Dr. Adelardo Caballero, Director of the Institute of obesity responds.

Obesity increases because there is an energy imbalance between what was spent, and it swallowed by storing the excess calories as fat. Currently, minors have an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, with less physical activity and a worse food intake. In addition, children under the age of 10 years should sleep ten hours a day. In this context, it should be noted that, in Spain, children sleep an average of less than eight hours a day, something insufficient and that causes other harmful habits with a negative impact on the increase of body weight, as it is not breakfast. Not in vain, it has proven how, among the smallest, five or less hours of sleep almost doubles the risk of becoming an obese adult.

2. What are the factors that predispose to obesity in children?

Fundamentally, the lack of physical activity and a kind of little balanced diet are the factors responsible for the rise in obesity. It is therefore essential to establish, from the outset, a proper lifestyle, which combines a correct diet with the right rest and physical activity.

Adelardo Caballero, doctor of IOB.

3. this disorder is diagnosed, and what stage of childhood becomes more evident?

Obesity and overweight in childhood are defined, depending on the height of the child, as BMI values equal to or higher than the values of percentiles 97 and 85 respectively. In this context, controls it usual should serve to follow the evolution of weight and height taking into account your age.

4. what habits is recommended to prevent childhood obesity?

It is important to achieve a balanced diet, which must be combined with appropriate habits of life. It should be noted the need to maintain adequate physical activity, which passes through a minimum of 60 minutes a day with a moderate or vigorous intensity depending on the phase of development of the child. In addition, children under the age of 10 years should sleep around ten hours a day.

5. What are the nutritional recommendations during growth, having for objective the prevention of obesity?

It should be noted the importance of preventing instilling healthy habits from an early age. Thus, it is essential to achieve a balanced diet, which increase the consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts. At the same time, it has to reduce total fat intake and replace the saturated by the experiences, and has reduce sugar making.

The combination of a limited diet with increased physical activity, nutrition education and behaviour change will allow obtaining optimal results, provided the minor count with the support and encouragement of his family and appropriate professionals

6. do can we introduce these healthy habits within the tastes of the or?do nós?

From the Institute of obesity, we believe in the need to turn obesity into a genuine educational value that can incorporate as part or module of a subject. Thus, we consider all necessary the possibility of educating children in the acquisition of healthy eating habits. In this sense, the inclusion of workshops or activities related to this issue would not only educate children in inappropriate and harmful of the prevalence of food rich in saturated fats, but also move them the idea that eating well is not a punishment and that prepare food is something healthy.