The most common issue in Hong Kong is "childhood obesity". A long-term lack of adequate exercise and poor dietary habits during a child's growth stages have detrimental effects on their healthy development, increasing the likelihood of obesity in adulthood and even raising the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Therefore, nutritionists strongly emphasise that parents must address this issue early on.Childhood obesityAddressing concerns related to childhood obesity and fostering healthy eating habits.
Individuals who gain weight during childhood to adolescence experience an increase in both the number and size of their fat cells. These fat cells then remain a fixed quantity, which signifies a stronger capacity for fat storage. Consequently, their likelihood of obesity is higher than that of the general population. Even if they successfully lose weight in adulthood, the number of fat cells will not decrease or disappear. They are also more likely to regain weight.
In order to improve their physical constitution and health, and to get rid of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, many people choose vegetarianism instead of eating meat. So, do young children need to be vegetarian? Is vegetarianism suitable for children? In fact, as long as the diet plan contains sufficient essential nutrients, even young children can become vegetarians. The diet of vegetarian children must include 5 essentials:
Milk: Infants under 1 year old must continue to drink milk.
Solid foods: discuss with your doctor the appropriate time to introduce solid foods into your child's diet.
Cellulose: Pay attention to your fibre intake, as too much fibre can hinder the absorption of minerals such as zinc, iron, or calcium. It can also make a child feel full for a long time, causing them to eat less of the food they need for development.
Fruit and Vegetables: Try to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, with a recommendation of eating 2 small portions of fruit and 3 small portions of vegetables daily.
Oils: Soybean oil and rapeseed oil are good oils, rich in linolenic acid, beneficial for brain and nervous tissue development, and oils are also a source of energy and vitality.
Also remember the three major requirements
The basic calorie intake needed for daily activities.
Meet your vitamin and mineral requirements, especially vitamin B12, vitamin D, and adequate calcium. Iron is also needed to prevent blood-related diseases such as anaemia.
When paired with appropriate food combinations, if the right balanced combination is lacking, the nutrients in the food cannot be fully absorbed and utilised.
Finally, if you decide to raise your child as a vegetarian, remember to fully understand the alternatives for nutrients, choose food cleverly, and take nutritional supplements based on individual needs or as directed by a doctor. In recent years, with increased public attention on healthy eating for children, there are also more consultation services available focusing on children's nutrition and growth. Dr. Wai's Paediatric Medical Centre's Paediatric Specialist Nutrition and Diet Consultant will thoroughly assess each child's nutritional status and needs to provide nutritional guidance or design individual meal plans.
Professional dietitian consultation services include:
Healthy eating guidance
Child weight management
Paediatric dietetics
