Weight: Parents set the trend for children to lead

Parents who want their children to avoid obesity through exercise and healthy eating should practice what they preach, says the Ministry of Health.

Gladys Mugambi, head of the nutrition unit at the ministry says that children are in the custody of parents or guardians, they can play a critical role in influencing what they eat and modeling the healthy lifestyles for them.

Unhealthy lifestyles increasingly lead to high rates of obesity among Kenyan children, particularly those from affluent backgrounds. says that cases of increasing obesity in children now create a double burden.

"On the one hand we have children from poor backgrounds who are malnourished because of inadequate nutrition, and then there is another problem that is malnourished because they eat all the Unhealthy food types that deny the body need nutrients, "she said.

Thus, identifying risk factors for the prevention of childhood obesity has become a public health priority on a global scale.

A new study published in The BMJ (formerly British Medical Journal) shows that mothers' children's healthy lifestyles have a much lower risk of developing diabetes. Obesity as those of mothers who do not.

The results of the study show that the risk of obesity is lowest among children of mothers who, in addition to a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, avoid are smoking and are light to moderate drinkers

. researchers, if both mothers and their children adhere to a healthy lifestyle, this could further reduce the risk of childhood obesity.

They note that although the role of genetics in obesity is widely recognized, a rapid increase in obesity in recent years is more likely to be due to changes in lifestyle.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers based in Canada and the United States. They examined the medical history and lifestyle characteristics of 24,289 children aged nine to 14 years.

They found that the risk of obesity was 56% lower in children of women with a healthy body mbad index. Compared to the offspring of women who currently smoked, children of non-smoking mothers had a 31% lower risk of obesity.

The reduction in the number of cases of obesity was also noticeable in children of mothers who practiced 150 minutes or more per week, as well as those who were light-to-moderate drinkers (consuming one or two small glbades of wine or a pint of standard strength beer a day.)

Overall, children of mothers who followed the five lifestyle factors (high quality diet, normal BMI, activities regular physical, light or moderate alcohol and non-smoking) had a 75% lower risk of developing obesity. The researchers said these findings highlight the potential benefits of implementing parenting interventions to reduce the risk of childhood obesity.

"Prospective research examining the role of fathers in the development of obesity in children is needed."

Reduce obesity, Mugambi noted that children should receive a balanced diet comprising healthy carbohydrates (such as rice and ugali), protein (such as chicken, fish or fish). beef) and lots of fruits and vegetables. fatty meals, processed foods and soft drinks like soft drinks and artificial juices, even though they may seem more appetizing and appealing to kids. "

" Also prevent children from staying idle or watching TV all day long. . "