocrine system (thyroid gland, adrenal glands, etc.),
- genetic diseases (Down syndrome, Prader-Viliya syndrome, etc.),
- damage to the central nervous system: after a head injury (concussion, brain contusion, increased intracranial pressure, etc.), inflammatory processes (encephalitis, meningitis, etc.), vascular accidents (rupture of an aneurysm, etc.) , oncological processes,
- pathological processes in the pituitary gland (inflammatory, vascular pathologies, as well as neoplasms). January 28, 2013

Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:

Good afternoon!
Obesity is a special pathological condition in which there is an excessive deposition of adipose tissue. This may be the result of both banal overeating and physical inactivity, and be a manifestation of certain diseases (endocrine, neurogenic, metabolic disorders, pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, etc.), and also have a genetic predisposition. And the mechanism, accordingly, varies in each specific variant of the disease. So, there were even cases when a child was already born with an excess of adipocytes (this is the name of fat cells).
It is believed that if one of the parents is obese, then the risk of having excessive body weight in the offspring is about 30%. And now directly about the process of growth and reproduction of fat cells. In childhood, the number of fat cells from birth increases in two stages - in early childhood and during puberty (this process is strictly hereditary).
When a child reaches adolescence and further throughout life, the number of fat cells remains unchanged, although they can significantly increase in size (several tens or hundreds of times). Therefore, children can get better both by increasing the total number of cells, and by increasing the size of each of them, but adults gain weight only with the accumulation of fat deposits in the cell with their number unchanged. All the best! - determination of body mass index (BMI, Quetelet index) - the ratio of the child's weight (in kilograms) to the square of height (in meters). Body weight is treated as normal if the indicator is 25-29.9. If the index is more than 30, then such a condition is considered obese (30-35 - obesity of the first degree, 35-40 - obesity of the second degree, 40 or more - obesity of the third degree),
- determination of Broca's index (can be used only with a height of 155-170 cm),
- definition of the Bornhardt index,
- definition of the Davenport index,
- determination of the nature of the distribution of fat in the body: the ratio of the lengths of the circumferences of the waist and hips (FROM / OB),
- determination of the percentage of adipose tissue in the body (by weighing in water, measuring the electrical resistance of tissues, etc.),
- determination of the nature of fat deposition (tomography of the abdominal region).
The most universal and, therefore, widely used in practice is the determination of the Quetelet index - it allows you to objectively assess the presence or absence of excess weight, and, moreover, to determine the degree of obesity. All the best!

Tatyana asks:

My daughter is 16 years old. She is chubby, she became very worried about this. What would you recommend for her to lose weight? I heard that there are special diet pills, tell me which ones are better?

Responsible Lobas Ekaterina Vladimirovna:

The sooner she starts to follow a healthy lifestyle, the better it will be for her health in the future. Just do it wisely. You must teach her to control her eating habits: review her daily diet, count how many calories she consumes per day. Gradually move to calorie 1600 kcal / day. Only you need to enter the diet for 2-4 weeks and it must be balanced in all major groups (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, trace elements and vitamins). Add in a regular gym session and swimming pool - this will help her burn calories faster, and significantly improve the result. And drugs for weight loss are recommended from the age of 18. Therefore, the only thing left is diet and sports!

According to experts, today the problem of childhood obesity is more relevant than ever. In total, over a billion people in the world suffer from excess weight, and 30% of this figure is in children. But how to lose weight for a child of 12 years old in a week at home?

Often the cause of childhood obesity is malnutrition, the abuse of harmful and high-calorie foods, as well as a relatively passive lifestyle.

If earlier children spent a lot of time in the yard at playgrounds, and not a day passed without sports games, today all this has been replaced by tablet applications, computer games, cartoons, etc.

how to lose weight for a child 10-12 years old in a week at home

What can we say about the addiction of most children to all sorts of chips, fast food, crackers, sweet soda, chocolate bars, etc. Of course, eating regularly in this way, overweight simply cannot be avoided, especially if you also combine such a dubious diet with a sedentary lifestyle of the modern child.

