Aunt Zhang walked into the field of vision with her round grandson Xiao Zhuang in her arms, attracting a lot of admiration: "Oh, Xiao Zhuang is strong again, look at these arms and legs, they are as strong as a calf!"
When Aunt Zhang heard this, her face was filled with a proud smile, and she gently patted Xiao Zhuang's bulging belly while responding: "Isn't it, my little Zhuang eats a lot of food, eats well, sleeps steadily, this meat grows so porcelain!"
As a retired pediatrician, Grandma Li knows that "baby obesity is not a trivial matter". She put down the sweater she knitted in her hand and said earnestly: "Sister Zhang, you see that although Xiaozhuang is cute, this weight is indeed a little overweight." If your child is too fat, it may cause many health problems in the future. ”
In the face of everyone's reaction, Grandma Li smiled slightly and said: "You may not know that baby obesity is not simply 'well-raised', it is actually a 'disease'.
01. Causes of obesity in babies
Overfeeding and overnutrition: Many parents overfeed their babies with the belief that the more they eat, the healthier they are, especially when complementary foods are added.
Premature or excessive administration of high-calorie, high-sugar, and high-fat foods leads to the intake of calories far exceeding the energy expenditure required for growth and development, and the excess calories are converted into fat storage, triggering obesity.
Lack of exercise and sedentary behavior: The pace of modern life is increasing, electronic devices are common, and babies are immersed in TV, tablet, and mobile games for a long time, and the time for outdoor activities and physical exercise is greatly reduced.
This sedentary lifestyle reduces the baby's basal metabolic rate and energy expenditure, which can easily cause a caloric surplus and induce obesity.
Genetic factors: Babies with obese parents or one parent have a significantly higher risk of obesity than babies with normal weight parents. Genetics not only affects the baby's basal metabolic rate and appetite regulation mechanism, but also may determine the number and distribution of fat cells in the baby's body, making the baby more likely to gain weight in a similar environment.
Factors during pregnancy and neonatal period: Maternal overnutrition during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, may lead to intrauterine overgrowth of the fetus, high birth weight, and increased risk of obesity later in life.
Overfeeding in the neonatal period, such as frequent breastfeeding and premature addition of solid foods, may also accelerate your baby's weight gain and sow the seeds of obesity.
Family and social environment: Family members' eating habits, cognitive attitudes towards obesity, and guidance on baby's eating behavior play a key role in baby's weight management.
02. The dangers of baby obesity
Increased risk of cardiovascular disease: Obese children are often accompanied by dyslipidemia, which can easily lead to early cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis and hypertension, and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke in adulthood.
Prediabetes symptoms and insulin resistance: Obese babies often have hyperinsulinemia, which is a high level of insulin in the body to cope with blood sugar control, which may lead to impaired pancreatic β cell function over time, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Some obese children may even develop impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes.
Respiratory complications: Obesity may lead to fat accumulation in the chest cavity, compress the lungs, limit lung capacity, increase the incidence of respiratory diseases such as sleep apnea syndrome and asthma, and even affect the quality of sleep at night in severe cases.
Bone and joint problems: Excess weight poses an additional burden on the baby's immature skeletal system, which may lead to problems such as bent legs, flat feet, and even osteoporosis, arthritis and other diseases. Obesity may also affect height gain, as being too heavy may cause the epiphyseal plate to close prematurely.
Fatty liver and liver damage: Obese children are susceptible to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can progress to steatohepatitis, liver fibrosis and even cirrhosis in severe cases. Impaired liver function may affect systemic metabolism and increase the risk of chronic disease.
Decreased immune function and susceptibility to infection: Obesity may affect the normal function of the immune system, making the baby less resistant to infections and susceptible to respiratory infections, skin infections and other diseases.
Long-term health outcomes and shortened life expectancy: Studies have shown that childhood obesity is highly associated with chronic diseases such as obesity in adulthood, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, which may shorten life expectancy and increase the public health burden.
In the face of the hidden health crisis of baby obesity, we must change our concept, abandon the misunderstanding of "chubby is healthy", and realize its potential harm. True health is not in the numbers on the scale, but in the child's lively figure, bright eyes, and vigorous vitality.
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