INDIA HAS BECOME THE DIABETES CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
It is estimated that the burden of type 2 diabetes will increase from 51 million in 2010 to 87 million in 2030. Type 2 diabetes is preventable. Remember that childhood and adolescent obesity are the forerunners of diabetes mellitus later on in life. Hence prevention of diabetes should start from childhood
Mothers should be aware of what they feed the children. Feed them in the old fashioned way, with rice, dhal, fruits, vegetables, eggs, milk, fish and meats. Never use any product advertised on TV as a supplement for growth, for increasing memory or for weight loss. You are feeding the child either with poisons or with empty calories. No short cuts for children. No ready made stuff- readymade dough, rôtis, noodles or parathas. Remember that the celebrities who endorse these products, never feed their children with them. Anything and everything that is fed to children should be prepared at home. If a meal is provided by school, please ask for a menu chart for each day and the nutritional information of each meal. The dining routines at home needs to be modified to have a family dinner. Eating out with friends should not be at dinner time. This is the time to observe the child’s eating habits, likes and dislikes and make changes to the menus to make the child look forward to dinner time.
Healthy snacking should be another point of focus. Children have 2 snack times during the day, one between breakfast and lunch and another in the evening. Packeted snacks sold at marts are very high in calories and very deficient in nutritive value. Snacks should include fruits, nuts, dried fruits, steamed dhals etc.
The second most important point in the prevention of obesity and type 2 diabetes is that physical activity should be made compulsory for children. In school they should play for a minimum of 45 minutes atleast 3 times a week. It is the duty of parents to put this across to the school management and make it part of the curriculum. Once children are at home especially on weekends they should be encouraged to form play groups and take to the playgrounds.
Time spent in front of the TV and on computers and cellphones is another cause of obesity. Parents routinely watching serials on TV and engaging for hours together on social media sends across a wrong signal to children. Parents should start off spending time with their children, playing games like chess or carroms or any other game which is both a recreation and also prevents children from becoming couch potatoes.
If a parent feels that in spite of a nutritious diet and enough activity, there is an abnormal weight gain, please consult with your family physician. A family physician is the person who can judge an abnormal weight gain in a child since he has kept a close watch as the child grows. The importance of a family physician cannot be stressed enough. If there are hormonal deficiencies they can be corrected. If not, the diet and exercise schedules have to be modified. Catch the weight gain young or the prediabetic stage is reached and before we know, organ damage starts. In the girl child, PCOS is another problematic condition that is very difficult to rectify.
It is the duty of mothers to keep a close watch on their children. Spending quality time with them and sensing the changes as small they may be, is part of good parenting. For working mothers and children stressed out with their syllabi, this is a daunting task, nevertheless absolutely necessary