red Chubbiness in infants is the result of water accumulation in the subcutaneous fatty tissue, not a consequence of its overgrowth. Fat in newborns accumulates slowly and does not cause excessive weight gain. But even in babies obesity occurs, that is, leptin-dependent accumulation of extra pounds. In the first six months, a baby usually doubles his or her birth weight, and by a year, he or she triples it. A baby is considered fat if he or she weighs 15% more than normal.
Excess fat is distributed in the subcutaneous fatty tissue evenly throughout the body, but especially a lot of it accumulates on the hips and tummy. There are cases of hereditary infantile swelling, which disappears by the age of two. However, if this happens, you need to consult a doctor. If the fat is not loose, but elastic – there is no problem, you should not worry, but if there is a fat flabbiness, you need medical attention. You will learn about how to correct the problems that have arisen in the article.
Contents:
- Triggers of infant obesity.
- The consequence of infant obesity.
- The dangers of overfeeding.
- Why water an infant.
- Food intake.
- Heredity .
- Diet.
- Good eating habits.
Triggers of infant obesity
As in adults, obesity in newborns has many causes, including:
- Overfeeding with breast milk or formula.
- Hormonal failure.
- Sweets.
- Watered down with sugary drinks.
- Unwilling feeding.
- Incorrect introduction of complementary foods.
- Heredity. The consequence of infant obesity.
The consequence of infant obesity
As a result of the extra pounds occurs:
- diabetes mellitus type 2;
- problems with the digestive system, stools;
- heart and vascular disease;
- underdevelopment of the reproductive organs in boys and disruption of the monthly cycle in girls;
- insomnia;
- headaches;
- bad posture;
- flat feet;
- osteoporosis;
- immunodeficiency;
- mood swings;
- depression.
The dangers of overfeeding
The main cause of obesity is overfeeding. It should be emphasized that with breastfeeding and a rational diet of the mother, this is almost impossible. With artificial feeding, it is necessary to follow the instructions, which are written in detail on the package of mixtures. In other words, do not exceed the dosage and do not break the water-blend ratio. The formula is chosen individually for each baby, on the advice of the doctor. If you gain extra pounds on the selected formula, you need to replace it with another and watch the situation.
The baby is fed at a time strictly specified by the doctor. The amount of food and its assortment are respected. Remember that fatty tissue is a source of leptin and ghrelin, two hormones that control weight and are responsible for the child’s eating behavior. High-protein food causes excessive weight gain and overloads the kidneys, and it also causes imbalanced signals of satiety or hunger to the hypothalamus, where human eating behavior centers are located.
It should be understood that no system in newborns is perfect, it goes through a period of adaptation to the environment, so guided by the child’s desire to eat or not to eat – not reasonable. It is necessary to adhere to a dietary regime, agreed with the pediatrician. In addition to balancing the protein foods, it is necessary to exclude carbohydrates in the form of candy, sausage, salty foods from a baby’s diet. Eating behavior is formed in childhood, and its improper formation will later serve as a trigger for obesity.
Why water an infant
Infants are given only pure water, no juices or store-bought drinks. These are extra carbohydrates for the baby, which are sure to activate leptin and change the infant’s eating behavior. The more dangerous is the effect of store-bought drinks on the intestines.
Food intake
A good feeding regimen means not feeding your baby “I don’t want to. If a baby won’t take a breast or bottle once, it could mean he’s not hungry yet. Don’t try to entertain him while feeding, forcing food on him can create the wrong attitude towards food intake in the future. It has been found that frequent, uncontrolled feeding, as well as a predilection for thick and fatty foods, provokes fat deposition in one third of all children.
Heredity
Genetic predisposition to obesity is inherited if parents had the same problem. Here, leptin plays the first fiddle, because mutations most often occur in the genes that control lipid metabolism, the formation of adipose tissue. By the way, genetic predisposition is a very dangerous trigger for obesity, because it provokes a sharp increase in body weight in children in preschool age and reaches its peak at puberty.
In addition, obesity is a pathology associated with endocrine disorders. Therefore, faced with the problem of hereditary obesity, it is necessary to consult with nutritionists and endocrinologists to correct the situation.
The problem of obesity in infants should not be ignored. A visit to the doctor and dietary adjustments, combined with physical activity, are sure to yield results. Children have a flexible psyche, and their eating habits are not yet established, so nutritional adjustments for the baby will be gentle and not unpleasant.
Diet
Diet therapy in children plays a huge role in the treatment of various pathologies. This is explained simply: in the body of a sick child’s metabolism is disturbed. Therefore, dietary nutrition helps to balance the metabolic processes. It takes into account not only the type and degree of obesity, but the age of the child, his energy requirements and vitamin deficiencies. All this makes therapeutic feeding comfortable for babies.
A number of pathologies involve the temporary exclusion of a number of products from the diet. Therefore, it is very important to develop an individual version of the diet, focused on the balance of leptin and ghrelin in the body. It is impossible to solve the problem of the balance of satiety and energy expenditure by yourself. That is why it is better to trust doctors.
A diet is necessary not only for sick children, but also for healthy ones. Uncontrolled food intake, ignoring the rules of therapeutic nutrition, the list of necessary products can lead to further imbalances in the digestive system or vascular abnormalities, provoke diabetes or arthritis against the background of metabolic disorders, insulin and leptin resistance.
Obesity is another negative consequence of improper nutrition of the child. And then the child begins to worry about food allergies, diathesis, reduced immunity.
You can not make a question about a balanced diet baby central, if you have already experienced irreversible changes. But as long as the child is healthy and happy, you need to remember the basic principles of child nutrition and be sure to adhere to them.
Good eating habits
The principles of a healthy and balanced diet for children are simple and doable. The help of a children’s nutritionist can come in handy, as he will make an individual diet taking into account the baby’s constitution, activity and lifestyle: a home baby, a child attending kindergarten or school. Children’s nutrition should be based on the fact that their metabolic processes in the body are almost twice as fast as those of adults. Children are growing, and they are extremely mobile, so their daily diet should cover not only the necessary energy expenditures, but also leave something in reserve in anticipation of the growth of the baby: skeleton and muscles, not fat.
That being said:
- Schoolchildren spend maximum energy every day: studying requires mental and physical strength, so the diet is correlated with active metabolism, in which leptin also takes part.
- Adolescents often choose their own diet, so priority may be given to promotional products that knock down the metabolism and bring harm to the child. Parents should help build a healthy menu and eating habits: eat 4-5 times a day at the same time, the ratio of protein, fat, carbohydrates, should be 4:1:1. In the diet must be present plant and animal products, lean meat, vegetables and fruits. It is necessary to exclude fast food, cook food steamed, baked or boiled. If you do not follow these rules, the digestive system will be overloaded and there will be a risk of digestive problems.
Remember that good nutrition is the full development of the child, a strong immune system and health.
