Friday, 16 November 2012

Childhood Obesity, Becoming a Mental Dilemma for Kids.


Many theories came up showing that obesity have increased so dramatically in the last 20 years, but regardless of whatever combination of factors contribute to the problem, the resulting effects wreck havoc on these children's lives. In addition to the well-documented physical side effects, obese children face emotional and social side effects similar to those of children facing cancer treatment. 



Obesity in children is a very serious issue. The effects of childhood obesity can have health and social consequences that continue into adulthood. Prevention programs and understanding the treatment for youngsters is extremely important in controlling this obesity epidemic. Parents are very concerned about their children’s weight and how it affects them in with their peers and in society. They are looking for specific answers for the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.  The effects of childhood obesity range from major psychological problems to serious health issues and chronic social problems. The latest statistics shows that kids of age group 6-12 are more vulnerable to obesity and ailments. 

Obesity health effects range from backaches and joint pain to life-threatening conditions. Childhood obesity might lead to health hazards like Angina (chest pain), Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), Cancer, Diabetes, Heart attack, High blood pressure, Joint pain, metabolic syndrome, Mobility impairment, Osteoarthritis, Stroke. But other than the health issues social and mental trauma suffered by obese children is more dangerous. 

People are becoming careful about the health issues related to child obesity these days. But they are neglecting the other part which is the mental stigma attached to this problem. Those children who are obese go through bullying at every stage of their life. Even though the prevalence of obesity has grown significantly, making overweight and obesity in youth seem more normal, the rate of bullying hasn't decreased. Kids can be cruel. This cruelty can have significant effects on the psyche of children struggling with obesity. Obese children miss more school than children at a normal weight. They might not perform as well in the classroom, withdraw socially or act out.



The social stigmatization of obese children leads to self-esteem problems, which often leads to more social stigmatization. They seem to have less social skills and tend to become introvert. This in turn leads to depression which is a very negative attributed to be attached to children of young age.

The major thing which has to be changed here the eating habits and exercise. Parents need to take care of such things when it comes to children. Even many schools in Bangalore can play a major role here. Fortunately in our there are many schools especially international schools in our country who give awareness classes to children. Schools like Top international school in Bangalore provide time duration for exercise.


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