Obesity - Major health concern for Asian Children
August 04, 2006
A recent study shows that 40% of Asian American or Pacific Islander (Aapi) kids in California are overweight. Study also points out the fact that if the problem is left unchecked, it can be at the risk of becoming obese. According to the recent poll, BMI of 29 percent of children in Filipino community is beyond the scale of normal BMI.
Taiwanese-American Dr. Sophia Yen, pediatrician of Stanford’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital says that it is important for parents to ask the pediatrician to find out the BMI of their kids since it helps to finds out the phase of fatness in a person.
To get the right BMI of kids Dr. Yen suggests 3 initiatives for parents:
- Stop giving liquid calories.
- Start giving fruits instead of fruit juices.
- Stop giving soft drinks and only give diet sodas.
Dr. Yen also says parents to inspire their children to take interest in sports and other outdoor activities. Dr. Yen also expressed her frustration about the mental and behavioral problems among Aapi children which are continuously increasing in Aapi children.
“The problem is rooted in the very high expectations Asian parents have of their children’s performance in school,” She points out. “It is cultural, unfortunately. Non-Asian parents, say Caucasians, do not demand or impose as much on their children”. “It is important that parents make sure their teenagers get an annual checkup,” Dr. Yen says. “And during the visit, arrangements should be made for the minor to have private time with the doctor for a one-on-one, which will aid in the assessment of a child’s mental health.”
Read the complete news article here:
http://www.philippinenews.com
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