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Tips to help overweight children
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Cut up fruit makes for a healthier alternative snack to juices because of the clear amount in a serving. (Shutterstock/-)
O
verweight children and those who are gaining weight rapidly toward obesity must adopt controlled eating habits to help with weight loss, a nutritionist has said.
Damayanti R. Sjarif, a nutritionist at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) in Jakarta, said children must adhere to healthy eating habits comprising three main meals that contain a balanced nutritional intake. She further suggested children could snack on whole fruit, instead of juices.
"Just cut them up. If they are cut up, it will be clear that it is one apple. If it's juiced, it could end up [with] five apples," Damayanti said in a talk show in Jakarta on Monday, as quoted by tempo.co.
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Damayanti reminded parents to fulfill proper nutrition needs in a child's first 1,000 days, which extends from the pregnancy period to the first two years after birth, noting that its effect will also impact on adult life later on.
"Bad nutrition in the first 1,000 days could have a permanent effect. In order for the child to be intelligent and free of degenerative diseases, it begins from food in the first 1,000 days," she said.
The brain growth in the first 1,000 days already determines many factors, Damayanti added, including the child's vision, mathematical ability, communication, emotions and motor development. (liz/kes)
