Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : For children and parents alike, summer vacation is an exciting and much-awaited period of the year. During this time, children of all ages and grades take a break from their books and exams, eat and play to their heart’s content, and spend some quality time with family too. This, however, does have its downsides. Going on vacations drastically affects children’s daily routines. This could range from sleeping patterns to meal schedules, and even physical activities. All of them can become irregular, and if not managed properly, can affect one's overall health drastically. If not managed properly, all of these factors can be detrimental, and can lead to gaining an unhealthy amount of weight in a short duration of time.
10 Daily Habits That Can Lead to Weight Gain in Children
1. Excessive Consumption of Fast and Sugary Foods
The modern world we live in today heavily relies on fast food, and along with that, treats of every kind, from chocolates to sugar-filled drinks and pastries, which in turn increases one’s caloric intake and leads to decreased energy levels and, ultimately, increased weight.
2. Sedentary Lifestyle
Spending an excessive amount of time on TVs, video games, tablets, and phones is common among most children today. This not only limits one’s capability to move, but also greatly lowers the number of calories burnt.
3. Eating for Emotional Support
Children, due to lack of emotional coping mechanisms, tend to eat out of boredom. This form of emotional eating can be detrimental for any child long term. Helping children manage their feelings at an early age can prevent this.
4. Insufficient Amount of Rest
Irregular sleep cycles can mess with guideline systems in a child’s body, resulting in making them hungrier more often, while also craving unhealthier food options.
5. Advertising Exerting Influence Over Today’s Youth
Perhaps the most popular form of advertisement, commercials on televisions, evoke and elicit a vast array of feelings in children and lugubrious and delightful emotions like desire and yearning. Limiting the amount of time spent in front of the screen and explaining each of those alluring advertisements can prove beneficial.
6. Sweetened Beverages
Soft drinks and sweetened juices, unlike water, milk, or fresh fruits, do not contribute to satisfying hunger, and instead, are very high in calories and sugar.
7. Oversized Portions
Starting with large portions encourages overeating. A practical solution involves starting with small portions and letting children serve themselves more, if desired.
8. Poor Food Choices
Due to a lack of knowledge or habit, children are faced with poor choices. Educating them fosters long-term healthy eating habits.
9. Low Water Intake
Kids tend to confuse hunger with thirst. Encouraging regular sips of water, especially during hot weather, can further enhance avoidance of unnecessary snacking.
10. Lack of Positive Role Models
Children imitate adults' behaviors. If parents eat balanced meals and remain physically active, there is a high chance children will adopt the same habits.
