Child Obesity: Three Must Have Tools for Fighting Childhood Obesity
The child obesity figure in the US continues to grow: up to one out of every five children is overweight. Children become overweight and obese for various reasons. The most common of these is hereditary causes, though not all children with a family history of obesity will be overweight.
Here are three natural remedies to help you keep the weight of your children within the “normal” range, so that their health and self-esteem will be preserved:
- Physical Activity
The best thing you can do to fight child obesity is to limit the amount of time your child spends watching TV, sitting at the computer, or playing videogames. Running games, swimming, skating, and riding a bicycle are all examples of physical activity that children can enjoy, while they use different muscle groups and burn excess calories. Let each child try different activities to find those that he or she likes.
- Healthy Eating Habits
Rather than encouraging unhealthy dieting, purchase and serve more fruits and vegetables. Cookies, candy, chips and soft drinks are high-calorie snack foods, and they should be avoided. Instead, let your children snack on healthier options such as fresh fruit, small amounts of dried fruit, and fresh vegetables such as baby carrots.
3. Homeopathic Remedies
Three of the more commonly used homeopathic remedies for treating child obesity are Calcarea carbonica, made from the middle layer of shells, Antimonium crudum, and Senega. There are no conventional medications currently approved for the treatment of child obesity. Moderate obesity in adolescents can be treated conventionally with Orlistat and Sibutramine.
If your child fails to lose weight in spite of what appears to be adequate treatment, it is important that you do not berate him/her. An unsuccessful attempt to lose weight should not be added to what may already be the heavy emotional burden of childhood obesity.