We knew from a study by the Thao Foundation, that in Spain the problem of overweight among children of school age remains; but what the Portuguese professor María Daniel Vaz de Almeida has just affirmed, is that together with Greece, We are the third European country with more childhood obesity.
In the world there are according to the World Health Organization, about 43 million children under five who are overweight, or obese. Data related to our continent indicate the affectation of a 10 to 36 percent of European children of school age. However, there are differences between different European countries: for example in the northern countries, nutritional policies have been invested for years, physical activity is promoted in schools, and the food supply includes food from all groups, indicating the benefits and risks of each.
What happens in southern Europe, is that although for years there has been adherence to the Mediterranean diet, economic and social changes have influenced lifestyle, changing eating patterns, and disfavoring physical exercise (more sedentary children when they leave school, or family activities focused on the use of technology).
Thus Vaz de Almeida states that the highest incidence rates occur in Mediterranean countries. In addition to the latest research he is conducting, they have focused on how adult food determines the quality of life of the little ones, and in the attitudes of consumers towards personalized nutrition. Coinciding with other experts, he points out the importance of avoiding this social and public health problem, even from pregnancy.
Remember that there are no magic recipes against childhood overweight and obesity, however they are preventable diseases attending to the energy balance, and assuming our responsibility as adults. We have a lifestyle that It has led to the emergence of these problems, however we have the solutions at hand: encourage physical exercise among children, take care of nutrition avoiding overfeeding due to excess protein, ensure that sugar does not become a problem, etc.
Think that we not only talk about the weight of children, but about all diseases associated with obesity, which we have talked about here sometimes. Isn't it worth doing this effort?
