Follow the Tenets of #sahikhao Campaign to Fight Childhood Obesity

Obesity in children is rising at an alarming rate. By 2025, India will have over 17 million obese children and stand second among 184 countries where the numbers of obese children are concerned.

Chubby Cheeks and baby fat beyond a certain degree are no more wanted words as they the roots of obesity. Children above a certain BMI may have higher risks of heart disease and diabetes in early thirties.

The reasons for rising childhood obesity are:

1. Unhealthy food choices:- The problem starts with our food choices, where we start feeding our children right from childhood or infant stage with packaged foods and formulas, when we have food options in our kitchen, we just need to choose wisely and create a healthy platter for our children.
2. Peer Pressure:- Junk food consumption is increasing due to peer pressure, big advertising campaigns by companies which make junk food and more food options available easily for ready to eat stuff.
3. Lack of physical activity:- We no more see playtime in children as they grow. Burdened with various classes playtime is often compromised, Social Media, Gadgets also take away the physical activity time. When the body just accumulates calories, without spending them- the result is an obese unhealthy child.
4. Parental involvement:- Today a busy couple may not really have time to pick up healthy choices for their children and they may just settle for unhealthy choices such as junk food or eating out as it saves time and effort.

Ways to tackle Obesity and Junk Eating:

1. Select Healthy food options and be a role model to your child.
2. Involve your kids in cooking, so that they get introduced to various foods.
3. Limit eating out on every weekend and stick to once a month where you eat out.
4. Avoid Distractions such as TV or mobile while eating on dining table and practice family meals.
5. Always prefer giving healthy home cooked foods to children rather than going for ready to eat packaged stuff.
6. Twist the junk food options into healthy options: – Multigrain Pizza, Egg wraps, Vegetables laden Pasta, Roti Noodles.

Remember, the child doesn’t know what is good for him or her. It’s us as parents who have to make right choices for them.

#SahiKhao campaign aims to fight Childhood obesity by arming parents with awareness towards healthy eating. Let’s join hands together to rule out Childhood Obesity and Overcome Junk food eating.

To check and ensure adequate food intake as per your child’s requirement, download the Fitterfly app to do your nutrition assessment or consult a pediatric nutritionist at Fitterfly.