The Right Way To Regulate The Food Schedule For Children So They Don't Have Obesity

Illustration of mothers accompanying their children to eat (Pexels/Mart Production)

JAKARTA - Children must eat nutritious food so that their growth and development run well. However, the food consumed by children must be considered, starting from the nutritional value to their meal schedule.

A respiratory consultant pediatrician, dr. Wahyuni Indawati, Sp.A(K), said that introducing and teaching children about eating schedules is very important. This meal schedule helps prevent children from eating excessively, which can cause obesity.

"Every child when he is over 1 year old and he has eaten family food, apart from introducing food, we must also teach a regular meal schedule (to prevent excessive eating)," said Doctor Wahyuni when met in the Pondok Indah area, South Jakarta, recently.

The meal schedules taught start from the main meal schedule, namely morning, afternoon, and evening, then the snack meal schedule is twice a day at certain hours. With this schedule, children will understand when they have to eat and not.

There is a regular meal schedule. Referred to as the main meal schedule, there are three times a day, snacks twice a day, with certain times. So it's not arbitrary, when he wants to eat, when he wants to snack, he can't. That's what we have to teach," he explained.

The composition of the children's food menu must also be balanced. Doctor Wahyuni strongly advises not to give children fast food, because they have unbalanced nutrition for the body, which increases the risk of obesity.

The composition of the food must also have carbohydrates, protein, fat, then vitamins, minerals, it must be all. Often we see the composition of foods, such as fast food, carbohydrate levels, high sugar levels," he explained.

"So actually it's not a lot of food, but the composition of the food, the regular meal schedule, that's what must be explained," continued Doctor Wahyuni.