What to do when your child is overweight

November 14, 2014

What to do when your child is overweight or obese – Prevention Skills

What to do when your child is overweight or obese should include out door physical activities and discourage them for sitting long hours watching TV or playing computer games

Considering the health complications associated with weight gain, it will be suicidal to let your child ignore issues of weight gain in your child’s life. We must take the lead in making periodic observation of our children’s weight and take appropriate action should we notice excessive weight gain. In doing so it will be very crucial that you discuss your child’s weight condition with a healthcare professional from time to time. This way you will get valuable suggestions that will help your child shade off the excessive weight for a healthy life. As a parent it is important that you get to know that there are some serious levels of overweight which may need specialized attention in a health institution well equipped with weight lose recovery equipment’s and most importantly the presence of healthcare professionals who are experts in dealing with overweight and obesity in children.

This is the reason why Dr. Akoury made a decision to create a medical center whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. This great doctor practices, is primarily focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. In her care you and your children will get the best in weight loss and permanently kick out the obesity pandemic. I encourage you that even as we continue with the discussion, you can schedule for an appointment with her and get started. As you consider that, let us progress by answering certain questions that worries many people concerning overweight and obesity in children.

How much to lose?

Losing weight should not be done in hast, it is a gradual process over a considerable time, and in fact rapid weight loss or stringent dieting is not recommended for children who are still growing, unless this has been specifically advised by a specialist. In most in children, the primary objective should be to keep the weight at the same level as opposed to weight loss. Progressively in their growth and development children should not gain any weight or their weight gain should be slower than their height gain. Occasionally, when teenagers have slowed down on their growth, a weight loss of around 0.5 kg per week may be appropriate nonetheless your child’s healthcare professional will be able to advise what is best for them based on an assessment.

How to treatment childhood overweight or obese?

The main way to treat a child who is overweight or obese is to look at changes that can be made to their lifestyle.
Preferably changes targeting the involvement of the whole family are best.
Other family members who are overweight may also benefit at the same time.
Remember that as a parent you act as an important role model for your child and you can help them to stay healthy.
The two main lifestyle changes that are advised are for your child to eat more healthily and do plenty of physical activity.
Small, gradual changes may be best. Your child will then be more likely to stick to these changes with time.

Parents must endeavor to be involved as much as possible in helping their children make these changes. However, some older teenagers may prefer to take responsibility on their own. Think about how your child’s progress is going to be monitored. Discuss this with their healthcare professional. At every opportunity, give applause and reassure your child in what they are doing.

Healthily Eating

Overweight children should be encouraged to eat more healthily and to reduce the total number of calories that they eat.
Parents should to take the responsibility for making changes to their children’s diet, more so when such children are under the age of 12.
It is equally important to involve the child as much as possible and to listen to their ideas and preferences when deciding what changes to make to the food that they eat.
It may also be advisable to keep a record of what your children feed on.

Plenty of physical activity

Experts recommend that children should do a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. However it is important to note that these 60 minutes may not have to be done all at a go they can be broken up into 10- or 15-minute blocks. The amount of time the children spend doing sedentary activities, such as watching television, using a computer, or playing video games, should be discouraged and probably reduced to less than two hours each day. Parents should encourage their children to become more physically active by:

Encourage active play for your child, including games that involve moving around a lot, such as skipping, dancing, running or ball games.
Encourage your child to spend less time sitting doing sedentary activities.
Build physical activity into your child’s life in general. Try to be more active as a family. For example, walking or cycling to school and the shops, going swimming or to the park together.
As a parent remember to be a good role model for your children.
Help children to take part regularly in structured physical activities that they enjoy like dancing, football or other sports or swimming.

Psychological support

As mentioned above, being overweight or obese as a child may lead to psychological problems for some children. As a parent you should be able to discuss with your child how they are feeling. Besides that you may wish to involve your child’s healthcare professional who are experts in counseling, these specialist will help them to increase confidence and self-esteem and to develop coping strategies for teasing or bullying where possible.

Can overweight and obesity in children be prevented?

