Childhood obesity is a global health problem. Children eat more junk foods and snacks that are cheaper and easily available in schools than nutritious snacks. Fast food today draws more younger and younger customers. Fast food companies spend billions on children-oriented promotions and advertisement.
Fast foods are often empty and nutritionally low in calories. Children are more vulnerable, they are less able to see their commercials.
Dr. Sharan Sodhi, Consultant Dietitian in Therapeutic & Clinical Nutrition Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, shared her insight with HealthWire about Obesity Prevalence.
Why obesity has become so prevalent nowadays?
There’s always a clear reason when one person puts on weight: too much time in front of the screen. The unhealthy fast food attraction. An inherited propensity to pile on pounds.
People as a whole, in the simplest words, eat more calories than they burn. Food is more abundant than ever before and more convenient. We’re not going to have to hunt or harvest anything. All we have to do is take it out of the refrigerator, or order it by phone.
Is obesity related something to do with our portion sizes too?
Very much. Our portion sizes have been exploded. A Cola in 1970s was a little under 300 ml; today it can vary from 1-2 litres. A single order of popcorn was a cup and a half; today it is often a tub, which can be as much as 8-16 cups. Thus binge leads to overeating too.
Can we blame media for the rise of obesity?
A multimillion-dollar advertising industry promotes appealing and enticing advertisements targeted at children and young adults to increase their desire to choose unhealthy foods.
The fast-food industry primarily uses highly efficient marketing tactics to enable children to buy again and again, daily use and brand loyalty to target their marketing to children. A publicity ban alone does not have an effect on the consumption pattern of children as they will still have exposure from other sources.
Children and young people are important to advertisers because they affect the buying decisions of their parents, some have their own purchasing power, and they are the potential adult consumers.
Parents play a crucial role in preventing unhealthy advertisements from influencing children who endorse unhealthy food.
Can obesity be related to being affluent?
With economic affluence and the round clock availability of food, eating out had become more a way of life than just an indulgence, and the growing waistlines are not surprising.
Any tips from the side for weight watchers
- One should not starve himself/herself at all, in order to lose weight.
- A complete balanced meal, with the right proportion, including micronutrients too should be a part of the meal.
- Don’t eat in haste.
- Include Fibres and a good quantity of water in your daily routine.
- Last but not the least, do not be a couch potato. Take out time for Exercise.
