page_title: Childhood obesity in Australia
section_title: Dieting
hierarchical_section_title: Childhood obesity in Australia / Preventions/management/treatment / Dieting
caption_attribution_description: English: Title Fruit and Vegetables Basket Description There are three different colored woven baskets in a tight frame containing various fruits and vegetables such as grapes, a peach, an orange, ear of corn, red pepper, tomato and a pear. Topics/Categories Food and Drink Type Color, Photo Source National Cancer Institute
context_page_description: Obesity is defined as the excessive accumulation of fat and is predominantly caused when there is an energy imbalance between calorie consumption and calorie expenditure. Childhood obesity is becoming an increasing concern worldwide, and Australia alone recognizes that 1 in 4 children are either overweight or obese.
  For Australians aged between 4 and 17 years, obesity is a very concerning condition as once gained it is favourably harder to be liberated from. Short-term effects on children can mean a decrease in their psychological well-being as well as physical deteriorations such as sleep apnea, breathlessness and cardiovascular disease. With an increase risk of adult obesity being associated with childhood obesity there are numerous long-term effects that can ultimately hinder the life expectancy of individuals including the development of serious diseases.
  In order to combat the worldwide epidemic of childhood obesity it is imperative that the issue is addressed in its early stages. The main preventative measures to be implemented include increasing physical exercise, dietary knowledge and decreasing sedentary behaviours.
context_section_description: In Australia, the “2 Fruit and 5 Veg” campaign is advertised to educate and encourage young children and adults of the necessary nutrients that are needed in a daily diet. For adults who are entirely responsible for the foods that their children consume, it is important that they are aware of the key strategies of a healthy regime. Adults should provide their children with a moderate to low fat diet by limiting the amount of energy dense meals they feed them, reiterate the importance of eating breakfast and encourage children to eat their vegetables. For young adolescents who have a BMI percentile of 80 or above, there are certain weight loss programs available that offer services specified in dietary advice and fitness coaching.
  It is also imperative that parents and guardians are well informed regarding healthy eating for their children. Developing strategies on how to encourage their children to eat more healthy foods and grasping the knowledge on how to distinguish between high and low calorie based pre-packaged snacks is crucial.
  The food industry also plays a huge part in promoting healthy foods as management from a dietary point of view. Methods include making wholesome foods widely available and affordable for their customers. Closely monitoring and managing the amount of fat, sugar and salt content that is in the foods that are sold is also important.
caption: It is important for parents and teachers to encourage children to consume more fruits and vegetables
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