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Child Is Overweight And Would Like To Reduce Weight. Suggest Diet And Medicine?
Question: MY SON XXXXXXX , 11 YEARS OLD, IN 6TH STD IS WEIGHING AROUND 50 KG. HE IS GROWING FAT. I WOULD LIKE HIM REDUCE HIS WEIGHT AND BECOME SLIM. CAN YOU ADVISE ME THE DIET AND MEDICATION AND EXERCISES FOR HIM
Brief Answer:
Avoid junk foods. increase physical activity.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query on Healthcare Magic.
The common causes for gaing excess weight and becoming fat in children around this age group are consuming high caloric diet and sedentary life stlye.
Coming to dietary advise:
1. Give him a balanced diet consisting more quantity of vegetables, leafy vegetables, and seasonal whole fruits and less amounts of rice.
2. Avoid giving junk foods, fried items, fruit juices, cakes, chocolates, sweets, and ice creams.
3. Encourage him to take diet with more dietary fiber XXXXXXX foods.
4. Ask him to take small quantity of meal at frequent intervals like 5 times a day instead of taking large quantity 3 times a day.
5. Encourage him to take salads instead of easily digestible foods.
6. Avoid giving milk shakes, fruit juices with sugars, pizzas, burgers, and baked foods.
7. Dont give food items in the form of gifts.
Coming to exercise advise:
1. Encourage him to help you in domestic and household activities.
2. Daily exercise for atleast 45 minutes per day.
3. Encourage him to play outdoor games, sports, and activities with neighbours and peer groups.
4. Restrict watching television, computer, video games to less than 2 year in a day.
5. Discourage eating food while watching television or playing video games.
6. Encourage him to walk, run, and swim regulary.
7. At school also, he should be asked to participate in activity games every day.
8. Discourage to play on video games.
Coming to medication advise:
1. No drug is advised in chidren for weight decrease.
2. Hypothyroidism is one cause for excess weight gain and it should be ruled out by doing a blood test for thyroid hormones.
3. Child should be examined by his pediatrician to look for any underlying medical causes for weight gaining and becoming fat.
4. Drugs like steroid will cause excess weight gain. If the child is on any drugs, they have to be checked.
His body mass index (BMI) has to be calculated to look for obesity. Height in centimeters is required to know BMI.
Hope I have answered your query, if you have any clarification please let me know.
Regards.
Avoid junk foods. increase physical activity.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query on Healthcare Magic.
The common causes for gaing excess weight and becoming fat in children around this age group are consuming high caloric diet and sedentary life stlye.
Coming to dietary advise:
1. Give him a balanced diet consisting more quantity of vegetables, leafy vegetables, and seasonal whole fruits and less amounts of rice.
2. Avoid giving junk foods, fried items, fruit juices, cakes, chocolates, sweets, and ice creams.
3. Encourage him to take diet with more dietary fiber XXXXXXX foods.
4. Ask him to take small quantity of meal at frequent intervals like 5 times a day instead of taking large quantity 3 times a day.
5. Encourage him to take salads instead of easily digestible foods.
6. Avoid giving milk shakes, fruit juices with sugars, pizzas, burgers, and baked foods.
7. Dont give food items in the form of gifts.
Coming to exercise advise:
1. Encourage him to help you in domestic and household activities.
2. Daily exercise for atleast 45 minutes per day.
3. Encourage him to play outdoor games, sports, and activities with neighbours and peer groups.
4. Restrict watching television, computer, video games to less than 2 year in a day.
5. Discourage eating food while watching television or playing video games.
6. Encourage him to walk, run, and swim regulary.
7. At school also, he should be asked to participate in activity games every day.
8. Discourage to play on video games.
Coming to medication advise:
1. No drug is advised in chidren for weight decrease.
2. Hypothyroidism is one cause for excess weight gain and it should be ruled out by doing a blood test for thyroid hormones.
3. Child should be examined by his pediatrician to look for any underlying medical causes for weight gaining and becoming fat.
4. Drugs like steroid will cause excess weight gain. If the child is on any drugs, they have to be checked.
His body mass index (BMI) has to be calculated to look for obesity. Height in centimeters is required to know BMI.
Hope I have answered your query, if you have any clarification please let me know.
Regards.
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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