Question
My child is a 3-year-old boy. Lately, I’ve noticed that he seems to be getting fatter. He can eat several bowls of rice during meals and prefers to play instead of eating. How should we diagnose and treat child obesity?
Answer
To address the issue of child obesity, it should first start with cultivating an interest in physical activities and breaking away from picky eating habits. You can arrange for your child to engage in swimming, jogging, and other sports, and encourage them to consume high-fiber foods like spinach and carrots, while avoiding high-calorie snacks like sunflower seeds and hamburgers. Additionally, avoid letting the child fall asleep immediately after meals or lying on the sofa to snack. In treating pediatric obesity, if the condition is severe, it is recommended that parents take their child to the hospital to check for the cause so that targeted treatment can be administered.