When you first look at this baby above, you would probably want to squish those chubby little cheeks. But this cute 'cherubic' kid from Punjab has her doctors worried sick because she is no average baby.
Baby Chahat Kumar is only eight-months-old and reportedly weighs close to a whopping 17 kilos. Yes, you read that right.
Her worried parents noticed an increase in her weight after she turned four months. Chahat's mother Reena told a daily, “She was born a normal child and only started gaining weight at the age of four months."
Her father is no less concerned. He added that Chahat is getting hungrier by the day and is demanding more food.
Chahat's weight affecting her health
The parents shared that when they noticed an abnormal increase in her weight, they took her to a local doctor, but he was unable to even take her blood test.
"When we took her to the doctor, he told us that they would first need to collect blood samples to start with any kind of treatment but it turned out to be difficult as her skin is abnormally hard,” shared Suraj in a video.
The doctor they approached also stated that she should in fact, be taken to a specialist and not a general physician.
“Her weight is increasing excessively and it has to be controlled. She has to eat less. She eats like a 10-year-old kid," shared Dr Vasudev Sharma who has been checking Chahat since her birth. He also added that due to an excessive weight gain, Chahat has sleeping and breathing problems as well.
All of her physical changes are pointing to one thing- Chahat may be morbidly obese, which may lead to further complications in the future.
Obesity in kids
We spoke to Dr Pankaj Agrawal, Senior Homeopath and psychologist, Agrawal Homeo Clinic, Delhi, who explains, "Childhood obesity occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height. It is particularly troubling because it may lead to diseases such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression."
He added that the ideal treatment of childhood obesity depends on the child's age and medical conditions.
"Treatment for childhood obesity is based on your child's age and if he or she has other medical conditions. Treatment usually includes changes in your child's diet and level of physical activity. In certain circumstances, treatment may include medications or weight-loss surgery," he explained.
Dr Agrawal also shared a few ways in which parents can help control childhood obesity.
"The methods for maintaining your child's current weight or losing weight are the same: Your child needs to eat a healthy diet — both in terms of type and amount of food — and increase his or her physical activity. Success depends largely on your commitment to helping your child make these changes," he shared.
3 ways parents can help their kids lose weight
Dr Agrawal also added that there apart from these two other important factors also help the child in reducing weight.
Your child's best chance to achieve and maintain a healthy weight is to start eating a healthy diet and exercising more.
- Be a role model: Choose healthy foods and active pastimes for yourself. If you need to lose weight, doing so will motivate your child to do likewise. Children are good learners and they often mimic what they see.
- Involve the whole family: Make healthy eating a priority and emphasize how important it is for the whole family to be physically active. This avoids singling out the child who is overweight.
- Cope and support: Parents play a crucial role in helping children who are obese feel loved and in control of their weight. Take advantage of every opportunity to build your child's self-esteem. Don't be afraid to bring up the topic of health and fitness but do be sensitive that a child may view your concern as an insult. Talk to your kids directly, openly, and without being critical or judgemental.
Read: why you should be concerned about childhood obesity
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[All images courtesy: Youtube]