In childhood, being overweight is highly undesirable, as it can provoke the development of many diseases. In particular, we are talking about diseases of the cardiovascular system and bone deformities. If your child has a problem of excess weight, of course, you need to deal with it urgently. But how to do it correctly? After all, to make a boy give up his favorite treats and exchange bright computer graphics for a visit to the sports section is far from an easy task! That is why experts have developed a children's diet for children of 11 years old and a schedule, following which the child will be as comfortable and easy as possible to switch to a new diet.

Diet for children 10-12 years old: features

How to lose weight in a week by 10 kg at home for children 10 years old? First of all, it should be understood that a diet for children clearly does not provide for any strict food restrictions, like express diet models. A children's diet is a balanced diet that should bring maximum benefit to a growing and developing organism.

It is extremely important to adjust the diet itself. Four meals a day are ideal: 25-30% of the total daily diet is for breakfast, 10-15% for lunch, 40-45% for lunch and only 15-20% for dinner.

Breakfast and lunch of the children's diet should consist mainly of protein foods. Eggs, lean meats and fish are ideal. Legumes are also useful - they contain a lot of vitamins, minerals and trace elements, besides, they perfectly saturate and give a boost of energy, which is so necessary for the child's body.

How to lose weight at the age of 13 for a girl in a week? For dinner, cook meals for children from cereals and vegetables. Do not forget that the entire children's diet should consist only of natural and nutrient-rich foods. Any canned food, fast food, convenience foods, store-bought snacks, etc., are definitely not the place for a child's menu!

How to lose weight for a 12-year-old girl at home in a week? The most suitable products for a children's diet include the following:

• fish;
• meat;
• seafood;
• fruit;
• vegetables;
• dairy;
• bran and rye bread;
• fresh juices;
• mineral water without gas.

For a children's diet, it is advisable to cook all the dishes yourself, and not use store-bought ones. Homemade food is always safer in any case, since you probably know what ingredients are used to prepare it.

But to exclude from the children's diet is such products as:

• canned food with a shelf life of more than three months;
• sausages, sausages;
• store cutlets;
• food cooked with margarine;
• chips, salted nuts, etc.;
• chocolate bars;
• lollipops;
• food containing flavor enhancers;
• sweet sodas.

The above food not only provokes weight gain, while not saturating the body with any useful substances, but also can be addictive in children.

Sweets and chocolates can be replaced with dried fruits - they give the body the right dose of sugar, create a long-lasting feeling of satiety and contain only natural and important components for our health.

A children's diet is the same system of proper and balanced nutrition. There is only one feature: you need to switch to this way of eating very gradually, since it is rather difficult for children to immediately give up all the harmful foods to which they have such an addiction.

To begin with, you can simply allow the child his favorite store-bought treats only in the morning, since their use in the evening provokes active fat deposition. Then you can include such food in the child's diet only once every few days, then on weekends, etc. You can use chips, chocolates, etc. as a reward for certain merit. But, of course, if you eat something like that, then only occasionally and in small quantities.

Nuances

It is desirable to accustom a child to healthy and wholesome food gradually, because immediately after hamburgers it will be difficult for children to fall in love with broccoli. To get started, try to get your child to follow a few basic rules.

1. Do not eat at night (dinner should be no later than 19.00 and not very dense).
2. Have a hearty breakfast.
3. Do not eat at the computer or in front of the TV.
4. Avoid snacking on sweets, chocolates, etc. If the child is hungry between main meals, he can refresh himself with any fruit, vegetable salad or fermented milk product.
5. Avoid fried foods. It is preferable to steam, boil or bake foods.
6. Don't eat at fast foods.
7. Do not eat salads dressed with mayonnaise (for starters, you can at least switch to diet mayonnaise).

