Every parent consciously and keenly observes the health of their children in all society. But parents are more attached with their children in Pakistani society because children are their future and they will help in finances when parents will retire. All parents like to provide good food to their children for their health and give proper education for making them a good citizen. Sometimes parents over looks children’s activities i.e. what and when they eat? When and how they watch television? Why they become obese and idle? Is their Body Mass Index (BMI) normal?

1. Body Mass Index

Body Mass Index (BMI) is used to estimate healthy weight of average people. A BMI of 20 to 24 is desirable for most adults. A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a person with a BMI of 30 or above is considered obese. Obesity is associated with an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other life-threatening diseases.

The body mass index (BMI) is commonly used to determine desirable body weights. BMI is a measure of an adult’s weight in relation to height, and it is calculated metrically as weight divided by height squared (kg/m2).

Body mass index only provides a rough estimate of desirable weight; however, physicians recognize that many other factors besides height affect weight. Weight alone may not be an indicator of fat, as in the case of a bodybuilder who may have a high BMI because of a high percentage of muscle tissue, which weighs more than fat. Likewise, a person with a sedentary lifestyle may be within a desirable weight range but have excess fat tissue. However, the higher BMI is greater the risk for developing serious medical conditions

1. BMI Chart for Boys

Body Mass Index (BMI) percentiles for boys, from two to twenty years, so that you can track your child’s growth curve and see if they are underweight, overweight or just right.

1. BMI Chart for Girls

Body Mass Index (BMI) percentiles for girls, from two to twenty years, so that you can track your child's growth curve and see if they are underweight, overweight or just right.

1. CAUSES OF OBESITY

A calorie is the unit used to measure the energy value of food and the energy used by the body to maintain normal functions. When the calories from food intake equal the calories of energy the body uses, weight remains constant. But when a person consumes more calories than the body needs, the body stores those additional calories as fat, causing subsequent weight gain.

Obesity, medical condition characterized by storage of excess body fat. The human body naturally stores fat tissue under the skin and around organs and joints. Fat is critical for good health because it is a source of energy when the body lacks the energy necessary to sustain life processes, and it provides insulation and protection for internal organs. But the accumulation of too much fat in the body is associated with a variety of health problems. Studies show that individuals who are overweight or obese run a greater risk of developing diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and some forms of cancer.

The causes of obesity are complex and include some factors. Basically, obesity occurs when a person eats more calories than the body burns up. The children have an 80 percent chance of being obese if their parents are obese. Obesity in childhood and adolescence can be related to:

1. (i) Poor eating habits
2. (ii) Overeating habits
3. (iii) Unnecessary use of Cold drinks
4. (iv) Eating Non-nutrition food
5. (v) Eating out-side the home

The percentage of overweight children is growing at an alarming rate. On the whole, children were spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV and computer. And today's busy families have fewer free moments to prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals, day in and day out. From fast food to electronics, quick and easy seems to be the mindset of many people, young and old, in the new millennium.

1. IMPACTS OF ADVERTISING

Modern life style has frozen the family size in the Pakistani society. Nuclear family has taken place of the joint family. Lifestyle trends in urban Pakistan (rising incomes, longer working hours, more working mothers, and time-poor/cash-rich parents) tend to support their families, which lead the child to watching television and increased consumption of unnecessary food. Furthermore, the advertising industry makes junk food seem irresistible.

Children who watch a lot of television have difficulty in concentrating at school because they are used to being given all the answers instead of being asked to think about questions. If children watch less television, their imagination will grow.

Unfortunately, children are not given proper guidance as to what they should do. The media is not playing its proper role in the promotion of children’s rights and the difficulties they have to face in the society.

1. IMPACTS ON CHILDREN HEALTH

Childhood obesity arises from foods that are high in fat and low in fiber. When children eat this food, the insulin not only increases the effects of the pleasure-chemical dopamine (making the child want to eat more of the same food) but also reduces the effects of the hormone leptons, making the child want to eat more and be less active

Television also has negative impacts, it creates eye problems. It stops the children from going out and playing with friends. Its advertising makes them buy things even if they do not need. It can make them tired and unable to focus on their lessons.

1. LEAVE UNHEALTHY HABITS

The impact of television on children has received much attention. Research suggests that children see television advertising as just another form of programming and react uncritically to its messages, which makes them especially vulnerable to advertising. There is also concern about the way in which children respond to advertising. Research indicates that many children are unduly influenced by this standard of health, become dissatisfied with their own bodies, and may develop eating disorders in pursuit of a thin figure. Advertising affect daily life and eating habits etc. The children as well as the teenager get influenced, consciously or unconsciously by advertisements of Pakistan television.