Weight Management Programs In Obese Children-Chapter 5

Obesity is defined as an unhealthy medical condition , in which excess fat accumulates in the body resulting into increased problems in the health of an obese person and shortened life expectancy . For a long time , the BMI or the body mass index has been used as the measurement for comparing height and weight of a person in to determine whether such a person is obese or not . In this respect , when in individual 's BMI is less than 25 kg /m2 is said to be out of danger of being obese . However , between

25-30kg /m2 an individual is referred to as pre-obese and when the BMI goes beyond 30kg .m2 , the person is said to be obese . The likelihood of diseases attacking obese people is very high (Fumento , 1997

Such diseases include diabetes , heart diseases and difficulties in breathing , osteoarthritis and cancer . Lack of physical exercise excessive calories in diets and susceptibility genetically are some of the many causes of obesity . However , psychiatric illnesses , medications and genes endocrine diss are other causes of obesity . Parents are majorly responsible for obesity in their children . Similarly , parents are also responsible for weight management in obese children

Diet programs

Weight management programs for obese children consist of physical exercises and dieting . Over the short term , diet programs may bring about loss of weight but more often keeping the child off the weight might prove to be an uphill task . Diets meant to achieve loss of weight are generally grouped into four low-calorie...