Fitden - Fitness Professional Extraordinaire...
Obesity & Diabetes Practitioner - Level 4 REP's | Clinical Nutritionist S.A.C.Dip

Fat-loss Expert & Fitness Trainer for Children 5 - 16 years

Exercise enhances the brain’s metabolism. Studies show that active children have improved memory as a result of better brain function.

Exercise can benefit a child's brain in significant ways. It stimulates the formation of new neurons & enhances a substance that brain cells need to grow.  As a result of these brain improvements from exercise, children experience better cognitive performance & focus, among other benefits. Children who are in better physical shape as a result of exercise also have more rapid reaction times than children who do not exercise.

Moderate, fun-oriented exercise literally burns off excess harmful hormones &, at the same time, increases the release of beneficial ones. One of the beneficial hormones acts as neurotransmitter for establishing new memories.

Active children have the ability to concentrate much better, even at the end of a long school day.

Studies report that exercise decreases anxiety, reduces depression, & improves both mood & outlook in children. In addition, their quality of sleep is improved, which can only be a good thing for us adults!

Long-term health benefits of exercise are:

A stronger immune system! The body’s ability to fight disease is improved. Children are less prone to colds, allergies, & diseases, including cancer.

A reduction of type 2 diabetes by increasing insulin sensitivity and improving carbohydrate metabolism.

A lower blood pressure & an improvement of the child’s cholesterol profile.

A strengthening of the entire cardiovascular system, including the heart & lungs. The heart develops a higher “pump-activity” while the child’s heart & lungs are strengthened, supporting the prevention of heart disease.

Exercise helps children's bones become strong & stay strong. Having strong bones is especially important for growing children.  Children's muscles also become stronger through exercise.  Building strong bones & muscles means children have more stamina & resilience to handle whatever challenges might come their way.

Children who exercise are less likely to develop diseases & chronic conditions, including diabetes, allergies, thyroid imbalances, abnormal cholesterol levels, heart problems, respiratory issues & orthopedic problems.  Some believe that various childhood mental disorders, including depression, anxiety & attention issues, are at least partly physiological in origin & can be improved through exercise.

Understanding obesity in children & knowing how to enhance your family's lifestyle can result in healthier & happier children.

Childhood obesity is a medical condition affecting children & adolescents based on their body mass index or BMI.  The BMI is a calculation to determine if your child is overweight for their age & height.  Your family Doctor can determine how your child compares with other children who are the same sex & height.

The Facts
Many risk factors can contribute to obesity & work in combination to increase the chances of your child's becoming overweight.  Consuming high-calorie & processed foods such as fast foods, baked goods, snacks from vending machines, soft drinks, sweets & desserts can cause your child to gain weight. These foods are high in sugar, fat & calories.  Children who are not physically active also are at an increased risk for weight gain because they do not burn calories through exercise.  Your family history is also important. If your family is overweight, your child is more likely to be in an environment where calorie-dense food is readily available & physical activity is not encouraged.

The Reality
Children who suffer from obesity face serious physical & psychological health issues.  Obese children are at risk for adult diseases such as hypertension, high blood pressure, insulin resistance & type 2 diabetes. 
Obese children are also at higher risk for bone & joint problems, as well as liver & gall bladder disease.  Obese children might experience shortness of breath that makes exercise, sports & physical activities difficult.  Shortness of breath also can aggravate & increase the chances of asthma.  Obese children might be more likely than children of average weight to develop eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa & bulimia.  Children suffering from obesity are also more prone to depression & substance abuse.
Over weight & obese children are very vulnerable to bullying.  This plays a huge impact on a child's life, both throughout their school years & right through to adulthood.  It affects their confidence, their self-esteem & their happiness.  Bullying can be all-consuming & soul destroying for a child, something we would never wish for our children. 

Prevention/Solution
Preventing & treating obesity is a family endeavor, & it might be necessary to change how your family relates to food.  You also might need to alter how you choose & prepare your family's meals.  Avoid using sweets & treats as rewards, instead find healthy alternatives.  Avoid a clean-plate policy.  Be aware of children's hunger cues; if children are satisfied & no longer hungry, do not force them to eat more.  Avoid discussions about bad foods, & do not eliminate all sweets & favorite snacks from children's diets.  Children could rebel & overeat forbidden foods when away from home.  Offer children milk & water, which are healthy beverage choices. 
Children need to be active.  Exercise is a habit that can be formed at any age. However, the longer an unhealthy habit is maintained, the harder it is to break it & substitute it with a new, healthy habit. Many adults begin exercising to solve a health problem caused by a sedentary lifestyle. If your child begins exercising early in life, they can avoid suffering these problems in the first place. Your child needs to develop an attitude of active respect for their bodys, which needs to be taught by you, the parent...

Children need regular exercise for the same reasons as do adults; exercise helps prevent unhealthy weight gain, builds strong bones & muscles, improves cardiovascular endurance & decreases the risk of developing serious medical conditions.

Children need to engage in aerobic activity that increases heart & breathing rate, such as running, dancing, jumping, etc.

Children are less likely to become overweight & will have better control of their body fat.  Overweight children are able to reduce their body weight & body fat due to the physiological effect of burning fat while exercising.

Children who exercise have leaner body composition, less fat & are less prone to becoming overweight or obese.  Those who are already overweight can lose those excess pounds through exercise.  As a result of being at a healthy weight that is proportional to height & body type, a child is less prone to developing serious diseases that can result from being overweight.

As children exercise, more blood flows through their bodies & to all cells & tissues.  This helps to move adequate oxygen & nutrients to every area of the body, which is greatly beneficial to a growing child whose entire body needs large quantities of nutrients.  As a result of added nutrients, the child has more energy for physical activities.

You may have heard about diabetes in adults, but it can develop in children as well.  Poor diet, inactivity & genetics all contribute to the development of diabetes in children.  Fatty foods can lead to obesity in children, which increases the risk for developing diabetes.  Diabetes, however, is preventable through healthy lifestyle habits such making healthy dietary changes, exercising & losing weight.

What is Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition in which the body is not able to control the level of blood sugar because it does not make insulin or does not use insulin correctly. Insulin is a hormone that is released by your body after eating, that allows you to control your blood sugar levels.  Type 2 Diabetes develops in adults & children as a result of a poor lifestyle & is therefore preventable.

What causes Type 2 Diabetes
The types of foods that you and your children eat play a large role in the development of diabetes. This is because fatty foods, foods high in sugar & highly processed carbohydrates can lead to an unhealthy weight.
Excess weight is the single most important cause of Type 2 diabetes & being overweight increases the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes seven-fold.

Inactivity & habits such as prolonged television watching can increase the risk for diabetes. 

The Reality
The bottom line on fat & diabetes in children is that the foods your kids eat can cause them to gain body fat & lead to obesity & diabetes.  If your children eat poorly and do not get enough exercise, it is time to take some proactive steps to change your child's diet, promote more exercise & help your child lose weight.  If you want to help your child avoid diabetes, it is important to get your child off of the couch & outside playing where they can get some form of exercise/physical activity. 

Ensure your child is eating a healthy, balanced diet.  If you are not sure of what foods to eat, stick to the Government Guidelines of 5 fruit & veg per day.