- According to the WHO, there are 158 million children and adolescents globally with excess body mass.
- Unicef lists Mexico as the country with the highest childhood obesity in the world.
- The latent risk is that it can lead to problems such as diabetes, heart attacks, high cholesterol levels and kidney failure, among others.
The childhood obesity it has gained ground to become one of the most serious public health problems in Mexico and the rest of the world. The change in lifestyle is one of the main responsible for this situation. Although the most worrying thing is that every year the rates of minors with excess body mass increase.
Mexico is already a world leader in childhood obesity
Childhood is one of the fundamental periods for development since it is when social, sports and eating habits are generated for life. According to National Institute of Statistic and Geography (INEGI) children represent more than 35% of the total population.
Given its importance and representation in the country, it is important promote practices for their social, mental and physical well-being. Ensuring that boys and girls have optimal development requires attention to all areas of their growth, one of the most important and urgent being food.
Unfortunately, Mexico occupies one of the highest places in childhood obesity (38%), which can seriously reduce the growth of boys and girls.
What should not be offered to minors
Given the importance of this topic, the nutritionist Diana AnconaMaster in Global Health and expert in nutrition for child developmentmentions that one of the most harmful substances for health in minors are sweeteners.
These substances are present in almost all the foods we eat. They are responsible for giving a sweet flavor naturally or artificially and although they are part of our daily lives, it is important to keep in mind that They are not recommended products for children.
“We must be aware of what we offer our boys and girls to avoid long-term problems. According to the American Association of Pediatrics, the use of these substances at an early age can trigger a series of serious effects for them. Among the list are the alteration of the intestinal microbiota, inflammation, metabolism problems, weight gain, cardiovascular problems and even the risk of suffering from diabetes at an early age.
The nutritionist also emphasizes that it is essential to recognize that little ones do not need artificial sweeteners for optimal development because this can cause long-term health problems, as well as the generation of unhealthy eating habits for adulthood.
With regard to parents, he mentions that they must make conscious and prepared purchases that provide the little ones with the best possible nutrition. During childhood, their healthy and balanced development depends solely on the dietary decisions that guardians make for their well-being.
Undoubtedly, the best way to act and care for the health of infants is to take into account preventive actions for new parents, such as:
- Take care of the food that is given to them.
- Avoid the consumption of sweeteners during the first two years of age.
- Promote the consumption of fruits, vegetables and natural sweeteners such as dates, apples or bananas to prevent their palates from getting used to such sweet foods or products
- Know how much nutritional contribution what we buy and consume has.
“As parents in the 21st century, the best tool we have is information. By generating healthy habits from an early age, we can provide our children with a tool to take care of their health during adulthood. We still have a long way to go when it comes to child nutrition, but we can always do, create and promote best practices that help little ones live a happy and, above all, healthy childhood.”
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INFOGRAPHIC: The current status of childhood obesity in Mexico