Childhood Obesity Can Affect Your Child’s Growth

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When we talk about dieting for growing children, we should focus more on ‘healthy growth’ than simple weight loss. Especially, childhood obesity goes beyond merely an external issue because it can induce precocious puberty or hinder final height growth, so it is important to create a proper growth environment along with weight management.

Not just “losing weight unconditionally,” but a diet that creates a body condition favorable for height growth’ – this is the core of dieting for growing children. In this article, we will explain in detail how childhood obesity affects growth, and how Korean medicine can help manage weight healthily and support height growth.

For growing children, dieting is simply not weight loss, but a process of creating a body condition favorable for height growth. Especially, childhood obesity carries the risk of inducing precocious puberty and reducing final height, so appropriate management is essential. Childhood Obesity, Why is it a Problem?

Childhood obesity is not just a matter of body shape but an important factor affecting hormonal changes and growth. If there is a lot of body fat, growth hormone can be used for fat breakdown, which can hinder growth. Especially in the case of girls, excessive body fat can accelerate menarche, which can cause growth plates to close prematurely, thereby hindering final height growth.

According to research, the average weight at menarche was 41.0±5.1kg, body fat mass was 10.3±1.8kg, and body fat percentage was 24.4±0.8%, and it was found that body fat percentage significantly influences the onset of menarche. In other words, if body fat is excessive, the likelihood of early menarche increases, which results in shortening the time available for growth.

Furthermore, childhood obesity is not about the size of fat cells increasing, but the number of cells themselves increasing, so even if weight is lost in adulthood, only the size of fat cells decreases, while the number of cells remains the same. Therefore, childhood obesity has a high probability of leading to adult obesity, making proper weight management essential from the growth period.

Childhood obesity can lead to various chronic diseases. Major diseases include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and hormonal imbalance. Due to obesity, fat accumulates in blood vessels, causing problems with blood circulation, and insulin resistance occurs, increasing the risk of diabetes.

Also, if weight is excessive, blood pressure rises, and hormonal problems such as precocious puberty can occur due to sex hormone imbalance. Since these diseases can affect from childhood to adulthood, it is important to manage weight from an early age. Effects of herbal medicine tailored to childhood obesity constitution * Growth plate stimulation and height growth promotion * Body fat reduction and visceral fat management * Improved digestive function and increased nutrient absorption * Improved sleep quality and growth hormone activation

Preventing precocious puberty by maintaining hormonal balance — 5 Tips for Height Growth

1. Body fat reduction, excessive weight loss is prohibited Dieting during the growth period aims to maximize height growth and healthy body fat control. During the growth period, it is important to control body fat and aid height growth rather than excessive weight loss.

Excessive dieting can lead to nutritional imbalance. 2. Sufficient intake of protein and essential nutrients Protein, calcium, vitamin D, etc., are essential for growth and body fat reduction.

• Protein: Chicken breast, fish, tofu, eggs, beans • Calcium: Milk, cheese, anchovies, nuts • Vitamin D: Sunlight, salmon, egg yolk 3. Stimulate growth plates with appropriate exercise Jumping exercises or stretching stimulate growth plates, and promote growth hormone secretion, which helps height growth. 30-60 minutes of exercise per day is recommended.

4. Activate growth hormone with regular sleep Since growth hormone is actively secreted between 10 PM and 2 AM, it is recommended to go to bed by 10 PM at the latest. 5. Korean medicine solutions to help improve constitution

Korean medicine dieting improves constitution, and is effective for body fat reduction, growth plate stimulation, and improved sleep quality. Through this, both height growth and healthy weight management can be achieved simultaneously.

We hope you will join Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic, which shares valuable information for a healthy life. Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic in Suji-gu pursues evidence-based medicine and integrative medicine.

This post was written directly by the medical staff of Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic to provide medical information, in compliance with Article 56(2) and Article 57(3) of the Medical Service Act. The duration and outcome of treatment may vary from person to person, so please consult a qualified practitioner before beginning treatment.