It is also important to normalize the weight of the child is also the intake of a sufficient amount of fluid. The daily norm of water for a healthy child's body is 30 ml per 1 kilogram of weight. Of course, you need to drink clean water, not sweet soda. By the way, tea, cocoa and other hot drinks should also be consumed without sugar. Of course, this will be difficult for the child, so try to at least gradually reduce the amount of sugar added to the cup.

The first breakfast should be about 25-30% of the total daily diet, the second breakfast - about 10-15%, lunch - 45%, dinner - 15%.

For breakfast and lunch, use mainly protein foods (fish, eggs and meat), and for dinner - cereals and vegetables.

Diet for an overweight child 8 years old: menu

The first option of the diet menu:

• first breakfast - scrambled eggs with carrots, a slice of rye bread, a cup of tea or compote;
• second breakfast - a sandwich with cheese, a glass of dried fruit compote;
• lunch - potato or meat soup, a slice of rye bread or bread;
• dinner - boiled potatoes or stewed vegetables, a glass of apple jelly.

Second option:

• first breakfast - a portion of buckwheat porridge with milk;
• second breakfast - steamed beetroot cutlets, a glass of apple compote;
• lunch - borscht cooked in low-fat meat broth, boiled potatoes, stewed vegetables, a slice of rye bread;
• dinner - a salad of fresh vegetables (you can season with dietary mayonnaise, a glass of dried fruit jelly.

Third option:

• first breakfast - a portion of oatmeal, a cup of tea with milk;
• second breakfast - fresh tomatoes, a slice of bread and a baked apple;
• lunch - vegetable okroshka, a slice of bread, a glass of carrot and apple juice;
• dinner - stewed zucchini, boiled potatoes and a cup of tea.

Fourth option:

• the first breakfast - an omelette with the addition of apples, a glass of rosehip broth;
• second breakfast - some potato pancakes with the addition of low-fat sour cream;
• lunch - mashed potatoes, beetroot cutlets, rye bread, any fresh fruit;
• dinner - oatmeal with raisins.

Fifth option:

• first breakfast - semolina pancakes with apples and raisins, a glass of compote;
• second breakfast - liver pate with rye bread, some fresh fruit;
• lunch - a slice of rye bread and a portion of oatmeal soup with the addition of prunes;
• dinner - boiled potatoes, steamed meatballs, a glass of rosehip broth.

Parents have always been proud of chubby babies. But as the child grows older, his figure becomes a serious problem that cannot be avoided. In recent years, more and more children suffer from overweight, and even obesity. Therefore, the question of how to lose weight for a child of 8 years old at home is becoming more and more relevant. Children begin to gain weight from a very early age, but weight problems begin only at school and worsen by puberty. Effective weight loss in a child will require the mobilization of the entire family.

Reasons for child gaining excess weight

In childhood, the main reason why children develop obesity, experts without exception call overfeeding. But in some cases, it is further exacerbated by a genetic predisposition to excess weight. Inaccuracies in nutrition also complement the onset of obesity - today's children consume too much fast food, fried and fatty foods, sweet and carbonated drinks.

If a child leads a fairly active lifestyle, then progress in his excess weight may not be observed, and by the age of 10, the weight completely reaches the norm. But for some, obesity is carried over into adolescence.

Basic principles of weight loss

Due to the characteristics of the pre-adolescent age of 7-11 years, the use of any diet for weight loss is prohibited. Therefore, the emphasis should be on proper and nutritious nutrition. Moreover, if the child has a clear overweight, then the actions of the parents should be as careful and delicate as possible. The basic principles of action are as follows:

1. The child should be taken to a consultation with a pediatric nutritionist. The doctor first examines the young body for any malfunctions in its work. In cases where problems with the thyroid gland or metabolism are detected, the specialist will prescribe the drugs necessary to normalize the condition.
2. The weight of the child must be monitored regularly. This can be done weekly or monthly for monitoring and treatment results.
3. In no case should you remind a child about his problems with weight, so as not to develop a number of complexes in him. Scolding a child about completeness is strictly prohibited.
4. All high-calorie foods - sweet, fried, flour, chips, etc. - should be excluded from the children's diet. They lead to aggravation of fullness.
5. A suitable diet must be organized for the child - breakfast, lunch and dinner in combination with visiting sports sections, with the exception of sitting at computers.

