Childhood obesity has seen a rise over the last few decades. Taking care of your child’s weight and helping your child maintain a healthy weight in proportion to the height is important. Your child should not suffer from obesity. But, let a healthcare professional decide whether your child is obese or not.

Unhealthy eating patterns result in obesity in most kids. The first step in taking preventive measures is to adopt positive attitudes towards healthful foods without emphasising on body weight. The habit of healthy eating should be inculcated in a child since his early age. Parents can help prevent their children from becoming obese by following the nutritional food plan:

Vitamin D rich food: Every cell in your child’s body needs vitamin D to function properly, including the bad fat cells. It is a key that supports body fat melting mechanism. Breakfast cereals, margarine and oily fishes are best food sources of vitamin D for kids.

Calcium rich food: Research shows that people who eat enough calcium have a lower percentage of body fat. These foods help to control appetite and lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Milk, cheese, yogurt, tofu, soybean and nuts are best to fulfill a child’s requirement of calcium rich diet.

Folate rich food: Folate is a water soluble B vitamin that contains additional glutamate residues. Folate rich food is necessary not only to maintain a good body shape but also for oral health and healthy skin, hair and finger nails as well. Brown rice, green vegetables, sprouts, breakfast cereals and oat bread are rich in folate.

Vitamin C rich food: Citrus foods like lemons, oranges, grape fruits and tomatoes are a rich source of vitamin C. According to the ‘Journal of the American College of Nutrition’, sufficient amount of vitamin C increases body fat oxidation during moderate exercise. Higher vitamin C intakes are associated with lower body mass indexes.

Natural protein rich food: Protein is the most important nutrient for weight loss. With high intake of protein, you can boost metabolism, reduce appetite and change several weight regulating hormones in your kid. Red meat, fish, pulses, cereals, green vegetables are protein rich food.

Educate yourself and your children about good nutrition and inculcate the habit of healthy eating in them for a lifetime. Healthy food leads to healthy weight and a healthy weight reduces health risks. Improve all aspects of your child’s growth.

(By Deepa Gupta/thestatesman.com)