By Florence Pia G Yu, Web Editor

Dubai: There are already many children in the Middle East already diagnosed with obesity and diabetes.  

What causes childhood obesity and how do you prevent it from happening?

Obesity, in simple terms, is a condition where the body maintains excess body fat, which in turn leads to serious health issues. 

Weight gain occurs when the number of calories consumed exceeds the number of calories used. 

This equates to eating and drinking excessively while only conducting low levels of physical activity. If this happens regularly and is unmonitored, it will lead to obesity. 

While the best medicine is preventative, the answer to starve off obesity for children and adults is intuitive: a balanced calorie intake with regular exercise. However, in today’s modern world of abundant choices it is not always clear what is best. 

Watch what you drink

Time and time again, studies have shown that sugary beverages have been linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Sodas, energy drinks, fruit drinks, sports drinks, iced teas and bottled coffees all contain high amounts of sugar.

“The fructose component in sucrose or table sugar or in high fructose corn syrup is strongly suspected in impacting how our liver works and raising risk for diabetes. Also, high sugar intake can create a continued craving for more sugar,” said Dr Joel Steelman, an endocrinologist at Cook Children's Health Care System who was in the UAE earlier this year for the Arab Health Forum.

He recommends that parents try and avoid offering their children beverages and processed foods high in sugar and added salt. 

“Removing sugar drinks from your home will lead to less weight gain in kids and that sticking to water and milk is a great first step in helping kids achieve a life free from the many burdens of obesity,” he said.

Untreated childhood obesity can lead to serious health complications including high blood pressure and cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, bone and joint problems, asthma, sleeping problems and depression. 

Problems that later develop through adulthood are severe obesity, stroke, heart disease and early death.

Children rarely prepare their own foods, therefore it is crucial that a parent participates in making sure their children adopt healthier eating habits. 

There are a number of actions parents can take to help reduce their child’s chance of being overweight or obese including: encouraging the child to eat a healthy diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Parents should also encourage their children to get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on most days of the week. 

"Most importantly set a good example for your children by yourself choosing healthy food options and being physically active," Dr Steelman said. 

While parents should maintain a focus on healthy foods for their child to eat, there is no need to eliminate all sweets. Overdoing this may make the child want them more. 

Sweets can be included in the diet, but in proper amounts. Additionally, sweets shouldn’t be used as a reward for good behavior or test scores. Rather, parents should think of other, more active rewards, Dr Steelman said.

Dr Joel Steelman is an endocrinologist at Cook Children's Healthcare System, a non-profit organisation based Texas that specialises in treatment of infants, children and young adults.

© Gulf News 2017