Dear Mothers, fat does not equal health

It saddens me when I listen to mothers congratulating each other on how healthy their children are, based mostly on the weight of the baby.

Ideally, big does not necessarily mean healthy.

Due to this notion of the bigger the baby the healthier it is, parents tend to overfeed their children consciously to try and make them gain weight.

The kind of foods and snacks that children are also given contain way too much simple carbohydrates that give them more calories than their bodies need.

Overweight and obese children can develop a number of health complications.

These may include hypertension, dyslipidemia (abnormal amounts of fats and cholesterol in the blood), metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, sleep disorders and non-alcoholic fatty and psychological torture such as stigma and discrimination which can lead to depression.

The diet of a child and activity level greatly influences his/her weight.

Today, many children spend a lot time being inactive.

An average child in the urban setting will spend most of the free time watching television, playing video games or surfing the internet.

At the same time, they tend to snack more on junk/fast foods and disregard healthier meals and snacks.

Parents need to make conscious choices when preparing meals and buying snacks for their children.

Given a choice between junk/fast food and a healthy meal with vegetables and fruits, a child will most likely go for the junk/fast food.

It is a parent’s responsibility to teach a child the importance of healthy diets and playing.

Remember children learn from what they see. If you want your child to be a healthy adult, one who is able to make informed decisions on his/her health, you have to expose him/ her to the right dietary and playing habits from the day one.

Encourage exclusive breast feeding for six months, introduce complementary feeding after six months and establish a regular meal schedule

Do not focus on the child’s weight.

Reduce consumption of sweet drinks and increase consumption of water.

Establish a regular eating schedule including snack time. Let the children decide how much they want to feed and do not force them to eat more than they want. Try to eat together as a family as much as possible.

Limit the time your child spends on electronic gadgets. Instead, encourage active play. Studies show there is a direct association between the amount of time spent watching TV and degree of being overweight. Too much TV can directly cause obesity through lack of physical activity, increased eating and decreased metabolism.

If you notice that your child has signs of becoming overweight or has risk factors, work with your paediatrician and nutritionist to enforce prevention measures early.

Parents should also watch their own weight. Children under age three who are overweight, but whose parents are not overweight, have a low risk for becoming overweight adults. If one parent is obese, it doubles a child’s risk for becoming obese in adulthood

Never use food as a comfort measure or to calm down your child.

Reduce availability of junk/fast foods in your house
As a parent, always remember you are the role model to your child. Live a healthy lifestyle and your child will do everything possible to live a healthy lifestyle just like the parents.

Faith Kariuki is a mother and a Nutrition and Wellness Consultant at Afya Bora Nutrition & Wellness Centre. Suite 16, 5th Avenue Office Suites along 5th Ngong Avenue, Nairobi.