Alarm !: All About Childhood Obesity In Spain
Childhood obesity in Spain is a very painful reality. As you already know, being overweight is directly linked to serious diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, joint problems and low self-esteem, which will affect the social development of the child.
According to a report presented by the World Health Organization in May 2018, 21% of the total child population is overweight. When reading these figures, it is paradoxical to think that, by consensus, most nutritionists recommend both adults and children to consume the Mediterranean diet.
However, in Spain children do not consume the typical dishes of the region, but instead drink huge amounts of soft drinks, sweets and junk food and do not eat fruits and vegetables.
The blame does not lie entirely on the issue of food, it was also determined that Spanish children are very sedentary and their rest hours are very short. All of these factors definitely play a role in increasing body fat rates.
Childhood obesity
Obesity is defined as the excess of adipose tissue or body fat present in an individual. In these cases, a large amount of neutral fat is present in adipose tissue, which would be around 20% of total body weight.
In order to determine exactly whether a person, or in this case a child, is excessively overweight, a scale test called the body mass index, or by its scientific name Quetelet index, must be performed.
With BMI, weight and height will be calculated using a mathematical formula. According to this formula, if the child’s body mass ranges between 85 and 95, he can indeed be considered obese.
Most prominent causes of childhood obesity in Spain
As we mentioned previously, the main causes of obesity are poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. However, we want to stop and discuss each one of them in detail.
Poor diet or excess caloric intake
The main cause of obesity in children is eating an unbalanced diet. This means that the little one eats more hypercaloric foods than natural foods. Examples of these unhealthy foods are refined flours and sweets with excess sugar and fat.
It is not a secret that many parents, due to the hustle and bustle of the day to day, end up offering their children quick meals to be able to quickly solve their lunches or dinners; then, they stop preparing balanced meals with proteins, vegetables and cereals.
In a wrong way, they substitute them for pizzas, hamburgers, tacos, fried chicken or anything that can be shipped to the home and that is to the taste of the little one.
However, the child’s diet should be made up of fruits, vegetables, cereals, lean meats, fish, healthy fats, such as olive oil, and nuts.
Today, you can find thousands of recipes that include a wide variety of quick and easy dishes to prepare. Thanks to them, your children will be more than satisfied; In addition, parents themselves will be able to control that beneficial health products are used throughout the process.
Sedentary lifestyle
Sedentary lifestyle is a global problem that is causing serious havoc. In principle, it arises because the recreational activities of society stopped being outdoors to become distractions that are enjoyed sitting or lying down; two clear examples are television or video games.
Unfortunately, it has been seen how even the little ones enjoy playing soccer, but behind a video game console and not on the field running and sharing with their friends.
To ensure that your little one does not fall into a sedentary lifestyle, it is essential that they get at least 150 minutes of exercise or moderate physical activity a week. You can think about taking him for a walk in the park, buying him a bicycle, or even asking him to perform simple acts like taking the stairs.
Ultimately, he considers that one of the first aspects in which the obese child is going to be affected is in his emotional and psychological state. This can create a deep imprint on him that will damage his self-esteem and confidence and could accompany him throughout his adult life.
