Childhood Obesity & Homeopathy
Obesity among children and adolescents is emerging as a serious health burden. It’s a time bomb, which when will explode will cause serious health problems, thus it needs to be addressed at the right time. Read about how obesity is spreading in children and the role that homoeopathy can play in the management of obesity to correct it at the right time.
In this fast track world everything we need is to happen fast, even the food and snacks. Gone were the days our mothers use to think and prepare which is healthy and which is unhealthy food. They took pain to prepare the food even if it takes time. During festivities they use to prepare homemade snacks. Almost everything was homemade and not much of outside food. Even the homemade remedies used to be the first-hand healing. Now the scenario has almost changed. Many ready-to-prepare items have occupied significant space in the kitchens. Frequency of dinner outing has increased. Every time kids go out, they pick a branded snack pack from the neighbourhood shop. Healthy evening snacks likes boiled sprouts are replaced by prepared branded foods. Instead of preparing festival snacks at home, most people prefer to get mass-made commercial sweets without quality checks and snack package containing unwanted preservatives and taste enhancers. These taste enhancers make our kids to eat more and more beyond their biologically needed quantity. These make our kids become obese who have to face its adverse consequences in future.
Modern Lifestyle & Its Impact On Children
Modern lifestyle makes the life easier, but it also has many bad effects. Children are considered the future of a healthy nation, but that is true only if they are healthy Parents’ working style affects children. Presently there is a trend of both parents working. Though it is a positive sign on the economy, it affects the health quotient of the kids. To have a better lifestyle, to have a better future for children, in most families mother and father work too hard and try to give the children best education and social status. In due process they neglect children’s health. Many give their children’s care and health to the care givers, care centres and crèches. They don’t have enough time to fulfil each and every needs of the child as our parents did.
How The Habit Of Junk Food Developed
These days if the children like something, we simply take them to a restaurant and get whatever they want. Because we don’t have enough time to prepare food they like. Over the time, children develop the liking for the outside food, packed snacks, fast food, etc. This goes on and become a habit of their life, unaware of the consequences.
- more than 40% of the children eat out once or more in a week
- 70% children eat chips once or more in a week
- 38% children eat burgers once or more in a week
- 48% children eat pizzas once or more in a week
- 40% eat french fries once or more in a week
- 60% eat noodles and drink colas once or more in a week
Only when some serious troubles crop up, the parents panic. In most cases it starts with childhood obesity and add-on effects like digestive complaints, urinary troubles, respiratory troubles, weak immunity, allergic problems, etc. follow. When this obesity happens, the many parents simply want to reduce the weight immediately with weight-reducing drugs, again unaware of the consequences of those drugs. Many look it only as a cosmetic problem, not as a medical problem. They are unaware of the seriousness of the underlying troubles. Homoeopathic medicines help to manage most of the problems.
In a recent medical camp at the heart of the national capital, there was a significant number of cases seeking advice for childhood obesity. The weight was shockingly inappropriate for their age, like 80 kg of a 12 year old boy, 60 kg of a 10 year old boy and so on. All they wanted was a medicine to reduce weight in a very short period of time, but not and the least through a proper diet and exercise schedule. Many parents give importance to academic score and merit, but not to play and physical activities.
Ways & Means To Manage And Avoid Childhood Obesity
Experts say that integration of family members, especially parents, is more important in healing the childhood obesity. It is different than managing obesity in adults. First of all both parents and the child should be counselled that it is not a healthy sign. They have to be made understand the risk of overweight and obesity. Many simple measures can be followed to prevent and manage the problem. They include taking balanced and nutritious healthy foods based on the food labels, healthy snacks, low fat foods, soda and drink guidelines, healthy family, grocery lists, low-fat milk, active free play, youth sports, limiting TV and all screen time, adequate sleep, etc.
What Is The Role Of Homoeopathy In Childhood Obesity?*
As we know, homoeopathy is perhaps the only system of medicine which has constitution as an integral part of the healing approach. There are drugs available in the century old literatures to modern studies to manage obesity. In obesity many homoeopaths plan the strategy in two ways. One is on the constitutional basis on totality of symptoms, which would help in managing the tendency to become obese. Second is the pathology specific prescription.
As stated earlier, moderating the diet intake and adequate physical work or exercise are required to manage the problem. Nothing can help alone in managing overweight and obesity, if the imbalance between calorie intake and calorie spent is continued. If the obesity is due to other conditions, that is to be ruled out and managed accordingly. Taking a tablespoonful of lemon-juice in a little honey water in the morning may be helpful along with the medication regimen to reduce weight/ obesity. There are many homeopathy remedies which can edffectively works for obesity like Calc carb, Capcicum, Lycopodium, Natrum mur, Nux vomica, Phytolacca, etc. Consult a Qualified Homeopath. Self medication is not advisable.