TENDENCIES OF WEIGHT GAINS IN TODAY’S KIDS

 TENDENCIES OF WEIGHT GAINS IN TODAY’S KIDS

Bedtime Watching of TV, Using Smartphones, and Sedentary Lifestyle Issues, including Some Dietary Habits, are Hidden Culprits

Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that affects both children and adolescents. It's particularly troubling because the extra pounds often start children on the path to many health problems that were once considered adult problems—diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Childhood obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression.

A condition in which a child is significantly overweight for his or her age and height. Childhood obesity can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. There may be no other symptoms other than a weight that's above normal. Improving the entire family's diet and exercise habits is one of the best ways to achieve a healthy weight in the child. Lifestyle issues, such as too little activity and intake of too many calories from food and drinks, are the main contributors to childhood obesity. But genetic and hormonal factors might play a role as well.

One of the best strategies to reduce childhood obesity is to improve the eating and exercise habits of the entire family without any age barriers. Treating and preventing childhood obesity helps protect children's health now and in the future.

Most parents worldwide are apprehensive about their children gaining weight from early childhood. It is noted that habitually watching TV or using smartphones before going to bed at night may have led to weight gain in kids, a recent study warns. These stunning revelations, published in a reputed US health journal, suggested a vicious cycle of screen technology came into hidden play —poor sleep and raised body mass indices (BMIs).

In a recent research study, Prof. Caitlyn Fuller, a Senior Scientist from Penn State College of Medicine in the US, found that the use of technological screen-time gadgets before bed is associated with insufficient sleep, and raised BMIs were the main causes of obesity amongst children. Further, his study convinced Prof. Fuller that this odd-hour technology use was associated with fatigue in the early morning, forming a loop pattern as another risk factor for higher BMIs.

After surveying several parents about their kids’ pondering on screen-time technology and inordinate sleep habits, researchers unanimously opined that using screen-time technology before going to bed was very much associated with less sleep and poorer sleep, I have a huge responsibility to actively participate in their kids' well-being and advise them to refrain from such self-inflicting injurious habits. The results from this study indicate that youth who spend more than 2 hours/day on their smartphones are associated with almost three times higher weight status, and invariably more fatigue in the morning. Before concluding the research findings, parents were specifically asked to reveal whether their children were using cell phones, laptops, video games, television, or the like, during their screen time before bed.

After analyzing the collected data, researchers found several adverse effects associated with exposure to different technologies right before bed. Prof. Fuller now equivocally warns parents of children of minor ages to be extremely cautious about arming them with misuse of technology while finally presenting his study findings that children who reported watching TV or playing video games before bed got an average of 30 minutes less sleep than those who did not, while kids who used their phones or computers before bed averaged an hour of sleep, less than those who didn’t.

Therefore, parents carry a huge responsibility to actively participate in the well-being of their kids and advise them to refrain from such self-inflicting injurious habits. The results from this study indicate that youth who engage in greater than 2 hours/day of screen time on their smartphones are associated with almost 3 times higher weight status, and report poor general health than their peers who spend less time on their smartphones.

In the US, Canada, and many European countries, it is officially recommended that youths limit screen time to less than two hours per day, yet the majority of youth are reportedly spending a significantly higher amount of time in front of a screen. This is particularly concerning given that these recommendations do not take into account smartphone devices, which are the most common screen time technology of choice for the younger generations. This study implements an innovative approach to understanding screen time behavior and aims to investigate the unique relationship between smartphone-specific screen time and physical health outcomes.

This study investigates multiple smartphone screen time behaviors (internet, gaming, and texting) and highlights that different smartphone screen time behaviors have unique associations with the health status of youth. Current screen time guidelines do not take into account the nuance of screen time accumulation across different digital devices. In this digital

age, with youth consistently reporting significantly higher smartphone use, it is evident that further investigation with more robust study designs is needed to inform smartphone-specific screen time guidelines for youth.

Here's a list of side effects of excessive use of smartphones in children:

1) Behavioral problems; 2)Addiction; 3) Depression; 4) Sleep disturbances; 5) Obesity; 6) Delay in social development; 7) Attention and hearing issues; 7) Problems of the nervous system.

Since this study was carried out, the percentage of Americans who own smartphones has more than doubled, and many more of us are now going to bed with our phones at our sides. However, research has shown that this screen time can mess with our body's internal clock, which, in turn, could be making us gain weight.

There are several reasons why technology and screens may contribute to obesity in children. First, screens are often associated with sedentary behaviors, such as sitting and lying down. These behaviors can decrease physical activity, which is an important factor in the development of obesity.

Symptoms

Not all children carrying extra pounds are deemed to be overweight. Some children have larger-than-average body frames. Children normally carry different amounts of body fat at the various stages of their physical development. So one might not know how his/her child looks if weight is a health concern.

The BMI, which provides a guideline for weight about height, is the accepted measure of overweight and obesity. A child's doctor can use growth charts, the BMI, and, if necessary, a few other tests to help figure out if the child's weight could pose health problems in the future.

