Another epidemic quietly approaching: the teacher calls for action before it’s too late

The statistics are very scary. According to the professor, just 10 years ago the figures were cut in half. This means that since then, obese and overweight children in Lithuania have doubled. And this is a very real and serious threat to health, so, according to the interlocutor, in no way can we wait for obese children, as in the United States, to be 50%: “There is already a tragedy. So I think we should be concerned. “

The teacher sees various reasons for this problem.

“It makes sense that something with food is no longer the way it used to be. Lack of physical activity. The environment and advertising play an important role. Fourth, the problems of health organization. A very obvious curve: pediatricians, pediatricians are declining and obesity is increasing. I think it also has a lot of influence – said prof. V. Urbonas.

– Every era has its pros and cons, even a coronavirus pandemic has its pros. In the Soviet era, when there was a shortage of food, no one thought about going to the store to buy semi-finished products, everything was done at home. And home-cooked food is different from what you buy – it’s designed to keep for a long time, it’s processed. “

Therefore, it is perfectly understandable that obesity is a problem in rich, developed countries. And even that would be too soft a word to describe this situation: some countries are already declaring it an epidemic.

“We declare epidemics of influenza, coronavirus and Americans declare an epidemic of obesity, it is a tragedy. I think it has to do with the fast pace of life, which is very relevant in the United States. When you live fast, you no longer have time to cook, be active, relax, and fall asleep normally. This also determines the appearance of obesity “, said Prof. V. Urbonas.

Can’t blame genetics

However, it must be emphasized that obesity is not a person’s choice, it is a disease. And underestimating it would be a big mistake.

“For many years, an obese person has been seen as a careless and unwashed person. But now that it is struggling in medicine, first of all, doctors must be convinced that it is a disease. Just like cancer or cancer. bronchial asthma than other serious diseases. The efforts of the patient alone are not always enough to overcome this disease, “said the doctor.

Although people are often prone to blame genetics for obesity, in fact, according to the professor, genes cause obesity by only 20-30 percent. Again, it can drive 100%, but in this case a person will suffer from a rare genetic disease.

“It just came to our notice then. We are mostly talking about functional ideopathic obesity from excess calories. 90 percent. Children are so obese. Genes matter, but certainly not as important as people usually imagine. Advertising is of great importance. Lifestyle, sitting in front of the TV, watching food commercials. This is being addressed and some governments are already banning the advertising of poor quality fast food. Like alcohol or other harmful things. ” said prof. V. Urbonas.

BMI cannot be calculated

So how do you know if a child is already overweight? Don’t be fooled: the usual Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator for adults is not suitable for children.

“You can’t trust BMI alone. If we take a very athletic man or woman, the BMI will be 30-35 and they will show obesity. But of course they will not be obese. Obesity is not an increase in body weight. , it is an increase in the amount of fat in the body. The BMI is the most practical indicator to determine the amount of fat in the body, but it is not 100 percent objectives, said the interlocutor of the program.

– Parents need to measure the height and weight of their children. BMI is a key indicator that reflects fat. But their meanings for children are completely different than for adults. They can be found online by entering the child’s weight, height, and age. “

The biggest problems will arise in the future

According to the doctor, the main complications that arise from obesity do not usually occur in childhood, but in adulthood, because children often not only manage to occur.

“It cannot be said that children do not have them, the outbreaks are already there, but clinically we do not see them yet,” said the doctor.

And as an adult, the obesity problems are many. Cardiovascular disorders, increased blood pressure, bad cholesterol, increased risk of heart attack, stroke …

Changes in body fat also lead to fatty liver. Even inflammation of the liver occurs. Inflammation of the liver due to fatty liver is the most common liver disease in children in Europe. If this inflammation progresses, it may result in the need for a liver transplant, as it simply breaks down.

However, the biggest problem obese children face, according to the interlocutor, are psychosocial complications. These are depression, lack of self-esteem, reluctance to go to school.

Does the way we eat in childhood, adolescence, have any consequences in later life?

“Sure. Some studies show that if a child over the age of 10 is obese, the chances that he will be obese in the future are more than 50 percent. Why? It is said that at the age of 10 to 14, the A child’s body increases the number of fat cells. After that, their number does not increase. It is logical that if a child is obese, fat cells multiply and are more present than in thin ones. Then, when a person grows, the fat cells swell, the accumulation of fat is much easier, there is a much larger area where they can house that fat. That is why it is said that obesity should be treated before the age of 10 “, said Prof. V. Urbonas .

However, there is no threshold beyond which to begin treating childhood obesity. If a child has weight problems, according to the teacher, in almost all cases a doctor should be consulted and treatment should be started as soon as the diagnosis is made, regardless of age.

Breakfast – mandatory

If the child is obese, the most important thing, as the doctor says, is nutrition. And this is much more important than physical activity. The second is physical activity and the third is changing the environment when the whole family participates. Currently, obese children are advised to limit easily absorbed fats and carbohydrates: sugar, juice, carbonated drinks.

“Maybe the child drinks too much juice, compote, maybe the family eats too many flour products, bakes pancakes, they eat in bulk. Let’s stop giving these products, let the child eat vegetables, fruits. Then parents come and say: does not eat those products. And then I ask the parents, and did they complain that the child ate too little or too much? If he does not get that pancake or that lump, the child’s appetite is still high, then he will have to eat something else I’ll be tough, but hunger makes those patients eat, “said the doctor.

When we go to the cafe, we often see a separate children’s menu, which usually includes chips with sauce, pancakes, and pasta. Why do we imagine that a child has to eat such food, not healthy and often almost as dessert? Can a child eat the same as an adult?

The teacher responds: “Partly yes, but an adult needs to eat healthy food. And here is the problem. Food is not prepared by nutritionists, but by chefs. Naturally, the chef prepares delicious food. The problem is that delicious food will not necessarily be healthy food. There is probably more delicious and unhealthy food than delicious and healthy food. “

A bit of laughter, a bit of seriousness suggests the teacher: the problem of Lithuanians is that everyone knows everything about nutrition, as everyone knows about basketball.

“Then it starts ‘my grandmother ate like that and everything was fine.’ Yes, my grandmother had first degree obesity but she lived a long time and had a great memory, but she was physically active. At 92, he was still dragging 2 buckets of carbon. As a result, we cannot compare ourselves with our grandparents, we eat the same as them, we simply no longer carry buckets of coal, they are different things, ”said the interlocutor.

So what should the normal diet of a 7 year old look like? According to the teacher, first of all, breakfast should be taken daily.

“Breakfast must be taken without a doubt. There is much evidence that if a person eats most of their calories in the first half of the day, the risk of obesity is much lower than eating in the second half of the day. The second rule: you should not eat two or three, but 4-5 times a day. Long breaks, especially when a person eats once a night, are a direct path to obesity, ”said prof. V. Urbonas.

For a healthy child, the interviewer recommends choosing porridge for breakfast, but not toppings, but real whole grains that need to be cooked. Eggs, fish, and even meat can also be eaten in the morning.

“Of course, milk sausages are not the best option unless there is a lot of meat in there. In this case, it will be much better than eating pancakes. After that, every 3-4 hours, the child should bite on something. Ideally, some kind of fruit or vegetable, the doctor said.

– An old proverb – feed the enemy in part and it is valid here. Of course, you should not give everything away, because the child has to eat. It is necessary to avoid semi-finished products, eat more vegetables, fruits, drink less juice. It is not a drink, it is a liquid food: fruit soup. If a child under 10 years of age drank 2 liters of prune juice, they would get their full daily caloric intake. “