Absolutely yes and as a parent you can help to prevent your child becoming overweight or obese by:

Serving only healthy, balanced and varied diet for your whole family.
Ensuring that your child is getting the recommended amount of physical activity (at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity a day).
Limiting the amount of time that your child spends being inactive (sedentary) – for example, less time in front of the computer or watching TV.
Building physical activity into your family’s life in general.
Encouraging a healthy lifestyle for your whole family.

I want to encourage you to be observant not just for your children but even to the society you live in. pulling together will help us have a much healthy society to live in. we owe it to our children to train them in the right way and he responsible people who will also bring their children in the most healthy way in the years to come. For further consultation on healthy living call doctor Akoury today.

What to do when your child is overweight or obese – Prevention Skills

Detection of childhood obesity or overweight

November 14, 2014

Detection of childhood obesity or overweight – Causes of being obese or overweight

Detection of childhood obesity or overweight is the first step to defeating health complications relating to weight gain. Parent must take the lead role in molding their children into healthy living.

Obesity and overweight are a serious threat to human life, allowing this to happen in one’s life is not only harmful but also life shortening. We must do all it takes to ensure that we are safe from these conditions. By doing this will only be effective when we impact the healthy lifestyle in our children and being keen to monitor their growth and development just in case there is evidence of development of obesity or overweight. This will help us remain focus and make early detection which will make us take precautions to correct this before it escalate to a life threatening levels. Therefore as parents, we need to be knowledgeable of the causes, precautions and solutions. If your child is obese or overweight, this means that they are carrying excess body fat and if no action is taken, the extra weight may cause problems for their health.

You may not have any idea how to go about this because for sure it is not easy. We want to be of help to and your children by inviting you to pay us a visit at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. Doctor Akoury together with her team of experts will be waiting for you to help you establish whether your child is overweight or obese by calculating their body mass index (BMI). This is a measurement of your child’s weight in relation to their height as we do this, remember that a child’s BMI is not interpreted in the same way as it is done for adults, their BMI is charted on special growth charts which show how your child’s BMI compares with the normal range for children in the same age bracket, sex and ethnic background.

Health risks for overweight or obese children

Children who are overweight or obese can develop health problems during childhood because of their weight. Health complications may include:

Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Fatty liver disease
Gallstones and
Signs of heart disease

The disturbing thing is that these health complications have traditionally been associated with adults, where overweight and obese adults are having an increased risk of developing them. However due to the intensifications in the levels of childhood obesity, these obesity-related health complications are affecting much younger people today. Therefore a child who is overweight or obese will most likely develop the following complications besides the already mention above:

Going through puberty early.
Being overweight or obese as an adult (more than half of children who are obese will grow up to be obese as adults).
Joint problems, including osteoarthritis and separation of the ball of the hip joint from the upper end of the thigh bone (slipped capital femoral epiphysis).
Developing iron deficiency and vitamin D deficiency.
Breathing problems, including worsening of asthma, obstructive sleep apnea (difficulties with your child’s breathing whilst they are asleep) and feeling out-of-breath easily when they are exercising.

Being overweight or obese at this tender age can also have psychological effects for some. It may lead to low self-esteem and serious lack of confidence. The victim may be subject to bullying because of their weight. They may become withdrawn and avoid social contact. It may lead to low mood and, in severe cases, depression.

When these conditions are recognized and treated at their initial stages of development some of these health problems may be reversed, or even prevented. The child is also more likely to grow into an adult who has a healthy weight.

What is the cause of being overweight or obese in children?

This is very important for anyone (including children), your weight is dependent on how much energy you take in (the calories in food and drink) and how much energy your body uses (burns) up:

If the amount of calories that you eat equals the amount of energy that your body uses up, then your weight remains stable.
If you eat fewer calories than you burn up, you lose weight. Your body has to tap into its fat stores to get the extra energy it needs.
If you eat more calories than you burn up, you put on weight. The excess energy is converted into fat and stored in your body.

The reasons why energy taken in may not balance energy used up and may lead to weight gain in children, include the following:

How much a child eats and drinks

Overweight in children is mainly because of what they eat and drink more than their body needs. Having too many foods or drinks that are too sugary or fatty is a common problem.

Lack of physical activity

It is important to know that a child may be eating the right type and the right amount of food but, if they are not doing enough physical activity, they may put on weight. Luck or inadequate exercise also contribute, for instance spending many hours watching television or playing video games and having parents who are inactive can also increase a child’s risk of being overweight or obese.

