According to the World Health Organization (WHO): “Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Overweight is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) equal or more than 25 and obesity as a BMI equal to or more than 30. These cut off points provide a benchmark for individual assessment, but there is evidence that risk of chronic disease in populations increase progressively from a BMI of 21. The new WHO Child Growth Standards, launched in April 2006, include BMI charts for infants and young children up to age 5. However, measuring overweight and obesity in children aged 5 to 14 years is challenging because there is not a standard definition of childhood obesity applied worldwide. WHO is currently developing an international growth reference for school age children and adolescents.”
(Source: World Health Organization – “Obesity and Overweight”, Fact sheet N°311, September 2006)
In Singapore, the National Health Surveys showed that the prevalence of being overweight among adults (18-69 years) rose from 26.2% in 1992 to 32.5% in 2004, while for obesity, it rose from 5.1% to 6.9% in the same period. Similarly, the proportion of obese children in primary school to junior college years rose from 2.8% in 1994 to 3.6% in 2007.
(Source: “Confronting the Obesity Epidemic : Call to Arms”, Yung Seng Lee, Jimmy BY So, Mabel Deurenberg-Yap, Annals Academy of Medicine, January 2009, Vol 38 No 1)
Obesity has become so prevalent in the modern society today that it can almost be classified as an epidemic. Besides genetic factors, other factors that contribute to this new age disease is a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical activities, social and cultural behaviours, etc.
Obesity is much more than a Physical Illness
Obesity can people in many ways, especially psychologically. Obesity-induced low self-esteem contributes to lack of self-confidence, affects study performance in the young, self-image, etc. The risk of developing complications or obesity-related diseases in later life is greater when a child is obese or overweight. Therefore, parents need to take control of their children’s health and well-being before it is too late. Losing weight should not only be for cosmetic reasons but most importantly for health reasons too.
Children and obesity
Parents have an important role to play in helping their children overcome obesity. Firstly, they need to identify and recognize that their child is having a weight problem, help identify the reasons for being overweight or obese, provide good knowledge of healthy nutrition and never humiliate or belittle their child by name calling or insult.
Clinical hypnotherapy and weight control
Clinical hypnosis is a non-invasive method of managing obesity in children. This would be the way forward for today’s parents in overcoming this problem with their children. It is much more than mind over matter. Clinical hypnosis returns the child’s sense of self-esteem, then reinforces the will power and determination. Children over the age of 8 are excellent candidates. The first step to losing weight is for the child to be motivated and clinical hypnosis is an excellent tool to create the right mind set. Parents have a vital role of supporting the child whilst the hypnotherapist helps with the behaviour change.
Research has demonstrated a significant effect when using clinical hypnosis for weight loss:
In a study involving 60 obese participants, at the 18-month follow up, the group that had received hypnotherapy and stress reduction reported continued significant weight loss compared to no change in the other two groups. This study shows that when hypnotherapy is used in combination with stress relief suggestions, weight loss is significant in the long term.
(International Journal of Obesity and Realted Medical Disorders (1998)
