COVID-19 is the devastating pandemic that totally disrupted every aspect of our lifestyle. A strict lockdown came into effect to contain the COVID-19 spread. Well, the lockdown was successful in containing the spread, but the children had to pay a high price for that.
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How COVID-19 Lockdown Adversely Affects Obesity In Children?
An unhealthy diet followed by irregular sleep patterns has affected both the physical and mental health of the kids. Many children, especially those who have obesity issues, put on a lot of extra weight during this lockdown period.
In this article, we will tell you how this COVID-19 lockdown impacts obesity in children negatively.
How lockdown is affecting children’s weight?
There are several reasons why this COVID-19 lockdown affects your children’s weight. A recent study by the University at Buffalo shows that the eating patterns, sleeping patterns, and regular physical activities have changed a lot throughout this lockdown. It is the main reason why children with obesity or tending to obesity are gaining weight quickly.
- Closing of education institutions
All the schools were closed because of the lockdown. Most of the children took an extra meal every day, which had an adverse impact on their health. Moreover, it became like a challenge to keep their weight under control for the children struggling with overweight issues. When the children go to school daily, they will get routine, and their daily lifestyle comes within a structure.
However, staying at home for a long time made them eat their meals anytime they want. This is how they put on excess weight, which is terrible for their health.
- Irregular sleeping patterns
Another primary reason behind this uncontrollable weight gaining is abnormal sleeping patterns. In this period of lockdown, the children did not go to their schools. The school environment always brings a structure to the diet and sleeping patterns. When a child goes to school in the morning, he will go to bed early.
But, during the lockdown situation, children went to sleep late. Furthermore, they were able to sleep whenever they wanted, which developed terrible sleeping patterns. Sleep is crucial for our health. Oversleeping can impact our health negatively. This situation brings a challenge for the children and young adults to keep their weight under control.
- Lack of physical activity
Regular exercise plays an essential role in keeping our weight in check. Similarly, different physical activities are also very effective in reducing obesity issues. When the children are in school, they get engaged with several games and activities that help them to remain healthy and fit.
However, during the months of lockdown, they were not free to go out of their house. There were many restrictions that they had to follow strictly. In such situations, it was challenging to stay active physically. They were not allowed to play outside, which led them to get busy with mobile or computer.
Nowadays, children are hugely attracted to online games, so they sit in place for long hours and keep playing games on mobile or computer. This is how their weight increases a lot, and it is not easy to lose that weight quickly.
Easy way-outs from this problematic condition
Confinement to our houses may seem the end of an active and productive life, but there are ways out of it. Read below:
- Rule out temptation
It is easier to be tempted to what is in your presence. As long as your children have junk food lying around in your house, it will be hard to get back on track with healthy, nutritious, and balanced consumption. So, it is better to get rid of foods that add to your ill-health and maintain stock of fruits and vegetables instead.
- Limiting screen time
Children tend to eat more when their eyes are stuck to screens, and minds are engrossed in anything except eating. So, it is best not to let your kids eat while watching TV. Apart from this, the less time your kids spend staring at the phones, the less damage will be caused to their eyes from the harmful rays.
- Setting routines
A rough daily schedule must be set for your kids to keep them busy and productive. The plan should include waking up at a reasonable hour, meal times, so that your kids do not eat at odd times, sleeping schedule to ensure that it is regular and time to be spent on hobbies and school work.
- Get Enough Sleep
It may become common to sleep and wake up at odd hours, and this can end up ruining the amount of sleep that the body of your kids requires for proper functioning. It is vital to get enough sleep, preferably 8 hours, for maintaining physical and mental health. Don’t let your kids play on phones late at night. It will not only save their eyesight but also help in maintaining a regular sleeping schedule.
Final Verdict
Changing lifestyle habits, even while in confinement, can make a huge difference to help prevent and also reduce the severeness of obesity. While going out is especially not safe, adopting healthy habits while at home can make all the difference.