So, in order to lose weight for a child of 8 years old at home, the problem must be approached with all responsibility. The younger the child, the easier it will be to solve this problem.

How to choose a diet and nutrition for weight loss for a child of 8 years

As mentioned above, any diet is dangerous for a growing organism. At the same time, overweight children are completely picky about food, which further complicates the selection of a suitable menu for them. The main condition for the successful weight loss of an 8-year-old child is the transition to a balanced diet for the whole family. Moreover, the food should, with its usefulness, remain tasty so that the child does not refuse it.

It is especially important to include fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet, especially since kids always sympathize with bright foods. The menu may include vegetables with different shades. Olive oil is the best for dressing salads. Ready meals should look appetizing. At the same time, the use of store-bought juices will have to be limited due to the content of preservatives and sugar in them.

For overweight children, semi-finished products, of course, can be included in the menu, but in minimal quantities and not fatty. The basis of the menu should be products with starch - rice, potatoes and cereals. But it is better to exclude bread and pasta altogether, and impose restrictions on salt and spices.

Consistency and consistency are important in dietary treatment. To lose weight for an 8-year-old child at home, it is necessary to adjust his diet and exclude the possibility of night and evening overeating. Restrictions will also apply to sugar and confectionery. Portions of potatoes (as a side dish) must be reduced by a third, replacing it with vegetables.

Foods to be excluded from the diet

It is better not to accustom children to forbidden foods from childhood, and not to wean them later. Indeed, from an early age, both the manner of eating and taste preferences are laid in them. If overweight, the following products are excluded:

- ice cream, cookies and pastries;

- sweet synthetic drinks;

- mayonnaise, seasonings;

- fried foods;

- fatty foods

- high-calorie desserts.

Physical exercises for weight loss of a child

First of all, any aspirations of the child to participate in games and mobility should be encouraged. He needs to walk as much as possible so that the loads maintain muscle tone. An active lifestyle should be supported by the whole family.

A child should do a set of simple weight loss exercises about 3 times a week. They will not take more than 40 minutes. Then the frequency gradually increases. Training should focus on:

- mobility;

- endurance;

- muscle development and strength;

- coordination and dexterity.

It is better to start the lesson with a short walk, during which the knees should rise as high as possible. For more effective weight loss of children, they can be offered exercises on children's sports complexes and attachments for them.

In sports, the best stimulus for the child will be the personal example of the parents. At the same time, classes should be a pleasure, so excessive demands in such a situation are meaningless.

More recently, it was believed that overweight in children is a problem in America or Europe. Since in these states there is a great about addiction to fast food (fast food). However, unfortunately, things are not going well with this issue in our country either: more and more often you can meet overweight children. Therefore, we will soon run the risk of “catching up and overtaking” foreign countries in this indicator.

In fact, obesity is a problem that in most cases originates in childhood. Since this is not only the difficulty of choosing clothes by size in the children's department, but also ridicule at school, as well as the risk of developing many diseases as they grow up.

A few statistics...

In the US, every third child suffers from excess weight, in Europe - every fifth, in our country so far - every sixth. As you can see, the trend is quite formidable.

When to sound the alarm?

For children and adolescents, there is no universal formula by which to determine the appropriateness of body weight in relation to age. For this centile tables are used. They are charts by which you can compare your child's performance with other children of the same gender and age.

To understand how to work on them, imagine a hundred children lined up in a physical education lesson:

* standing at the beginning of the line - giants ahead of their peers;

* located closer to the center correspond to the average age norms;

* those standing at the end of the line are the smallest, lagging behind their peers.

In centile tables, this is displayed as follows:

• if your baby's weight is in the range of 25 to 75 centiles, then this is the norm
• when the weight is less than these indicators, then he has a lack of body weight
• if the weight is greater, then the child may be overweight.