Your parents

Being overweight or obese does run in families. Statistics from the experts indicate that 5 out of 10 children who have one parent who is obese will become obese themselves while 8 out of 10 children with both parents who are obese will also become obese themselves.

This may partly be due to learning bad eating habits from your parents as a child. But, some people actually inherit a tendency in their genes that makes them prone to overeating. It is however not fully understood how this genetic factor works. It has something to do with the control of appetite. When you eat, certain hormones and brain chemicals send messages to parts of your brain to say that you have had enough and to stop eating. In some people, this control of appetite and the feeling of fullness (satiety) may be faulty, or not as good as it is in others.

However, if you do inherit a tendency to overeat, it is not inevitable that you will become overweight or obese. You can learn about the power of your appetite, ways to resist it, be strict on what you eat and do some regular physical activity. But you are likely to struggle more than most people where your weight is concerned. You may find it more difficult to stop yourself from gaining weight or to lose weight.

Lack of sleep

Not getting enough sleep has been suggested as another possible risk factor for obesity in children. There seems to be a trend of children going to bed later but, also, too little physical exercise can lead to poor sleep. The two hormones known as leptin and ghrelin may be important here.

Leptin is released by fat cells to tell your brain that fat stores are sufficient.
Ghrelin is released by your stomach as a signal of hunger.

In someone who does not have enough sleep, leptin levels are low and ghrelin levels are high. These changes in hormone levels may encourage a child to eat more.

In conclusion having known the causes of this unhealthy condition, together we can kick this out of our families and from our children’s lives. Our children must not grow into obese adults by all means. Doctor Akoury will be there for you and your family to help you bring up health children free from being obese or overweight all you need to do is to schedule for an appointment with her today. Our next article will major on “What should I do if I am worried that my child is overweight or obese?”

Detection of childhood obesity or overweight – Causes of being obese or overweight

Opiate Use Leads To Decreased Sex Hormone Levels

November 13, 2014

Opiate Use Leads To Decreased Sex Hormone Levels

opiate addiction Opiates have been used for a long time in pain management. They are the best in dealing with chronic pain and so have been used worldwide to help patients with chronic pain especially cancer patients to cope with their pain and promote their recovery. The use of opiates in pain management however is little understood by the general public especially because the media has never portrayed them favorably. However the public are slowly waking up to the realization that opiates are not as bad as they are purported to be but are very essential in our hospitals to day. They have become a necessity for analgesia and patients undergoing chronic [pain have become dependent on them. Without these opiates the patients will suffer greatly.

The use of opiates in treatment of chronic pain has however been associated with deficiency in androgens. Testosterone is one of the most crucial hormones in the body as they are responsible for sex. In case deficiency in testosterone a person will suffer low sex drive. It may lead to hypogonadism which today is one of the problems that see men weep in the night for failing to rise to occasion and satisfy the sexual needs of their marital partners. Apart from hypogonadism and low levels of androgens, the long term use of these opiates may also cause such problems as adrenal dysfunction, pituitary dysfunction, and abnormality in growth and reduced bone density. When a patient has used the opiates for a long time it lowers the levels of testosterone, it is this hormone that is responsible for masculinity, bone density and even sound sex life. All these problems arise as a result of decline in testosterone and other sex hormones, opiates use being the cause of the decline in the sex hormones. Several studies have revealed that long term use of opiates in pain management causes opiate induced hypogonadism characterized by very low levels of androgens especially the testosterone hormones. The use of opiates in pain management has not only been linked to decline in sex hormones but also abnormalities in glucose and lipid metabolism.

There some side effects that patients who have used opiates in managing pain for a long time suffer, these side effects are often well managed through myriads of medical practices that may also involve hormone therapy to restore balance in hormones and help evade all the gross problems that are associated with deficiency in crucial hormones in the body. Specifically symptoms that are often associated with opiate induced hypogonadism include sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, lack of libido, low sex drive, reduced muscle mass and loss of strength in men. In most study reports osteoporosis and poor sex functions are credited to low levels of testosterone hormone. Women are also not spared since long term use of opiates will also alter the functions of estrogen hormones making them prone to these symptoms as well.

