Fat and handsome, but healthy?

An expert opinion on eating habits in young children

Roxana Vasile, 02.04.2025, 14:00

There is a saying in Romanian language, which translates as “fat and handsome, or fat and pretty”, and that saying promotes the idea that overweight people are actually good-looking. Guided by this principle, some grandparents or parents are offering their children more food than necessary and sometimes a lot of junk food without knowing they are actually preparing them for future obesity. And, as everyone knows, obesity can cause a series of metabolic illnesses at maturity.

In Romania nowadays too many children are overweight or even obese. Statistics show that in the age bracket of 7-9 years, 32% of the boys and 28% of the girls are experiencing weight issues, while in the 11-15 age bracket, 22 out of 100 boys and 14 out of 100 girls are overweight.

Experts are speaking about an epidemic of obesity, as physician Sandra Alexiu, president of the Family Physicians Association in Bucharest told our reporters.

“This is an international trend, which has several causes. We have to say that one of these causes is household habits. Family members usually get together for lunch or dinner and these habits are actually passed on from one generation to another. So, if someone learned how to cook meals in a certain way, they are going to pass that lifestyle on the next generation. We cannot neglect the genetic aspect, the proclivity that one might have, but the fact that bad habits are learnt at home is actually a cultural thing”.

Why do various types of juice always have to accompany meals nowadays? Why are parents buying sweets on a daily basis? Why is that ‘sweets drawer’ present in many households? Why are parents feeding pastry, pretzels or junk food to their children? And why do they prefer to give their children cereals and milk or bread and jam for breakfast instead of cooking an omelet? Do parents know what kind of food their children are carrying in their backpack? And why are grandparents always bringing sweets to their grandchildren whenever they come to visit? Experts believe that adults are the ones responsible for the fact that some of the children are obese these days because children are mirroring the lifestyle of their parents.

However, in time, the lack of knowledge or indifference can have a negative impact upon the children’s health, as physician Sandra Alexiu explains:

“Obviously everyone knows there is a link between obesity and cardiovascular disease. It’s a medical fact! Of course, these children will start to develop circulatory problems early, they will experience growth pains and probably the most important impact is on the cardiovascular system. The current generations, where the degree of obesity is high, are expected to develop cardiovascular problems much earlier. Here I am referring to heart attacks, which are probably the most well-known and the most serious thing in a patient who survives and that can occur. The reference age has already dropped a lot, we’re seeing a lot of heart attacks in young people, they will also appear in children more and more often, precisely because of this vulnerability”.

Therefore, what should adults do? For example, reduce their children’s intake of bread, potatoes, rice and cereals. Stop buying sodas, sugary drinks or juices. Eliminate any source of sugar from the house and return to the habit of more than 30-40 years ago, when people went to eat at the pastry shop once a week, on Saturdays or Sundays. Last but not least, offer them home-cooked food. However, it is equally important that these eating habits are not perceived as punishment, as Sandra Alexiu, president of the Bucharest-Ilfov Family Physicians Association, argues:

“Parents are mistaken, first of all, when they do not take into account that a growing person, a child, needs to eat healthy food, not only so that they grow up properly and have everything they need, all the ingredients to help them develop harmoniously, but also to develop eating habits which they will apply later in life, everything that nutrition is about. It is very difficult to put a child on a diet. An adult copes better when they have to observe a restrictive diet. A child who is told ‘you can’t eat that’ who is denied all the things that they have come to like, given that the rest of the family doesn’t exactly observe the same rules, will find it very difficult to keep up. Children need to exercise more, get outside more, move around, be allowed to run around a little more, even if they get hurt or dirty. It’s much healthier than having all kinds of restrictions and diets, so that they look enviously at others or end up eating somewhere else, stashing food secretly or taking others’ food”.

Specialists also say that a child should not be stuffed – he will know when he is full. He should be allowed to eat at his own pace, he should not be rushed to finish whatever is left on his plate. A healthy diet does not mean eating cereals, meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, vegetables, and fruit, all in one meal… but a little bit of everything over the course of an entire day. Children also need age-appropriate foods. Parents are also invited not to forget about the power of example – it’s pointless to force your child to eat vegetables as long as you don’t do the same. Finally and most importantly, heed the advice of healthcare professionals. (DB & VP)