When the indicators are more or less than average, be sure to consult a doctor! In the above tables, the age of the child is indicated vertically, and centiles are indicated horizontally (3, 10, 25, 50, 75, 97).

What are the causes of overweight in children?

Agree, in order to cope with any problem, it is necessary to find the “root of evil” and only then proceed to drastic measures. Overweight in children is no exception.

Diseases that can lead to overweight in a child

* Endocrine pathology. Disorders of the thyroid gland (decreased function) and gonads, diabetes mellitus and others.

* Head injuries, sometimes even brain tumors(prolactinoma).

* Hereditary predisposition.

It has been proven that in families in which parents have a lean physique, the risk of developing obesity in a child is only 8%. Whereas with obesity of one parent, this figure is 40%, and both - more than 80%. This is due to the fact that a gene is inherited that promotes the accumulation of fat in adipocytes (fat cells).

Although, probably, such a tendency is also connected with the fact that these families have a food tradition that has been developing over the years:

Preference is given to high-calorie foods,

Exaggerated about the concept of "portion",

cooking features,

Therefore, perhaps, we are not always talking about violations at the genetic level.

However, the most common causes of overweight in children are:

* Psychological factors. Children, just like adults, tend to "seize" their problems. And it doesn’t matter what it is: an undeserved bad mark at school, the difficulties of adolescence, adult family troubles, unhappy love, exams, or an unwillingness to go to a hated school. In this case, food becomes the equivalent of spiritual comfort.

* Addiction to computer games and TV is the scourge of the modern generation. Since now outdoor games are not always interesting for our children. They want to quickly complete the next level in the game, get a new virtual life, and so on.

And, unfortunately, parents themselves are sometimes to blame for this, because they turn on the cartoon for the baby, being busy. And they, too, can be understood, since life becomes more and more expensive from year to year.

* Love for fast food. It's no secret that most of our children love chips, french fries, pizza, hamburgers. It is understandable, because the dishes are really delicious.

Meanwhile, they contain a high content of dangerous fats and preservatives, which lead to an increase in cholesterol levels. As a result, the child may develop some diseases.

Instead of normal food, children often prefer sweet and carbonated drinks.

* Violation of the diet. Perhaps this reason originates from the time when the crumbs are asked to eat, accompanied by sayings and persuasion in the spirit of “a spoon for dad, a spoon for mom ...”, until he eats everything, even if he stubbornly refuses.

A little older kid is forced to eat a certain portion, rewarding him with chips or sweets. As a result, the child gets used to eating more than his body requires.

In addition, having started attending school, the child does not always have a hearty breakfast or may refuse breakfast altogether. However, later at school, with joy and harm to himself, he will have a bite of chips, crackers, chocolate bars, and in the evening he will have a hearty dinner.

Being overweight is a danger to the whole body

Extra pounds are especially dangerous in pre-adolescent age, since hormonal changes in the child’s body begin, muscles and skeleton are formed in him. Therefore, if at this age a child stops actively moving, and prefers computer games, then this will not lead to anything good.

Extra pounds "hit" almost all organs and systems, threatening development of severe diseases as the child grows.

* Heart and blood vessels. Increased blood pressure, development of heart failure, arteriosclerosis, angina pectoris.

* Digestive system. Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder), tendency to constipation. Sometimes fat is deposited in the liver and replaces normal liver tissue, leading to liver failure.

* Endocrine system. Lack of the pancreatic hormone responsible for the absorption of sugar (insulin) leads to the development of type 2 diabetes.

* Bones and joints. Being overweight puts more stress on the bones and joints. As a result, the bones of the skeleton are deformed and the joints are destroyed.

* Overweight girls have higher risk of infertility.

* Often seen breathing problems during sleep: apnea (episodes of respiratory arrest), snoring.

* Psycho-emotional sphere. A child suffering from excess weight cannot always share with peers many of the entertainment associated with physical activity. He often hears ridicule from his peers, because children are sometimes very cruel. As a result, he withdraws into himself, he has a lot of children's complexes, or even depression may develop.

