🌱 CHILDHOOD OVERWEIGHT & OBESITY What Every Parent Should Know ⚠️ Childhood obesity is rising rapidly and can affect your child's health, confidence, and future well-being. 🔍 What is Childhood Obesity? Excess body fat that may impact a child's health. 📏 BMI (Body Mass Index) helps assess weight status using age- and gender-specific growth charts. 🟠 Overweight: BMI between the orange and red line 🔴 Obese: BMI on or above the red line 📅 When Should BMI Be Checked? 👶 0–3 years: At every vaccination visit 🧒 3–5 years: Every 6 months 👦👧 5–18 years: Once every year 🍔 Why Are Children Gaining Weight? ❌ Junk food & sugary drinks ❌ Large portion sizes ❌ Skipping breakfast ❌ Low fruit & vegetable intake ❌ Excess screen time ❌ Lack of physical activity 🥗 Healthy Eating Tips ✔ Prefer home-cooked meals ✔ Include fruits, vegetables & whole grains ✔ Eat together as a family ✔ No TV or mobile during meals ✔ Encourage mindful eating 🚫 Avoid ❌ Junk food as rewards ❌ Sugary drinks & packaged juices ❌ Frequent fast food 🏃 Daily Activity Matters 👶 Under 5 years: Active play throughout the day 👦 5–18 years: ✔ At least 60 minutes of physical activity daily ✔ Walking, cycling, sports, dancing, yoga 📱 Screen Time Rules ⏰ Maximum 2 hours/day 🍽 No screens during meals 🛏 No TV/mobile in the bedroom 💊 Important Warnings ❌ Weight-loss pills ❌ Crash diets ❌ Cosmetic weight-loss packages ❌ Unsupervised weight-loss treatments ✔ Lifestyle modification remains the safest and most effective treatment. ❤️ Message for Parents 'Obesity does not run in families, but in families who do not run.' Be a role model. Build healthy habits early. Protect your child's future. 👩‍⚕️ Dr. Ankita Khairkar MBBS DCH PGDDN 🏥 Vedantaa Multispeciality Clinic Panvel