According to the Polish Society for Obesity Treatment, in Poland, overweight or obesity occurs in 12% of preschool boys and 10% of preschool girls, as well as in 18.5% of school-age boys and 14.3% of school-age girls. Studies show that Polish children are gaining weight very rapidly, and this problem is deepening year by year. Dieticians largely blame parents who do not take care of their children’s dietary habits, serve them fast food, and do not encourage them to engage in physical activity in the fresh air. The key to the youngest’s diet is the appropriate amount of vegetables and fruits, therefore, children need to be encouraged to eat them, for example by serving them in various attractive forms.
Obesity is an abnormal and excessive accumulation of fat tissue in the body. It is not an aesthetic problem, but a disease requiring treatment, therefore it should not be underestimated. Experts from the Polish Society for Obesity Treatment emphasize that in terms of the number of overweight children, Poland ranks the unfortunate fifth place in European rankings. This applies to all children – from preschool age to teenagers. It is estimated that each year in our country there will be an additional 400,000 children with excessive body mass, of which 80,000 will suffer from obesity. According to the Ministry of Health data, currently over 22% of students are overweight, while in the 1970s, less than 10% had this problem.
“Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is a growing problem in Poland. Polish children are currently gaining weight the fastest in all of Europe, and although we do not have the most compared to other countries, for example, there are more overweight and obese children in England, but our increasing trend is currently the fastest,” says Monika Hajduk, a dietitian, a children’s dietitian.
The cause of obesity is improper nutrition, replacing full-value meals with high-calorie snacks, lack of regular physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, lack of sleep, and stress. Obesity does not go away with age, on the contrary – the problem deepens with age.
“The cause of overweight and obesity is simply an excess of consumed calories in relation to needs or energy expenditure in the form of physical activity, and our children these days rather prefer to sit at home in front of a computer, tablet or phone than go out to the yard,” says Monika Hajduk.
From the observations of dieticians, it appears that children and adolescents also consume too few vegetables and fruits. In this matter, a good example should come from the top, so parents and caregivers need to do their utmost to make their little ones’ menu more diverse and rich in products containing vitamins and nutrients.
“An appeal should be made to parents here to inspire the kids to consume more vegetables. And remember, vegetables don’t just have to be on a sandwich, but you can also smuggle them into other dishes, make nice vegetable pancakes, fruit pancakes, pancakes with more fruits and vegetables, cocktails, smoothies. We also eat with our eyes, so the more colorful the plate is, the desire to consume a given meal increases,” emphasizes the dietitian.
Although there are opinions that you can’t exaggerate with fruit consumption, because they contain a lot of sugar and contribute to obesity, Monika Hajduk reassures.
“Fruit of course contains fructose, a sugar from the group more easily assimilated by our body, which to some extent raises blood glucose levels faster. However, fructose in fruit is not bad for us and harmful, because we consume it in the company of many other bioactive substances: antioxidants, vitamins, mineral components, and above all in the company of dietary fiber, which protects us,” she adds.
Experts warn that the current children are most likely the first generation that due to obesity and its numerous complications will live shorter than their parents and grandparents. Obesity contributes to the development of many diseases, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, or insulin resistance, which may affect shortening of life. It also matters for mental health. Children with excess body weight have low self-esteem and many complexes, and above all, they often face a lack of acceptance from their peers.