Being overweight in a child is a matter for the whole family

If in your opinion your child is overweight, then before taking any action, be sure to see a doctor to rule out a medical problem.

In addition, not every child who is slightly overweight is obese. After all, sometimes in some children the body structure is slightly higher than average. Therefore, it is necessary take into account the correspondence of height and weight at a certain stage in a child's development. This is exactly what the doctor will do: he will calculate the body mass index.

So, if the medical problem is ruled out, then you can change a lot. But throughout the process the whole family to participate. After all, it is difficult to explain to a child why everyone today can treat themselves to sweets, and he relies only on tasteless porridge on the water.

However, don't overdo it. Because the child must grow and develop, which is impossible without the intake of all the necessary nutrients, as well as additional calories.

Therefore, children in the fight against excess weight have some features:

* If a child under the age of seven has no health problems, then the goal of treatment is to maintain weight at a certain level so that as they grow older, kilograms turn into centimeters.

* After seven years, it is recommended to reduce weight gradually: no more than 400 grams per week or up to 500 grams per month. Based on starting weight. Therefore, any "newfangled" diets for children are not acceptable. If you really stick to a certain diet, then only the one recommended by the doctor.

However, you can help your child yourself by following some tips.

Organize the right food

* Stop "bitching" for all family members. That is, everything should be strict for everyone: breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner. And try to have the whole family at the table, eat slowly, tell us how the day went or share your plans for the near future.

However, so that the baby does not feel lonely between meals, there should be fruits (oranges, apples) on the table. So that he can only have a snack once between the main meals.

* Give preference to vegetables and fruits. Because they are not only a storehouse of vitamins and many "usefulness", but also a source of fiber, which gives satiety.

* Try to eliminate "harmful" or at least limit them: chips, crackers, crackers, cookies, frozen foods, sugary drinks and convenience foods.

* Of course, you can’t do without “goodies” at all, so pamper your baby occasionally them.

* Try not to use food as a punishment or reward.

* Stop all meals in front of a computer monitor or TV screen. Since the feeling of fullness comes much later if the child is distracted. As a result, he eats a lot more.

Moreover, this item applies to all family members!

* Try to decorate the table colorfully: cut beautifully vegetables, fruits, bread and so on.

* Limit trips with your child to cafes and restaurants to a minimum(especially with fast food). Since such food contains a large amount of unhealthy fats, fast carbohydrates and preservatives.

* Try to "deceive" the child's body: Serve food in small bowls. Thus, it seems that there is a lot of food. Gradually, the child will get used to small portions, and, having matured, he will begin to limit himself in food.

* Limit foods containing fast carbohydrates in your child's diet: pasta, white bread, standard white rice, marmalade, jacket potatoes, sugar. Since, once in the stomach, they are immediately absorbed by the body.

* Prioritize cooking methods that are most beneficial for a child. For example , instead of frying the chicken, it is better to bake it in the oven or boil it.

Increase physical activity and activity level

! Make an effort to the child moved as much as possible. Active games are perfect for this purpose: tags, hide and seek, jumping rope, roller skating.

! Limit your time in front of the TV or computer screen up to two hours a day.

! Do things together that your child enjoys setting their own example: hiking in the woods, swimming in the pool, walking in the park.

! Let your child choose the sport, which he wants to do, as well as the days of the week for training. Because if he does not enjoy classes, then everything can end rather badly: “jamming” stress and a sofa.

! Set your own example: Buy yourself a membership to the pool or gym.

! And finally Most importantly, always praise your child. for any achievement: whether it's a garbage bin taken out or a great game of football!

Of course, the problem of excess weight in children should be addressed not only in a single family, but also at the level of municipal authorities. Since it is necessary to properly organize meals in schools and kindergartens, open and support financially sports sections for children. But, unfortunately, most often parents alone try to cope with this problem. And this task is not an easy one.

