May 11, 2024 is the "World Obesity Day", which aims to arouse the attention of the whole society to obesity, pay attention to obesity, and control obesity. In order to raise people's attention to "obesity", the World Health Organization has designated May 11 as "World Obesity Prevention and Control Day" every year. Nowadays, obesity has become a serious economic and health public problem. The homonym of 511 is "I want waist", and the last "1" represents slim, which is colloquially "I want to be thin".
Big friends and children, World Obesity Day is here again! Growing along with everyone's growing cuteness, there is also the flesh on the body. So if it's cute, why do we pay so much attention to the soft flesh on our bodies?
1. The harm of obesity in children and adolescents
For children and adolescents, obesity does not necessarily bring anxiety about the body, but it must have a great relationship with health. From a health perspective, obesity is an important risk factor for a variety of diseases, which not only affects the exercise ability of children and adolescents, but also affects the development of physical development including bones and muscles, and also has adverse effects on the development of mental health, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine and other systems, and these adverse effects may even continue into adulthood.
2. Causes of obesity
There are many causes of obesity, and genetic factors, later growth environment, and behavioral habits are all important factors. Eating a high-calorie diet and not exercising are the most important factors.
Family members have similar eating habits, and parents' neglect or lack of observation of their children's obesity problems will also put their children in a state of obesity without knowing it.
3. How to judge obesity in children and adolescents?
At present, body mass index (BMI) is the most commonly used indicator for diagnosing overweight and obesity, BMI is the ratio of weight (kg) to height (m) squared, referring to the "Screening Standards for Overweight and Obesity in School-age Children and Adolescents (WS/T586-2018)" issued by the National Health Commission in 2018, and those who exceed the BMI cut-off value for the corresponding sex and age can be judged as overweight and obesity, as shown in the following table:
In addition to BMI, it is also necessary to pay attention to some hidden obesity, such as central obesity, which refers to the obesity state in which fat is distributed in the waist and abdomen. The ratio of waist circumference to height can be calculated and tested against the corresponding standard.
Nowadays, childhood and adolescent obesity has become a common problem faced by parents, schools and children and adolescents, so it is necessary for children and adolescents, parents and schools to participate in weight loss.
4. How to lose weight scientifically?
The general principle of weight loss is to "keep your mouth shut and open your legs", but children and adolescents are in an important stage of growth and development, and they cannot blindly follow the general principle of weight loss.
Diet: At home or eating out, you should eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible, try to ensure that the variety is rich, and it should be rich in high-quality proteins such as fish, meat, eggs and milk. Gradually reduce the frequency and intake of high-oil and high-sugar diets in children and adolescents. Schools should also ensure the quality of the dishes in the canteens.
Exercise: Generally speaking, aerobic exercise: moderate and high-intensity, whole-body aerobic exercise for at least 150min per week, 30~60min per day, and 4~7d per week. Resistance exercise: 3~4 times/week, every other day. Children and adolescents spend a long time in school, and schools should ensure that they have sufficient time for physical exercise during their school days. For children who do not like sports and have poor endurance, parents can also choose sports suitable for their children on the premise of ensuring that their children are not injured, encourage their children, or participate in weight loss projects with their children.
Psychologically: Obesity may cause harm to the mental health of children and adolescents, and even cause obesity discrimination. Schools and parents should pay attention to the psychological changes of children and adolescents, give positive encouragement, and at the same time, timely stop and correct the wrong cognition of words and behaviors that endanger obese children and adolescents, so as to avoid the occurrence of obesity discrimination.
Author: Lu Yang
Source: Shenyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Editor: Bai Bing, Sun Kaifeng
Proofreading: Qiu Wei, Chen Zeming
Preliminary review: Gu Yuan
Review: Xu Jiang