{"id":10852,"date":"2025-09-07T03:37:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T03:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/07\/screen-time-junk-food-and-obesity-how-lifestyle-is-affecting-children-today-health-and-fitness-news\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T03:37:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T03:37:00","slug":"screen-time-junk-food-and-obesity-how-lifestyle-is-affecting-children-today-health-and-fitness-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/07\/screen-time-junk-food-and-obesity-how-lifestyle-is-affecting-children-today-health-and-fitness-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Screen Time, Junk Food And Obesity: How Lifestyle Is Affecting Children Today | Health and Fitness News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"story-9554758\">\n<p><span class=\"jsx-395e0e0beb19cb6e jsx-4143937483\">Last Updated:<\/span><time class=\"jsx-395e0e0beb19cb6e jsx-4143937483\">September 07, 2025, 08:58 IST<\/time><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"asubttl-9554758\" class=\"jsx-ff263f4b724d470d jsx-2472583570 asubttl-schema\">With September marked as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, it is important to consider modern lifestyles, their impact on children\u2019s health, and what families can do<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jsx-7dd6bcc4782610a2 artsharwrp\">\n<div id=\"artshare\" class=\"jsx-7dd6bcc4782610a2 artshare\">\n<div class=\"jsx-7dd6bcc4782610a2 stickdiv\">\n<div class=\"jsx-7dd6bcc4782610a2 deskwrapstkdiv\">\n<div class=\"jsx-7dd6bcc4782610a2 fontchange\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/dlxczavtqcctuei\/news18\/static\/images\/english\/font.svg\" height=\"30px\" width=\"30px\" alt=\"font\" class=\"jsx-7dd6bcc4782610a2 lazyload\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"jsx-ff263f4b724d470d jsx-2472583570 amimg\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Childhood obesity is preventable. Through creating balance with screen time, encouraging physical activity, and making healthier food choices, families and communities can help promote the health of the next generation\" title=\"Childhood obesity is preventable. Through creating balance with screen time, encouraging physical activity, and making healthier food choices, families and communities can help promote the health of the next generation\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/ibnlive\/uploads\/2021\/07\/1627283897_news18_logo-1200x800.jpg?impolicy=website&amp;width=400&amp;height=225\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\" class=\"jsx-ff263f4b724d470d jsx-2472583570\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Childhood obesity is preventable. Through creating balance with screen time, encouraging physical activity, and making healthier food choices, families and communities can help promote the health of the next generation<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"0\" class=\"story_para_0\">Childhood obesity is becoming one of the major public health issues of our time. With September marked as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, it is important to consider modern lifestyles, their impact on children\u2019s health, and what families can do to help.<\/p>\n<p id=\"1\" class=\"story_para_1\">Dr Ramalingam Kalyan, Senior Director &amp; HOD \u2013 Paediatrics at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali shares all you need to know:<\/p>\n<p id=\"2\" class=\"story_para_2\"><strong>Why Is Childhood Obesity Rising?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"3\" class=\"story_para_3\">Too much screen time: Today\u2019s children can spend a great deal of time utilizing their phones, tablets, or watching television. These are enumerated on the Physical Activity Guidelines as an example of sedentary or passive entertainment. Long periods of sitting also lowers caloric expenditure while seated and can contribute to poor posture and negative affect on sleep.<\/p>\n<p id=\"4\" class=\"story_para_4\"><strong>Unhealthy food habits:<\/strong> Easily available junk food, sugary drinks, and highly processed snacks are calorie-dense but nutrient-poor. Regular consumption leads to weight gain and a higher risk of early diabetes and high blood pressure.<\/p>\n<p id=\"5\" class=\"story_para_5\"><strong>Reduced physical activity<\/strong>: Urban lifestyles, safety concerns, and academic pressure mean fewer children engage in outdoor play or sports, reducing their daily movement.<\/p>\n<p id=\"6\" class=\"story_para_6\"><strong>Health Risks Beyond Weight<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"7\" class=\"story_para_7\">Childhood obesity is not just about appearance-it can have long-term effects. Overweight children are more likely to develop metabolic conditions, cardiovascular problems, joint pain, and even emotional challenges such as low self-esteem or bullying.<\/p>\n<p id=\"8\" class=\"story_para_8\"><strong>Steps Parents and Communities Can Take<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"9\" class=\"story_para_9\"><strong>Encourage active play<\/strong>: At least 60 minutes of physical activity daily, whether cycling, running, or organised sports.<\/p>\n<p id=\"10\" class=\"story_para_10\"><strong>Limit screen time<\/strong>: The WHO recommends no more than 1 hour per day of screen time for children under 5, with consistent boundaries for older kids too.<\/p>\n<p id=\"11\" class=\"story_para_11\"><strong>Focus on nutrition<\/strong>: Replace sugary drinks with water or milk; encourage fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and home-cooked meals.<\/p>\n<p id=\"12\" class=\"story_para_12\"><strong>Family involvement<\/strong>: Children follow by example. Shared meals, walks, and healthy cooking at home make a big difference.<\/p>\n<p id=\"13\" class=\"story_para_13\"><strong>Community and school support<\/strong>: Access to safe parks, playgrounds, and school-based fitness initiatives are equally important.<\/p>\n<p id=\"14\" class=\"story_para_14\">Childhood obesity is preventable. Through creating balance with screen time, encouraging physical activity, and making healthier food choices, families and communities can help promote the health of the next generation. It is ideal if children begin to develop these habits at an early age to encourage the chance for a healthy, active future.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd atawrap\">\n<div class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd atadetailwrp\">\n<div class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd ataname\"><span class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd atthumb\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"authorimg\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/ibnlive\/uploads\/2023\/11\/swati-chaturvedi-2023-11-311a7f6229417d5d5693180448c9311a-scaled.jpg?impolicy=website&amp;width=60&amp;height=60\" class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd\"\/><\/figure>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd attitle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/byline\/swati-chaturvedi-22519.html\" class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd atamail\">Swati Chaturvedi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she&#8217;s a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl&#8230;<span class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd aurpdebtn\">Read More<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she&#8217;s a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl&#8230;<!-- --> <span class=\"jsx-95088aad1b3c53cd aurpdebtn\">Read More<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-ff263f4b724d470d jsx-2472583570 artcta\">\n<div style=\"font-family:Inter;font-size:17px;line-height:29px\">\n<div style=\"font-family:Inter;font-size:17px;line-height:29px\"><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/lifestyle\/health-and-fitness\/\">health<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/topics\/fashion\/\">fashion<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/lifestyle\/travel\/\">travel<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/lifestyle\/food\/\">food<\/a>, wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration and recipes. <\/span>Also\u00a0Download the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/eng-article-eop\">News18 App<\/a> to stay updated.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-ff263f4b724d470d jsx-2472583570 atbtlink fp\"><span>First Published:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"rs\">\n<p>September 07, 2025, 08:58 IST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"coral-wrap\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f \">\n<div class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f coral-cont\">\n<div class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f coltoptxt\">Disclaimer: Comments reflect users\u2019 views, not News18\u2019s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/disclaimer\/\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f\">Terms of Use<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/privacy_policy\/\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/lifestyle\/health-and-fitness\/screen-time-junk-food-and-obesity-how-lifestyle-is-affecting-children-today-9554758.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last Updated:September 07, 2025, 08:58 IST With September marked as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, it is important to consider modern lifestyles, their impact on children\u2019s health, and what families can do Childhood obesity is preventable. Through creating balance with screen time, encouraging physical activity, and making healthier food choices, families and communities can help&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10852"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10852\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}