Study to Assess lifestyle Practices of Overweight and Normal Weight Children in Selected School of District Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India

Abstract

Lifestyle is considered to be an important determinant of health and sickness. It has also a great role in growth and development of children. Some of the health problems are rooted in childhood habits and lifestyle. A number of factors contribute to becoming overweight. Genetics, lifestyle habits, or a combination of both may be involved. Genes help to determine body type and how body stores and burns fat. Studies have shown that a child's risk of obesity greatly increases if one or more parent is overweight or obese. Daily schedules are so jam-packed that there's little time to prepare healthier meals or to squeeze in some exercise. Children’ s dietary habits have been shifted away from healthy foods to much greater reliance on fast food, processed snack foods and sugary drinks. Now more than ever life is sedentary; children spend more time playing with electronic devices, from computers to handheld video game systems, than actively playing outside. Television is a major culprit. Children who watch more than 4 hours a day are more likely to be overweight compared with children who watch 2 hours or less.