6. The dangers of childhood obesity, ideal weight, and weight loss methods
What are the specific harms of obesity to children?
① Overweight children can experience lipid metabolism disorders: Excess fat in the body invades the subendothelial layer of blood vessels, quickly developing into atherosclerotic plaques, especially coronary atherosclerosis. Typically, obese children have narrower airways and thicker abdominal fat, affecting normal breathing and making them prone to respiratory infections, coughs, and wheezing. Long-term obesity can also lead to diabetes, elevated serum insulin levels, and increased serum cholesterol and triglycerides. Many obese children also develop hypertension.
② Childhood obesity affects growth and development: Observations show that obese infants learn to walk later than normal-weight infants. Obesity leads to relative calcium deficiency, which can cause "X" or "O" shaped legs, and also increases the risk of hip joint deformities and flat feet. The more obese a child is, the more clumsy they appear, often being teased by their peers, leading to psychological and emotional distress, unhappiness, social isolation, and a more withdrawn personality.
③ Childhood obesity is often a precursor to adult obesity and obesity-related diseases: A study followed 2,000 children for 30-40 years and found that those who were obese in childhood had a significantly higher incidence of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases in adulthood than those of normal weight. Conversely, many obese adults were obese as children. Statistics also show that among children who were obese at age 10-13, 88% of women and 86% of men remained obese as adults (31 years old); while only 42% of women and 18% of men of children who were originally of normal weight became obese as adults. All of this demonstrates that preventing obesity can prevent and treat many diseases and should begin in childhood.
Children are the future of our country. For the sake of children's physical and mental health, preventing children from becoming obese should be one of the important aspects of raising children.
When a child exceeds their ideal weight by 20-25%, immediate action should be taken. The following table provides information on ideal weights for children and adolescents:
Average weight (kg) of normal children in my country
Month (Year) Age Urban Suburbs Rural
male and female
Newborn 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.2
January 5.0 4.6 4.9 4.4
February 6.0 5.5 5.8 5.4
March 67 6.2 6.5 6.0
April 7.3 6.7 7.0 6.5
May 7.7 7.2 7.4 6.9
June 8.2 7.6 7.8 7.2
August 8.7 8.1 8.2 7.7
October 9.1 8.6 8.6 7.9
December 9.7 9.0 9.0 8.4
15 months 10.2 9.5 9.5 8.9
October 18, 10.7, 10.1, 10.0, 9.4
21 November 11.2 10.6 10.4 9.9
24 months 12.0 11.4 11.3 10.7
2.5 years old: 12.8, 12.3, 12.3, 11.7
3 years old: 13.6, 13.2, 13.1, 12.5
3.5 years old 14.5 14.0 13.4 13.3
4 years old: 15.3 cm, 14.9 cm, 14.6 cm, 14.2 cm.
4.5 years old 16.1 15.6 15.3 14.8
5 years old: 16.9, 16.5, 16.1, 15.6
5.5 years old, 17.7 cm, 17.2 cm, 16.8 cm, 16.2 cm
6 years old: 19.3, 18.6, 18.1, 17.5
7 years old, 21.0, 20.4, 19.8, 19.2
8 years old, 23.0 cm, 22.4 cm, 21.8 cm, 21.1 cm.
9 years old, 25.3 cm, 24.6 cm, 23.8 cm, 23.3 cm.
10 years old: 27.2, 27.1, 26.0, 25.4
11 years old 30.1 30.5 28.1 28.1
12 years old: 33.1, 33.4, 30.3, 31.9
13 years old: 36.9, 38.5, 33.9, 35.8
14 years old 38.5 39.7 38.5 39.7
Note: This data is based on measurements of urban and rural children in nine provinces and municipalities across China in 1975 and is provided for reference only.
2. Basic methods for children's weight loss
The specific weight loss methods for toddlers and school children are not entirely the same as those for adults, and extra care should be taken. The weight loss measures and precautions are as follows:
1. Correcting Unhealthy Eating Habits: Children have a high metabolic rate and are in a period of rapid growth and development, requiring a large amount of energy. While strict dieting is generally not necessary, childhood obesity is often caused by unhealthy eating habits. Some children indulge in their favorite foods and snack excessively, leading to overnutrition. Although strict dieting is not required, it is important to educate children to eat regularly and in appropriate portions, and to correct certain unhealthy eating habits. It is best to limit sweets.
For information on children's daily calorie requirements, please refer to the table below:
Children's daily calorie needs
Age and daily dietary calorie intake (kcal) Protein (g)
6-12 months 1000 3.5
1-2 years old 1100 40
2-3 years old 1200 · 40
3-5 years old 1400 40
5-7 years old 1600 50
7-10 years old 2000 60
10-13 years old 2300 70
According to this table, parents should also pay attention to giving their children more protein-rich foods, rather than focusing on sugary foods.
2. Guide children in meaningful exercise: Guiding children to engage in meaningful exercise can improve their physical fitness and help prevent obesity and promote weight loss. Children can engage in various forms of exercise, such as dressing themselves, sweeping, washing handkerchiefs, mopping the floor, and making their beds. Older children should be encouraged to learn to cook and do laundry. In addition, they should actively participate in physical activities. After school, they can run, do morning exercises, jump rope, play ball games, swim, cycle, and go on outings. These activities not only help prevent obesity but also contribute to intellectual development.
Of course, children's exercise intensity should be appropriate. The basic principle is low intensity and long duration, which can both consume excess calories and prevent sports injuries. It is crucial to avoid pushing children to lose weight excessively, which can lead to fatigue, palpitations, or even collapse.
③ Hygiene requirements for children's weight loss:
a. For children who are more than 30% overweight, when implementing a diet, it is essential to ensure an adequate supply of various nutrients while appropriately reducing the intake of high-calorie foods.
b. When a child is unwell, such as when they have a cold, fever, cough, or abdominal pain, exercise should be suspended or only light activities should be performed. Illness itself is a pathological and energy-consuming process, and it is important not to add to the child's physical burden.
c. To prevent discomfort that may result from energy depletion during weight loss in children, sufficient rest and sleep should be ensured during dieting and exercise to avoid causing psychological stress. Before guiding children in weight loss, some pre-emptive psychological preparation should be done, explaining the scientific reasons to gain their understanding and cooperation.
In conclusion, preventing and controlling childhood obesity and ensuring children's healthy growth requires the attention of the entire society, as well as the cooperation of parents, schools, hospitals, food production departments, and other stakeholders. Only by taking proactive measures can we achieve good social results.