“The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings…Globally, in 2010 the number of overweight children under the age of five, is estimated to be over 42 million. Close to 35 million of these are living in developing countries.”

Isn’t it unbelievable that the poorer countries should have more overweight and obese children than the developed countries? One might be quick to challenge these statistics but this would be inadvisable for if you did a round of schools in Kampala, you would find a number of obese children.

Unfortunately, there has been no countrywide research on obesity in Uganda; but research was carried out in a school in Kampala and Kamuli and it was found that children in Kampala are more obese. It was also found that obesity was on the rise.

Why is this?

Mbabazi Muniirah, a Human Nutrition Consultant with Nutrisat Uganda attributes obesity in children to unregulated eating and an alarming reduction in physical activity. Today’s typical child watches a lot of TV, does a lot of homework and when they play, they engage in indoor games that do not require a lot of activity. Video games are the norm.

Meanwhile, their middle class parents can afford to buy them food when they demand it and so they do. Even when children demand food that is in excess of what they require, they buy it for them.

She tells of a primary school child who eats 10 eggs, six chapattis and drinks three litres of juice in one sitting. This excess consumption of food, especially, the energy giving foods (carbohydrates) coupled with low levels of physical activity is likely to result in obesity.

Why is it necessary to curb obesity?

Obesity predisposes an individual to conditions like: diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, depression and a host of other cardiovascular diseases. There is an increase in the numbers of children suffering from these diseases globally yet these conditions were initially common in adults after the age of 40.

Childhood obesity also may be a factor leading to premature death and disability in adulthood. Studies show that 70% obese and overweight children become obese adults. An obese parent is also likely to give birth to an obese child.
Obese and overweight children suffer from low self esteem because their contemporaries tease them. They call them names like ‘jajja’ and ‘fat bombola’.

Treatment

As the saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure.” You can control your child’s weight if you train them to eat sufficient food instead of encouraging them to overindulge. It is possible to train children from a tender age such that they do not become gluttons.

This can be done by feeding children on small amounts of food at particular times of the day. A certain amount (Mbabazi advises that children should not be fed till their bellies are distended because a distended belly means a child is overly satisfied), at a certain time and not feeding them when they demand to be fed.

With this training, a child is conditioned to eat enough and at the proper time and eventually becomes a disciplined eater.

It is also important to encourage children to play. Sixty minutes of vigorous or moderate play are sufficient. One wonders why parents enrol children in a gym yet they can play soccer, run about or even swim and acquire similar benefits. Schools need bigger playgrounds and longer break periods to allow play for their pupils.

A balanced diet, rich in fruit and vegetables and low in sugars and fat is also advisable.

In a detailed plan presented to President Barack Obama this month, more than 70 recommendations are outlined by task force members to help meet the goal of reducing the present childhood obesity rates of 20 percent to a level of 5 percent by 2030. Priorities include strategies to help empower parents and caregivers to guide children toward healthier food and fitness habits with specific suggestions on everything from building school gardens to adding neighborhood sidewalks to improving children’s menus at restaurants.

Recommendation from the task force document: Restaurants should consider their portion sizes, improve children’s menus and make healthy options the default choice whenever possible. The improvements are particularly important because one-third of meals are consumed in restaurants.

What do some Atlanta parents — who just happen to be in the restaurant business — think about “the state of the union” for kids dining out?

Father of a boy and girl, Ian Winslade, formerly of Spice Market and chef of soon-to-open Bottle Bar Buckhead, says, “I think restaurants need to do more with kids menus. And I found if you introduce kids as toddlers to a variety of foods, you’ll have a better go of it when dining out.”

Winslade admits that even chefs who make it a career to please customers’ palates can have a tough time with their own kids.

“At about 5 years old you can get some serious push back, but hang in there because after about 8 they roll back in and become more adventurous,” Winslade said.

Ford Fry, executive chef of JCT Kitchen and father of two boys, believes good eating embraces all foods in moderation. “Hey, I’m a chef famous for my fried chicken and macaroni and cheese, but our menu focuses on great farm fresh vegetables, too. At home we eat healthy six days a week and one day a week the boys can eat whatever they want,” he said.

And to up the ante on interest in healthy menu choices and further community support of farmers who grow organic produce for Atlanta’s restaurants, Fry and friends organize a vegetable festival each August — the JCT Killer Tomato Fest.

Selling good nutrition to kids takes on many forms. At Ted’s Montana Grill, cook Otto Calvert at the Luckie Street location says a restaurant can be the best place to get kids excited about healthy foods. “We start with lots of really fresh vegetables, and we know how to season them, and we don’t overcook them. We can help parents because kids eat their vegetables here when we ask them to!”

Catering to smaller appetites

Skip the sodas. Ask for low-fat or nonfat milk. Or make your own special “soda” by asking for a combination of fruit juice with sparkling water.

Good things in small packages. Children are not just small adults, especially when it comes to nutrition. Every bite counts and every bite should be delivering healthy nutrients. Filling up on tortilla chips or fried appetizers is a bad habit for two reasons: They’ll often consume too many calories and they won’t have room for the healthy items. Get a side order of fruit or cut-up vegetables right away to keep them occupied.

Don’t clean your plate. An important lessons in nutrition is recognizing when you are full.

By Carolyn O’Neil

For the AJC

ATLANTA, May 13 (UPI) — A U.S. researcher has linked child obesity and the federal school lunch program.

Rusty Tchernis of Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies in Atlanta said children participating in the National School Lunch

Program have an increased likelihood of being overweight.

However, Tchernis said participating in the School Breakfast Program was a more positive experience.

“The School Breakfast Program is a valuable tool in the current battle against childhood obesity,” Tchernis said in a statement. “Overweight children are more likely to become obese adults, so the only way to reduce obesity is to prevent it from happening in children.”

Tchernis and colleagues found those who participate in both the breakfast and the lunch programs were less heavy than those who didn’t participate in either program, or those who only ate lunch program meals.

The study, published in The Journal of Human Resources, looked at the relationship between the two programs and obesity using data on more than 13,500 primary school students. Students were interviewed in kindergarten, first and third grades, and then again in later grades.

UPI.com