Welcome to India; did you know that 1 in 5 children in our well- to-do schools are overweight?
We are soon going to top the world in diabetes & heart diseases. This is good news for a lot of people.... the drug companies, fast food makers, hotels & restaurants, but disconcerting news for us parents & peditricians.
So how do we prevent Obesity in our kids?
1. Lifestyle changes: No to DIETING; yes to NUTRITION; meaning more healthy foods like vegetables, fruits & whole grain cereals, avoid pre-packaged snacks, ice-creams & chocolates. Decrease eating out and fatty foods.
Think of a day's consumption like an Indian 'Thali' (plate of food) wherein a quarter is carbohydrate cereal (like rice & chappati), another quarter is protein like Milk, egg, dal, meat etc., while the other 50% should be salads, fruits & vegetables. Fried snacks & sweets should be reserved for a few special occasions.
2. Increase physical activity: Involve hildren by asking them to walk or cycle to school, engage in extracurricular play etc. If they do not like team sports, individual sports like dancing & martial arts can be encouraged.
3. Decrease sedentary behaviour: Most importantly TV viewing should be restricted to 1 hour on school days; 2 hours on the weekends. Computers & tuitions should be discouraged during evening play hours.
These are just the tip of the measures needed to conrol obesity. We as pediatricians & parents have a great role to play in keeping our children healthy.
Encourage your doctor to record children's weight & height on a chart during each visit & let you know if your kids are at risk for obesity.
Remember 'chubby' is not cute; & 'overweight' is not healthy!
For more baby problems log on to Charak clinics
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Friday, July 02, 2004
Healthy criticism: Health care in the villages?
A study published in a renowned international journal (Lancet, May 2004) has shown that in rural Rajasthan 41% of 'doctors' do NOT have a medical degree.
Whats more, 68% of clinic visits lead to an injection being given, while only 4 % of cases are investigated.
Almost 45 % of Govt staff are absent from primary health centres, while the health centres themselves are closed for a whopping 56% of the time during regular hours! I knew that our halthcare in the villages was bad, but still this is a real eye opener.
The per capita spending on health of India ($ 4) is far less than even neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka ($ 15) & Bhutan ($ 8).
Thought for the day
Can we really hope to be a developed nation by neglecting our citizen's fundamental right to health?
Whats more, 68% of clinic visits lead to an injection being given, while only 4 % of cases are investigated.
Almost 45 % of Govt staff are absent from primary health centres, while the health centres themselves are closed for a whopping 56% of the time during regular hours! I knew that our halthcare in the villages was bad, but still this is a real eye opener.
The per capita spending on health of India ($ 4) is far less than even neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka ($ 15) & Bhutan ($ 8).
Thought for the day
Can we really hope to be a developed nation by neglecting our citizen's fundamental right to health?
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Harry Potter; Television & kids
I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series. Yesterday I watched the third movie in the series & enjoyed it. I think it provides so much creativity & imagination for kids to use in their own life.
However it set me thinking about the time children nowadays are spending indoors, whether watching TV, playing video games, or gong to watch highly publicised movies. I feel that certain amount of time is needed for children to indulge in what some adults would describe as 'timepass' or unstructured activity. This would necessarily involve cutting down on TV time for most children.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR TV VIEWING IN CHILDREN
Limit children's daily viewing to one or two hours.
Parents to choose and decide what the child should watch. Avoid frequent channel changing.
Watch TV with your children.
Discuss the programmes soon after viewing. Find out the effects these shows had on the child and correct any faulty impressions.
Discuss TV violence. Talk about how TV characters solve their problems, and see if you and your children can find more realistic solutions.
Encourage alternative methods of spending leisure time like hobbies, outdoor games, peer group interactions etc.
Ban programmes you strongly oppose and tell your children the reason for your stand.
Encourage watching good programmes. Explain to your children the harmful effects of watching unrealistic excessively simplistic and violent programmes.
Avoid commercials. Teach children how advertisers attempt to manipulate viewers.
Become active in determining local programming. Call or write to local stations to express your approval and disapproval of content of programmes as well as commercials.
TV viewing can have a lot of negative effects for the young mind; lack of exercise, obesity, decreased creativity & language skills, eye strain, decreased sensitivity to violence, academic problems, irrational fear (by watching scary programs) are some of the well known issues. Young minds are easily swayed by popular heroes & may indulge in dangerous activities (like jumping of buildings after watching 'Shaktiman' an Indian equivalent of Superman).
A recent study in Pediatrics journal seems to even indicate that TV exposure in young children (1-3 years) may increase the chances of ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in children & reduce their attention span!
Kids try to copy adults, so if you stop watching the sports channel & the 'saas & bahu' TV serials, rest assured there will be more quality time for you & the kids.
For more baby issues log on to Charak Clinics
However it set me thinking about the time children nowadays are spending indoors, whether watching TV, playing video games, or gong to watch highly publicised movies. I feel that certain amount of time is needed for children to indulge in what some adults would describe as 'timepass' or unstructured activity. This would necessarily involve cutting down on TV time for most children.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR TV VIEWING IN CHILDREN
Limit children's daily viewing to one or two hours.
Parents to choose and decide what the child should watch. Avoid frequent channel changing.
Watch TV with your children.
Discuss the programmes soon after viewing. Find out the effects these shows had on the child and correct any faulty impressions.
Discuss TV violence. Talk about how TV characters solve their problems, and see if you and your children can find more realistic solutions.
Encourage alternative methods of spending leisure time like hobbies, outdoor games, peer group interactions etc.
Ban programmes you strongly oppose and tell your children the reason for your stand.
Encourage watching good programmes. Explain to your children the harmful effects of watching unrealistic excessively simplistic and violent programmes.
Avoid commercials. Teach children how advertisers attempt to manipulate viewers.
Become active in determining local programming. Call or write to local stations to express your approval and disapproval of content of programmes as well as commercials.
TV viewing can have a lot of negative effects for the young mind; lack of exercise, obesity, decreased creativity & language skills, eye strain, decreased sensitivity to violence, academic problems, irrational fear (by watching scary programs) are some of the well known issues. Young minds are easily swayed by popular heroes & may indulge in dangerous activities (like jumping of buildings after watching 'Shaktiman' an Indian equivalent of Superman).
A recent study in Pediatrics journal seems to even indicate that TV exposure in young children (1-3 years) may increase the chances of ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in children & reduce their attention span!
Kids try to copy adults, so if you stop watching the sports channel & the 'saas & bahu' TV serials, rest assured there will be more quality time for you & the kids.
For more baby issues log on to Charak Clinics
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