Appy Kids co know just how important it is to parents for their little ones to have a healthy and balanced diet, which means having the right amount of calories - not too much and not too little. So how do we know how many calories our little appy-campers really need and why is it important?
What you need to know
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2019 there were an estimated 38million children under the age of 5 who were overweight or obese. Obesity is a widespread problem, for instance, 1in4 of those aged between 2 and 10-year-olds are overweight, whilst 1in3 of 11 to 15-year-olds are also overweight or obese.
Prevalence remains high
It is important to be aware that overweight and obesity has increased among children and adolescents aged between 5, while it is also predicted to increase by 70% among adults by 2034.
Benefits of cutting back
One of the causes of overweight and obesity is the lack of a balance between the calories we eat and the calories we burn off. Deciding to switch to a calorie-less lifestyle will provide a lot of health benefits, this will include stopping the chances of diseases such as diabetes, memory problems, and heart disease.
Sometimes it can be difficult to know which food and drink are actually high in sugars and fats, switching to drinks that contain calorie-free and foods that are high in fiber and water such as fruits and whole grain is a good place to start for cutting down calorie. This will help to not feel hungry, yet eat a greater volume of food and still limiting calorie intake.
We know that cutting calories can be challenging, as we eat more than we might need to fuel our bodies. Learning to control foods and portions will set you up to succeed in cutting calories, and help to improve yours and your little ones' overall healthy lifestyle.