Question

A child in a home where both parents are obese, has the likelihood of being obese as well? Why or why not? How do you, as a health care professional, help the family?

Answer 1

Excess food consumption, a lack of physical activity or both are the main causes for devolopment of obesity. When a human eats more calories than his or her body burns up, obesity devolops. A child has a 50 percent risk of becoming obese with one obese parent. Their children have an 80 percent risk of obesity because both parents are obese.

Parents struggle with wide variety of issues when concerned to their child weight. They are not aware about food that is healthy due to lack of education,limited cooking skills, poverty to buy healthier food. Junk foods are more attracted by kids which causes obesity.

Genetic factors, lack of physical activity, poor eating habits or a combination of these factors are the most common causes. Excess weight is caused by a medical disorder such as a hormonal problem only in extreme cases.

As a health care professional how to help the family

1.Obtain genetic information and medical history of the family to enlighten them about the risk factors associated with obesity

2.counselling them about comorbid conditions related to the disease like cardiovascular complications.

3.Regular monitoring of BMI

4.creating awareness about diet and exercise issues throughout childhood.

5 individualized nutrition and exercise plans

6 enlightening about psychological aspects of the obesity

7.As a way to discourage families from having both weight and psychosocial issues, recommendations for rearing healthy children. For parents of children who are already overweight, a slightly adapted version is often used.

8. Encourage active parenting