Hormone supplementation

opiate addiction A patient undergoing opiate treatment will suffer these side effects but all will be well after some time when they have broken free from the dependence on these drugs. The levels of testosterone will surge to normal levels and so will estrogen in women. This process occurs naturally, however some people will opt for hormone supplementation which may work as the process of treatment is going on but doctors advise that this may not be good as it discourages the body to signal its natural hormone production.

Patients have suffered opiate induced hypogonadism but most cases go unrecognized hence the patients are not easily helped to deal with the situation. The decline in testosterone levels is caused by opioid drug inhibition of Luteinizing Hormone often abbreviated as LH. LH is a pituitary hormone which is involved in testosterone production. LH also helps in direct inhibition of testosterone itself. It also causes the inhibition of the entire endocrine system and adrenal hormone suppression.

Researchers have also found that it is not only opiates that are used in pain management that causes decline in sex hormones and all the other symptoms associated with the fall in level of those hormones. Another cause of decline in these sex hormones is the treatments that are used to help the patients to overcome dependency on these opiates. These substances may include methadone which is commonly used in treating patients who have become dependent on opiates after long term use to manage pain. As shown in a new study treating opioid dependence with methadone can dramatically lower testosterone levels with men being the victims.

A cross-sectional study of more than 1000 adults led by Dr. Zena Samaan showed that the men who were treated with methadone for opioid addiction had roughly one quarter of the testosterone found in the men who did not use opioids. This study shows how methadone has adverse effects on testosterone levels in men. In women however there was no notable change.

“We expected that men would have lower testosterone. That was not something new,” principal investigator Zainab (Zena) Samaan, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences in the School of Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, told Medscape Medical News.

“What was surprising was the magnitude of the reduction,” Dr. Samaan concluded.

She opined that doctors should be updated by following research findings on this issue so that they will know how to manage these symptoms that are associated with decline in testosterone. She encouraged doctors to check the hormonal levels of patients before putting them on opioid therapy and continue with this check in regular intervals to help manage testosterone levels.

There are various natural addiction treatment mechanisms that can help patients addicted to opiates other using methadone that may lead to decline in testosterone levels. Here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we encourage natural addiction training for physicians, Nurse, practitioners, Physician assistants and counselors so that they can avail a better alternative to opiates addicted patients. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is committed to availing help to every patient. Call on her at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

Opiate Use Leads To Decreased Sex Hormone Levels

Turmeric and Women’s Health

November 12, 2014

Turmeric and Women’s Health

Turmeric plant Given the range of health issues experienced by women they are essentially a rather delicate gender. Unlike men, women have to battle with regular cycles of physiological changes involving a lot of hormonal tides and a number of variations in the composition of the chemical substances in the body.

Such compulsory cyclic processes make the woman a person of alternating moods and emotional states in addition to the generally delicate nature of their health component.

The aspect of reproduction which makes the woman’s body a biological lab conditioned to support a life, added to today’s eating habits and lifestyle present even more complications. A lot can occur in the female reproductive system. Tumors, cancers, pain associated with periods, all present the females with a challenging health factor.

Turmeric and women’s periods

Health experts have associated turmeric with anti-inflammatory effects in the human body. Most women experience a lot of pain and aches during their monthly periods. A number of them would often take this as a natural phenomenon that lasts only a few days. Others however find it a little difficult to keep up as the pain is usually too much for them. They resort therefore to various means that can bring them relief from the aches.

Turmeric has been found to bring immense relief from these menstruation related pains. The plant contains a lot of chemical compounds that give it an antispasmodic effect on the females during the monthly experience and help reduce intensity of cramps.

Turmeric therefore provides a great natural alternative to the various medicines that are currently available for relief from such menstrual cramps. This is handy when the person involved does not delight in taking medicines.

Such persons find turmeric as a great alternative since they can take it in the form of spice mixed with food. This way they do not have to experience the strain associated with ingesting the commonly biter pills or capsules.

The herb- Turmeric is said to help bring back the uterus to its proper shape and functioning. In addition, certain reports indicate that the chemicals in turmeric help with balancing of hormones in the female body and thus restores irregular periods and cases of breakouts.