When to see a doctor

If one is worried that his/her child is putting on too much weight, it is advised to talk to a doctor. The doctor will consider the child's hereditary history of growth and development, the family's weight-for-height history, and where the child lands on the growth charts. This can help determine if the child's weight is in an unhealthy range or not.

Causes

Lifestyle issues of too little activity and too many calories from food and drinks are the main contributors to childhood obesity. But genetic and hormonal factors might play a role as well.

Risk factors

Many factors, usually working in combination, raise a child's risk of becoming overweight. The prime ones are i) Diet: Regularly eating high-calorie foods, such as fast foods, baked goods, and vending machine snacks, can cause one’s child to gain weight. Candy and desserts also can cause weight gain, and more and more evidence points out sugary drinks, including fruit juices and sports drinks, as culprits in obesity in some people. ii) Lack of exercise: Children who don't exercise much are more likely to gain weight because they don't burn as many calories as required to maintain a healthy weight. Too much time spent in sedentary activities, such as watching television or playing video games, cell phone addiction, etc., also contributes to the problem. TV shows also often feature ads instigating a craving for unhealthy foods. iii) Family factors: If a child comes from a family of overweight people, he or she may be more likely to put on weight. This is especially true in an environment where high-calorie foods are always available and physical activity isn't encouraged to counter the trending fatty diets. iv) Psychological factors: Personal, parental, and family stress can increase a child's risk of obesity. Some children overeat to cope with problems, deal with emotions, such as stress, or overcome boredom. Their parents might have similar tendencies to carry on. v) Socioeconomic factors: People in some communities have limited resources and limited access to supermarkets. As a result, they might buy convenience foods that don't spoil quickly, such as frozen meals, crackers, and cookies. Also, people who live in lower-income neighborhoods might not have access to a safe place to exercise. vi) Certain medications: Some prescription drugs can increase the risk of developing obesity. They include prednisone, lithium, amitriptyline, paroxetine (Paxil), gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise, Horizant), and propranolol (Inderal, Hemangeol).

Complications

Childhood obesity often causes many complications in a child's physical, social, and emotional well-being. Briefly, these are:

Physical complications

Several physical complications of childhood obesity may give rise to: i) Type 2 diabetes: This chronic condition affects the way the child's body uses sugar (glucose). Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. ii) High cholesterol and high blood pressure: A poor diet can cause a child to develop one or both of these conditions. These factors can contribute to the buildup of plaques in the arteries, which can cause arteries to narrow and harden, possibly leading to a heart attack or stroke later in life. iii) Joint pain: Extra weight causes extra stress on hips and knees. Childhood obesity can cause pain and sometimes injuries in the hips, knees, and back. iv) Breathing problems: Asthma is more common in children who are born overweight. These children are also more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea, a potentially serious disorder in which a child's breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. v) Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): This disorder, which usually shows practically no symptoms, causes layered fatty deposits to build up in the liver. NAFLD can lead to scarring and liver damage.

Social and emotional complications

Children who are obese may experience teasing or bullying by their peers at school and social gatherings. This can result in a loss of self-esteem and an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies.

Prevention

To help prevent excess weight gain in children, one can: i) Set a good example: Of making a habit of healthy eating and regular physical activity a family affair. Everyone will benefit, and no one will feel singled out. ii) Availability of healthy snacks: Options include air-popped popcorn without butter, fruits with low-fat yogurts, baby carrots with hummus, or whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk. iii) Offering new foods multiple times: Don't be upset if a child doesn't immediately respond to a new food. It usually takes multiple exposures to a food to gain acceptance. iv) Choosing nonfood rewards: Promising candy for good behavior is, however, a bad idea. v) Being sure a child gets enough sleep: Some studies indicate that too little sleep may increase the risk of obesity. Sleep deprivation can cause hormonal imbalances, too, that lead to increased appetite. vi) Seeing a doctor for well-child checkups: A child must visit a doctor for checkups at least once a year. During this visit, the doctor measures the child's height and weight and calculates his or her BMI. A significant increase in a child's BMI percentile rank over one year may be a possible sign that the child in question is at risk of becoming overweight.

Conclusion

Around 1 in 3 children these days are found overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school. Overweight children are likely to fall sick or be absent from school due to illness. The obese children also face bullying from their peers, which results in their low self-esteem, giving rise to severe depression. Being overweight increases the risk of hyper obesity and other health problems like high cholesterol and increased blood pressure.

The good news is that parents can take steps to avoid obesity at every stage of childhood and even during pregnancy. Studies suggest that children whose mothers were obese or overweight have a higher risk of suffering from obesity. That is why mothers must have a healthy BMI when they plan a pregnancy.

By Prof. (Dr.) Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya

(The writer is a Hyderabad-based distinguished freelance author, journo, speaker, leadership coach, and Professor Emeritus of Management Studies)