Paula Arístegui is a Nutritionist and Health Biologist at Clínica Salud Estética in Tenerife, and in this video interview for CanaryDoctor, she tells us about Obesity in Canary Islands.
What recommendations would help prevent obesity in Canarian children? Our interviewee talks to us about the subject and clarifies other interesting doubts about the relationship between good eating habits and obesity
When can we say that someone is "obese"?
We can know if a person is obese or not, depending on the body mass index (BMI). This one results from divide weight by size of that person, in square meters.
If we have a BMI greater than or equal to 25 that person would have overweight. However, if that person has a BMI greater than or equal to 30, we already talk about obesity.
The data on childhood obesity in Canary Islands are alarming, what measures can we take?
The thing to be clear about is that the school stage is a key moment of the childhood, since it is the moment in which eating habits are forged of that person. For that reason, we must encourage them to be as healthy as possible.
From home you have to set an example. It is clear that if a child grows up in an obesogenic environment, it is most likely that that child will end up being obese. Therefore, your family environment closest must carry out healthy lifestyle habits, So that child ends up acquiring those good habits.
An option can also be involve children more at home in the food preparation; or decide together what do you eat during the week?
Also the school has a great role, since children spend much of their day to day there. Not only the food of the dining rooms, but of the snacks that are taken from home and avoid vending machines in which they are sold ultraprocessed products And in the case of putting these machines, that always There are healthy options.
Speaking of adult patients How the process of a comprehensive treatment of obesity?
For an overweight or obese patient, the first thing is adherence to treatment. Because it's no use having a good result at first, if that person is not really internalizing good habits. You have to be next to the patient, customize that diet to the fullest and always feel supported and always have someone by your side to achieve your goal which in this case is Lose weight to gain health.