The herb is useful in regulating menstruation among women as an emmenagogue. The term is used to refer to plants which rouse the blood flow around the pelvic area and the uterus. Some of these herbs stimulate the monthly periods. For Turmeric, this effect is achieved by purification and movement of still blood which causes a normal menstruation.

Turmeric as a mild contraceptive

Indian medicine practitioners have been using turmeric for decades now. Some existing reports indicate that turmeric was used before as one of the herbal methods of birth control at the time when science had not invented the modern ways of doing so.

Indian traditional medical prescriptions indicate that if you take 4-5 grams of the herbal product every day during periods then it prevents pregnancy at the next ovulation period. Science is yet to provide explanation to this state of affairs.

Turmeric

Other critical uses

Imbalances in the level of hormones among females are usually responsible for the secretion of some viscous vaginal discharge. The problem of the thick yellowish discharge also known as Leukorrhea can often go for years. Turmeric is said to provide lasting relief from this condition.

This herbal product is also said to be useful in dealing with cancers. This concern is slowly getting commendable backing from a number of scientific studies.

Turmeric and Women’s Health

Hibiscus for Kidney Support And Beyond

November 12, 2014

Hibiscus for Kidney Support And Beyond

The kidney is one of the most essential organs in every animal. The double-bean-shaped organ performs the crucial role of filtering toxins from the human blood ensuring a healthy life fluid flowing through the blood vessels.

In addition to its filtration function the kidney is also responsible for the production of certain essential hormones that support blood pressure and the blood cells production.

Its working mechanism involves accumulating waste matter into urine through several microscopic filtering units. The organ is interconnected to the rest of the body by blood vessels and directly to the major organs in the human body such as the liver, lungs and the heart.

A number of disorders may often affect the working of the kidney and this poses a severe threat to the entire body. Kidney cancer or the renal cell carcinoma is just one of the most serious diseases that may affect the kidney and render them ineffective. The cancer of the kidney involves development of tumor or cancer cells at a very fast speed that the body’s immunity mechanism cannot fight.

As a result, the cancer cells can always spread to the rest of the body via the respective blood vessels, a common symptom of this condition being the appearance of blood traces in the urine.

Hibiscus

With an ineffective set of kidneys, the body becomes vulnerable. Cases of diabetes may result as the kidney can no longer filter excess water or excess sugars and salt from the blood. The patient is faced with two dangerous possibilities, either diabetes insipidus of diabetes mellitus. This essentially means that the patient is faced with the possibility of rising blood pressure either way.

With excess water levels in the blood, the normal blood vessel sizes will appear smaller for the excess resultant fluid causing a build-up of pressure as the blood fluid forces its way through the narrow vessels.

Another scenario involves the blood containing excess amounts of blood sugars that end up getting deposited on the walls of the blood vessels. This results in a network of constricted blood vessels. As the normal blood volumes flow through the vessels, a level of pressure builds up in the process.

The Value of Hibiscus

Originally valued by certain nations as being good for tea- sour tea, Hibiscus has of late gained immense attention of scientists who are currently investing a lot in studies to establish the extent of its medical usefulness.

Various nations within the tropical region as well as the sub-tropical expanse have traditionally used the herb to treat various ailments and control certain known disorders, with each nation using it in their different unique ways.

Sudanese and the Egyptians for instance have for years used Hibiscus to maintain a normal body temperature, encourage body fluid balance as well as in heart health support.

In North Africa the herb has been used to manage respiratory health, including care for the throat and skin maintenance. Beyond the seas in Europe, the herb has popularly been in use in almost the same ways as their neighboring North Africans. They have however had additional uses including alleviation of constipation and for the promotion of proper blood circulation.

hibiscus

From all the nations that have used Hibiscus in traditional fashion, a major line of use that features commonly among all the nations and groups of people is the maintenance of normal blood pressure.

And science now has a backing on this. Recent studies have provided evidence of how hibiscus helps with cases of blood pressure. The plant is made up of a lot of plant acids such as citric, malic, allo-hydroxycitric and tartaric acids.

It also has several other chemical constituents including alkanoids, quercetin and anthocyanins which put together are useful in the maintenance of cholesterol and a normal blood pressure and ensures a holistic health of the major organs in the body. It most particularly offers a big support to the kidneys.

Hibiscus for Kidney Support And Beyond

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