The Journey From Being Chubby to Obese - Aastha Bariatrics
Medically reviewed by Dr. Manish Motwani, Bariatric & Metabolic Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgeon — Curated by Aditi Apurva
Table of Contents
When a child is growing, he/she is not just pampered with love and care. But also a lot of yummy food! The baby puts on weight, and this is considered cute until the child grows up. Suddenly when a child grows up to be overweight, people start noticing. The child gets conscious and self-esteem issues begin. The appetite and hunger of the child tend to increase and the overfeeding unconsciously continues. The child grows to continuously eat larger portion sizes and progressively gains weight.
Gestational diabetes:
Gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) is one of the commonly seen phenomena. Pregnant mothers are fed with wholesome and nutritious meals to have untroublesome pregnancy. Due to being overweight and not taking care of their diet, women end up being diabetic for the rest of their life. The journey of being overweight does not stop and these women, tend to progressively put on weight.
The progressive weight gain of the child leads to weight gain even in adulthood. Weight gain is never a concern until the child develops issues. Dyspnea on exertion (breathlessness), fatigue, low stamina, and low concentration. These issues start coming up in young children. If care is not taken, children turn into obese adults. And the little problems turn into lifestyle diseases. Like diabetes, hypertension, thyroid dysfunction, arthritis, etc. The child may even develop a food addiction or even eating disorders.
These habits make the individual dependent on food to feel good. Very few can recover and develop good eating habits. Other than this, lifestyle is completely impacted. These people are very lethargic to develop physical exercise. Their stamina is low enough to follow a physical activity routine. These instances deteriorate the condition of the individual and their day-to-day activities.
When the BMI (body mass index) reaches 27 and more, the obese classification begins. If dietary and lifestyle changes are made at the right time, the individual can be on track with the weight status. Above the BMI of 30, bariatrics is the only solution to treat obesity.
The long-term solution to treat obesity is important. To achieve the ideal body weight. One has to have strong willpower and determination to reverse obesity to mere chubbiness. It is important to track the weight of the child. Early management of obesity will help prevent problems later in time. Keep track of the child’s weight with the pediatrician.
Points to remember-
- Never overfeed the child.
- Encourage the child to indulge in sports.
- Experiment with more healthy recipes.
- Treat the child with fruits and not sweets.
- Focus on improving the quality than increasing the quantity.
Physical growth along with cognitive growth of the child is the priority in the early years. This is hampered by the entry of obesity and weight issues. Weight should never put someone in distress. You are not judged by the number on the scale. But when your weight is the potential to cause trouble to your health, it needs to be taken care of.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Manish Motwani, Bariatric & Metabolic Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgeon — Curated by Asmita Jaiswal
