Salim Bin Ahmed Sahab Al-Madinah Saudi society, knowingly or unknowingly, is responsible for the spread of obesity among our children. Society not only encourages bad eating habits but also spoils children because of its willingness to give them any fattening foods they may ask for. As we are keen to show that we love our children, we will not hesitate to provide them with all kinds of food, many of which cause obesity. A report in Time magazine on March 3 warned that excessive obesity might turn children into adults prematurely, something that will affect the functioning of their vital organs. Therefore, obese children may die prematurely. They will also suffer from various diseases that adults typically suffer from. The vital organs of obese children that may be affected include the liver, which will not be able to function properly because of the amount of fat surrounding it. Sexual hormones will grow faster and an obese child may even reach puberty at the age of 10. The pancreas will also not function properly because of excessive fat and it will not be able to secrete the insulin needed to regulate the level of sugar in the blood, which means obese children are more liable to become diabetic than other normal children. Hypertension resulting from obesity may damage the kidneys and adversely affect their vital functions. The heart will also be affected by bad cholesterol and therefore, obese children may have various heart problems and even suffer strokes. This is not a scientific article but is only advice to families to take good care of their children by serving them only healthy foods. Obese children are usually more susceptible to depression and they may lose self-confidence, which will affect their lives.
