OVER the past decade, the number of obese Egyptian children has increased. It's a dangerous trend for the younger generation, because 80 per cent of obese children remain obese after puberty. There are often psychological reasons for their condition, while many mothers may not even realise that their children might be overweight, according to Mona Nour, a professor of nutrition at Cairo University's School of Medicine. “If your child is overweight or obese, it's more likely that he/she will develop some serious health problems more usually seen in adulthood, such as hardened and blocked arteries [coronary artery disease], high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes,” Nour added. “To treat chronic obesity, the pathogenic reasons for the obesity should be known, while, if there is no reason, the mother should balance the amount of food her child eats and the amount of exercise he takes,” Nour said. "A child can't solve this problem alone; he needs all his family to help by encouraging him to adopt a healthy diet," stresses Nour. Meanwhile, the parents of obese children should be patient, as this condition takes a long time to treat. According to Dr Nour, the mother should draw up a plan for gradually changing her obese child's daily diet, avoiding unhealthy things like crisps, biscuits, sweets and chocolate, replacing them with fruit and vegetables. Obese children should also eat food rich in carbohydrates but in small quantities, avoiding fizzy drinks. Finally, parents should allocate specific times for watching TV and using the computer, while also ensuring their children do some sports, she urges. “Don't allow your child to eat while watching television and teach him to eat his food more slowly,” adds Dr Nour.
