About one-quarter of elementary-school and junior-high school pupils in Taiwan are overweight or obese, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said earlier this month, providing tips to help children maintain a healthy lifestyle.
HPA Director-General Shen Ching-fen (沈靜芬) cited the Ministry of Education’s statistics as showing that 23.8 percent of elementary-school pupils and 28.6 percent of junior-high school pupils are overweight or obese.
The administration hopes to promote good nutrition and exercise habits to address the prevalence of childhood obesity, Shen said.
Photo: Lin Chih-yi, Taipei Times
SETTING AN EXAMPLE
When parents have an unhealthy diet and do not exercise, it is unlikely that their children would form healthy habits, she said, calling on parents to set a good example to their children.
Many parents misleadingly think that childhood obesity is normal, but it increases risks of chronic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and could also negatively affect immunity, pediatrician Chen Mu-rong (陳木榮) said.
The HPA said it encourages people to embrace the “FIT” (fitness, intake, team) values.
Chen explained the “fitness” concept saying that parents should encourage their children to do aerobic exercises such as jogging, swimming or cycling, for at least an hour per day, adding that they can also play basketball, which involves jumping, or table tennis, which can increase concentration.
In terms of “intake,” he said parents and children can practice healthy nutrition by referencing the HPA’s “my meal plate” guidelines.
Children should also avoid drinking too many sweet beverages, which can lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar levels, potentially affecting their focus and learning, and increasing the risk of tooth decay, he said.
As for “team,” Chen said companionship and cooperation are important in forming good lifestyle habits.
HEALTHY HABITS
Parents should accompany their children when doing exercises, and sometimes also prepare meals together, taking the opportunity to teach them about nutrition, he said.
“Leading children by example is crucial,” he said, adding that parents do not have to be perfect all at once, but can gradually improve their children’s health by eating and exercising habits.
The HPA offers seven free sessions of preventive healthcare services for children younger than 7, and it is mulling increasing it to nine sessions, Shen said.
HPA Deputy Director Wei Shi-lun (魏璽倫) said the administration hopes to add one more session each for age groups of “four months to 10 months” and “3 to 7 years,” as early as next year.
Additional reporting by CNA
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