Keep an eye on those sweet treats

Chocolates, candies and sweets are the favorite treats for majority of children and most of them tend to overeat when large portions of these are available to them. “If eaten once in a while these delicious treats are tasty and good for the kid, but if taken regularly they might put kids at obesity risk,” says Kamana Sharma, Nutritionist.

A recent survey has pointed out that intake of high calorie food will lead to many psychological problems in children. These treats which fall under the junk foods category are addictive and lead to complications like obesity, chronic illness, low self-esteem and even depression, as well as affecting how they perform in school and extracurricular activities.

“Most of the treats that are readily available in the market has high calorific value which makes kids overactive and will deplete energy levels and the ability to concentrate for extended periods of time. Energy and focus are especially crucial for school-age children,” she adds.

“Sugar is a really addictive substance, it makes the children crave for it,” points out Kamana. “Parents should be very careful while giving these treats as trophies, children below five years tend to see them as an important accomplishment and if not given next time they might tend to throw tantrums which are not a good sign,” says Sreenivas, children psychiatrist. “It is always good to keep a check on the calorie intake of the children to keep them healthy,” notes Kamana.