However, it is in your power to help your child develop harmoniously physically and psycho-emotionally, as well as to form the right eating habits. After all, this will give your baby the opportunity to maintain a healthy weight in the future, despite fluctuations in hormones (especially during adolescence), and will also make it easier to enter adulthood.

pediatric resident doctor

If your child from a "reed" and "thin" suddenly began to turn into a "doughnut", do not flatter yourself with hopes that everything will pass with age and the extra pounds will disappear by themselves. Of course, such a happy ending is not excluded, but it is unlikely. About how to help your child cope with fullness, AiF.ru told author of the method of losing weight "Minus 60" Ekaterina Mirimanova.

No sudden movements

If the mother decides to put the child on the true path and abruptly deprive him of some product, this is a road to nowhere. For example, your child drinks tea with 5 tablespoons of sugar, one fine day you say that you need to stop such excesses in food, and deprive him of sweet tea. What will happen next: he will drink tea without sugar for two days, and then he will stealthily get it from somewhere. Do everything gradually: first, remove one spoonful of sugar, after a week the second, and so on.

Learning to read a label

It is important that children learn to read labels from an early age. For example, carbonated drinks contain a lot of sugar, and if in Europe there is a “light” category, then in our country it is almost non-existent. You can visually demonstrate to your child the amount of sugar that he eats with some product or drinks with a drink. For example, 100 grams of cereal contains 40 grams of sugar! One teaspoon holds 8 grams of sugar. Offer to eat all this sugar - five spoonfuls, just like that. It is unlikely that he will agree.

Scales in the house

Teach your kids to weigh themselves. My daughter does this every day, I have almost no control over her. Thus, if she sees that she is getting better, then she refuses sweets in the evening and allows herself only in the morning - a couple of kilograms immediately leave.

Snacks, not snacks

Another big problem is snacking. Some mothers encourage this, saying that the child should have fractional meals. And then the child asks - then a candy, then a sandwich, then a cookie, and when it comes time for dinner, he declares that he does not want to eat. Mom, in order not to put pressure on the child, shrugs her shoulders and eventually allows her not to have dinner. And the child should eat normally three times a day.

TV and food

A favorite feature of children is to eat in front of the TV. A child watching a movie, cartoon, favorite show can eat endlessly. Remember the appetite with which we eat popcorn at the cinema, although in ordinary life we ​​are unlikely to be able to overpower a whole bucket of popcorn. Try not to let your kids eat while watching TV.

Would you like to lose weight

It “touches” me when a mother wraps dumplings with mayonnaise in the evening, flops in front of the TV, and then says to her child: “You should lose weight, go on a diet.” Did you set an example yourself? Even if the parent does not have weight problems, he should be a role model. When they tell me that fatness is genetically inherited, I always object: no, it is not genetically inherited, metabolic rate is inherited. The fact that you have a size 56 butt is not genetically inherited, the habits that you have seen since childhood are inherited. If your mother gave you half a loaf for a snack, then you will continue to snack on them all your life, believing that this is normal. When parents eat right, the child will strive to do the same.

Binge eating

Teach your kids not to overeat. Don't let your child sit down with a huge pizza and eat it all in one go. It is better to initially buy him a small pizza, make small portions. Even if he did not have enough, he is unlikely to go to heat himself up more, and even more so to cook something.

Chocolate flavor

Walks for pleasure

Physical activity is important for any child. I walk for 1.5-2 hours, and my daughter does not like to do this, but she knows that if we go together, we will chat, keep secrets, I can give her this time - as a result, she goes for a walk with pleasure, because She is interested in talking.

It's great to go somewhere with family. Of course, there are situations when a child in adolescence begins to act up and say that he will not go anywhere with you, he is tired and wants to stay at home, that is, if translated into Russian, this means that your child will lie on the sofa and will watch TV. We in our family solved this issue simply. One day my husband and I went on a short trip without our daughter and began to send pictures to her phone with beautiful places that we met, interesting toys that we saw, food that we ate. Everything that she could have received, but did not receive because she stayed at home. Now there is no such problem in our family. You have to motivate your child.