Interestingly, most doctors hear from parents that 'their child will definitely grow out of being overweight and it is a temporary period'.

As scientific studies show, for many of us, the sight of a corpulent child is a sign of health and also of good, wholesome nutrition. Unfortunately, this view is very misleading! In most cases, these children are not eating properly and, importantly, are lacking in many vitamins.

Poor eating habits as a cause of overweight and obesity in children
Overweight and obesity can be dangerous to a child's health and life. Scientific studies and observations have shown that it results from diet. Irregular meals, overeating at night, snacking between meals or too long intervals between meals lead to overweight children. Eating hamburgers, pizza, kebabs, Chinese food, Chips and sweets leads to disturbances in the normal functioning of the digestive system and vitamin deficiencies. Obese children have insufficient levels of many vitamins in their bodies, especially B vitamins and calcium.

If we want our children to be healthy and not become obese or overweight, it is worth introducing proper eating habits into their lives from the very beginning. It is essential that they eat regular, complete meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), including fruit and vegetables. The child should also avoid snacking between meals, especially crisps and large amounts of chocolate.

The drinks consumed by the child during the day are also important. Ideally it should be water, any fizzy or coloured drinks are not healthy. Most eating habits are picked up by the child from parents or siblings, so it is worth considering what is eaten and at what times during the day.