The Dangers of Childhood Obesity and the Wada Method for Childhood Weight Loss

IV. Weight Loss Methods for Children

(a) The future health of obese children is unpredictable

In the past, people would praise chubby babies, saying, "What an adorable baby!" or "What a healthy child!" But now, perceptions are different. Overweight children are considered slow and sluggish, which can affect their learning. They may also develop feelings of inferiority in the future, and being overweight can increase their risk of developing adult-onset diseases.

According to a German medical report, more than half of obese children remain obese into adulthood. This is because one fat deposit in an obese person can multiply into eight, leading to an increasing likelihood of obesity.

These fat cells increase in number from the third month of pregnancy until one year after birth, continuing into puberty, and then cease to decrease. Therefore, seeing a chubby baby now shouldn't be a reason to praise their "health and cuteness," but rather a cause for concern about their future health. Mothers shouldn't be indifferent to their children's obesity, thinking, "They're still young, no need to worry." Such thinking will harm their children.

Excessive exposure to fat-producing substances in a child's environment, such as snacks and candy; picky eating habits; or an irregular lifestyle where snacks replace three meals a day-these are all reasons why children become overweight.

(II) Weight Loss Exercises for Obese Children

Between July and November 1982, I held five children's weight loss classes.

We initially planned to have 50 students per class. To help these children lose weight, we first studied several issues related to obesity, including internal medicine, dentistry, nutrition, and motor function.

We use the Wada-style weight loss method because it focuses on more than just calories. Our counseling work emphasizes reassessing your past lifestyle when you were overweight. This isn't just about losing weight; we advocate for healthy weight loss.

For the final class, we enrolled 42 children aged 6 to 12. We first conducted various tests on their physical condition, teeth, and fitness. The results showed that most had normal blood pressure and heart rate, but a quarter of them had abnormal tissue metabolism. These children had excessively high levels of triglycerides, a precursor to arteriosclerosis.

Most of the children in this class suffer from varying degrees of obesity, so they may appear healthy from the outside, but if we are not careful, the danger can start to develop from a young age.

(III) Causes of Childhood Obesity

1. The period when weight gain begins

(1) From birth to one year old

(2) Early childhood

(3) School age

Of these, 7 were able to consistently achieve their goals: (1) 7, (2) 11, and (3) 5, for a total of 23. Among them, (3) had the lowest success rate. The reason for this was that they had too many fat cells, making it difficult to lose weight. Moreover, no matter how hard they tried, it was difficult to see any results, so it was hard to persevere.

2. Reasons for being overweight

Almost all mothers say their children are overweight because they love to eat. This is true; a large appetite and a preference for sweets inevitably lead to weight gain; nutritional imbalance is the main reason.

Some mothers have reported that their children are overweight because "family members are also overweight." However, this is not true. If family members are overweight, then the mother should pay more attention to their family members' diets.

3. Reasons for worrying about obesity

The biggest reason is that obesity easily leads to adult-onset diseases. Many children become obese because they don't like to exercise. They are often fearful, sometimes even reluctant to go outside, and are negative about everything, even their academic performance at school is unsatisfactory. However, the children in Wada's weight loss classroom not only showed improvement in their physical condition, but also made significant progress in all aspects of their performance at school.

4. Mental aspects

The psychological burden on obese children is also a cause for concern. If a child is teased by classmates at school as a "fat pig" or "pig," these children will undoubtedly feel depressed and inferior. One parent said that their child is irritable and withdrawn because of obesity. Clearly, obesity poses a threat to children's physical health and also has a significant impact on their personality.

Studies have shown that obese children should also develop their intelligence in a phased manner according to their age. However, obese children generally lack the ability to effectively manage their own observations and interpersonal relationships.

Understanding and mastering others requires one's thinking to be adaptable and to constantly examine oneself. Only in this way can one cope with the social challenges that will come in the future.

It's never easy for young children to learn anything, and it's even more difficult for obese children. Although modern parents and educators have begun to pay attention to these issues and are further researching ways to improve them, it's always beneficial to explore the reasons behind children's refusal to go to school. More attention and research are always helpful.

(iv) Successful weight loss leads to a healthier child

First, based on the five conditions of the Wada-style weight loss theory, a weight loss method suitable for children was designed. Below are four conditions that will make the method effective for children.

1. Eating

According to the traditional Wada-style diet, each meal must include five dishes, but certain foods are strictly prohibited. These include staple foods such as rice and bread; sweets such as pastries and desserts; beverages such as cola and juice; and fruits other than lemons. These are all foods that children love, and they are also the easiest to accumulate in the body and are difficult to digest. Therefore, these foods must be prohibited for five or six months during the weight loss program. Parents should pay special attention to controlling this.

2. Gymnastics and Bathing

By observing which part of a person is the fattest, you can tell which part of them is aging. Generally, a person gains weight in the following order: thighs → hips → lower abdomen → waist → shoulders → neck. Most of the children in weight loss classes gain weight in their waist and lower abdomen, which is gradually leading to the common body shape of middle-aged people.

The Wada-style gymnastics is performed once a week, focusing on the specific area you want to slim down. Each week, the routine should follow this sequence: weight measurement → warm-up exercises → pulse check → targeted gymnastics → shower. If your pulse is rapid, you have a fever, or your heart rate is fast, stop immediately and never force yourself to continue.

3. Work

The work mentioned here does not refer to strenuous exercise, but rather to casual exercise that doesn't require special effort. It can be done every day and can be adjusted to suit one's own lifestyle.

If a child's movements appear sluggish or clumsy, it's clearly due to insufficient physical activity. Generally, obese children are rarely agile, cute, or lively. Of course, this isn't entirely due to personality, so it's best to encourage children to be more physically active and interact with other children as early as possible. The simplest way is through walking, and parents can take their children on trips more often.

4. Rest

If children are in fourth or fifth grade and still not asleep by 11 p.m., parents should urge them to go to bed, as sufficient sleep is crucial during their growth and development. If the late bedtime is due to excessive homework, parents should avoid putting too much pressure on their children and try to help them complete their homework in a relaxed state of mind.

These four conditions not only affect the child, but also subtly influence the child's parents and family members. The mother will begin to pay attention to the family's diet, preparing healthier meals more often, and the child will eat fewer snacks. Because of these changes in the whole family, the obese child, in such a harmonious environment, will naturally find it easier to adhere to a weight loss plan.