Skipping Breakfast And Sleep: May Lead To Childhood Obesity

It's a general myth that skipping meals and starving will help one lose weight. These might as well be the case with adults who have already developed optimally functioning bodies that have phased out far from the development stage.

But when it comes to children, a new report from CTV News states that kids who are habitual of skipping breakfasts are more likely to be obese. It says that breakfast is the most important meal of the entire day because it serves as a kick-start to your metabolic routine.

A study claims that skipping breakfast and getting less sleep is likely to make the child obese. This conclusion was drawn after evaluating the BMI of first ten years of child's health. The data was collected at the age of three, five, seven and eleven. After analyzing the figures and data, it was finally concluded that the children who were not taking proper nutrients in the morning or skipping the breakfast are more prone to be an obese adult.

The weight gain was also linked to restlessness and insufficient sleep. These two indicators are as important in determining the child's weight as mother's smoking habit during pregnancy. It was agreed upon that serious measures need to be taken to address the issue. Hence, parents should be more aware regarding the severity of this matter so that they can make efforts and alter the unhealthy habits of their kids.

According to The Guardian, lead researcher Professor Yvonne Kelly says that it is also likely that the children of obese mothers are obese as well. These reflect the obesogenic environment and the genetic tendency to hold on to weight.

This matter is of much significance, and it not only translates out as having an adverse impact on a child's physical well-being but reports have also suggested that these effects are far-reaching into the child's psychology as well. Obese children are more likely to have a low self-esteem and self-confidence, studies suggest. These are primarily because they're made fun of at school which is why they start considering themselves as someone who's not normal.

This psychological change is easy to develop in a child's fragile mind who then becomes a victim of anxiety and low self-esteem. Parents should be mindful that this has an enormous impact on the child's academics not only in primary and secondary education but also in higher education when they have become adults.