to health.” In simple words, obesity is the state of being grossly fat or overweight. It is often associated with
developed nations. Consumption of canned food, sodas, burgers or pizzas, spending a lot of time
indoors playing games on phones and iPads and generally living an unhealthy lifestyle are the reasons behind it. However, what we often tend to ignore is that obesity is as much prevalent in India as it is in the US. A recent Annual Health and Fitness survey conducted by EduSports (a school
sports organisation) across 245 schools in 87 cities and 26 states in India revealed alarming results. According to the survey, every two in five kids in the age group of 7-17 years did not have a healthy BMI.
Childhood Obesity – Reason To Worry: A basic question to ask is: Why is there so much debate around obesity? What does it do? Obesity has both immediate and longterm effects.
- Obese children have a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and cholesterol.
- They are more likely to have diabetes, and are at a greater risk of bone and joint problems.
- Children, who are obese, are likely to become obese as adults, and are at a greater risk of heart stroke, diabetes and several types of cancers.
- Diseases associated with obesity can ultimately lead to mortality.
- There is a social aspect to obesity as well. Obese children tend to have low self-esteem and hence face problems in social gatherings, making friends and meeting new people. This can also lead to depression.
Causes: The second question that comes to mind is: What are the causes of obesity? Well, we are well acquainted with the unhealthy food habits of children these days.
- Children consume foods high in fat and sugar.
- Lack of physical activity contributes to obesity.
- They spend a lot of time in front of the television, playing video games or talking over the phone.
- They hardly go out and play any sports.
Solution: So how do we solve this epidemic named childhood obesity? Healthy dietary and lifestyle habits can help fight obesity. But regular physical activity will go a long way in tackling the problem because obesity is basically the result of ‘caloric imbalance’ - few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed. So it is important to provide children exposure to physical activities early on in life. But children, these days, want choices! They want the ability to select activities that make them feel good about themselves, can be implemented easily, and are appealing. Most importantly, they crave activities in which they feel competent. However, all kids cannot be expected to indulge in the same kind of physical activities. Their stamina, strength, body mass are all different. Hence, kids belonging to different age groups should participate in distinct physical activities.
Toddlers in the age group of two-five years are beginning to master many basic movements, so unstructured free play is usually best for them. They could be encouraged to run, tumble, catch and throw. As kids get older, their vision, attention spans and transitional skills improve, and they’re in a better position to follow directions.
For 6-8 year olds, the focus should be on making activities fun for them. At this age, kids are learning basic physical skills like jumping, throwing, kicking. They also begin to show natural preferences for certain sports or activities. This could be a starting point in involving kids in the sport of their choice. Another consideration is mental pressure. Younger kids are not really ready for the pressure of competition, nor can they grasp complex strategies. So kids should be carefully enrolled in team activities where there isn’t much pressure. If this is done in a correct fashion, team sports can teach kids a lot about teamwork and good sportsmanship. 9-12 year olds are more coordinated. They usually have mastered basic skills and can start enjoying sports that require more coordination and focus. They are also in a better position to understand the rules. But at this stage, parents need to teach kids how to handle losses and to enjoy the real spirit of sportsmanship. Another consideration is enjoyment. If a kid does not seem to enjoy a sport, it’s time to switch. Children in this age group have mature vision and the ability to understand and recall sports’ strategies. These children are typically ready to take on complex skill sports, such as football, basketball, hockey and volleyball. We are Westernizing at such a fast pace that it’s hard to completely avoid junk food. However, what we can do is, make sure that our kids indulge in physical activities to help remove the ‘un’ from the ‘unhealthy’.
SAUMIL
MAJMUDAR
Co-founder &
CEO of EduSports
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