Is Your Child Overweight?

What Causes Obesity in Children?

Child Obesity can harm every system in a kid’s body-heart, lungs, muscle mass and bones, kidneys as well as gastrointestinal system, along with the hormonal agents that regulate blood glucose and puberty. These can additionally take a social and psychological toll.

A child identifies as overweight when their weight is greater than 20% of the normal child array.

Obesity is not an issue that can be resolved overnight or perhaps in a couple of weeks. Those 6 to 8-year-old children with weight problems are roughly 10 times more probable to carry the obesity into adulthood than those with a reduced body mass index, increasing the danger of illness and disabilities later on.

Obesity is usually either a result of genetics or unhealthy food habits. No matter how hard obesity seems to deal with, the first step is identifying if your child is obese or not.

What Causes Obesity in Children?

Children become overweight and obese for a variety of reasons. The most common causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors. Only in rare cases, being overweight is caused by a medical condition such as a hormonal problem. A physical exam and some blood tests can rule out the possibility of a medical condition as the cause of obesity.

Although weight problems do run in families, not all children with a family history of obesity will be overweight. Children whose parents or brothers or sisters are overweight may be at an increased risk of becoming overweight themselves, but this can be linked to shared family behaviours such as eating and activity habits.

Multiple factors affect a kid’s growth. Every kid grows based on their genes, the food they are eating and their surroundings. So, even if other children of the same age as your baby are taller now, he/she will soon catch-up. But still, there is a certain pattern that babies generally follow in their growth years. To help you understand an estimate growth pattern of your child, we have made a height-weight chart based strictly on age. We are sure that this chart will help you understand how your child should be growing and can allow you to decide if you need help.

A Height-Weight Chart Based on Age to Monitor Your Child's Growth

Though this chart provides an approximate categorization of the ideal height and weight, there are some cases when the baby might not grow as per the age initially, and then she/he will suddenly get to their ideal height and weight. Also, as their height increases, there might be a dip in their weight. This decrease in weight during their height spurt is not something to be worried about in any way. After some time, the weight of your baby will catch up to his/her height. Just keep giving them the best of food and don’t forget to get some exercise done as well.

Also, as can be seen from the chart, girls and boys have different height standards. In general, boys tend to be taller than girls. This is because of the different genes and hormones present in them which affect their heights and weights. But, these should not be taken as the only parameter for your child’s height and weight. Sometimes children grow at their own pace, there will be times when a girl will grow taller than a boy. This is completely hormonal and in no way should you think of your daughter any lesser than her male counterparts.

Give your baby the best of care and they will surely grow to their ideal height and weight filled with your immense love & steer clear of obesity.

What are the tips and tricks you use to keep obesity poles apart from your precious child? Share with us in the comments below.