Children gain weight during puberty, is it normal or not?

Children who are starting to enter their early teens (aka puberty) often complain of gaining weight quickly, especially girls. Especially if his peers started to tease him. As a result, the child becomes insecure, even deciding to go on a diet. In fact, it is only natural that a child's weight increases at puberty.

Understand the growth of children at puberty

Puberty or puberty is a sign that the child has started to enter adolescence. It was during this period that the peak of growth occurred (growth spurt) children, aka the second fastest growing period after infancy.

When entering puberty, children will experience many changes in their bodies, both physically and emotionally. The easiest changes to see are of course physical, namely increased height and weight.

This means, gaining weight at puberty is normal and healthy. In fact, Children's Youth and Women's Health Service (CYWHS) revealed that weight that doesn't gain during puberty is actually bad for teenagers' health, as reported by Livestrong.

What causes child weight gain at puberty?

Children's weight gain during puberty is caused by changes in the hormone GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) produced by the brain. This hormone is responsible for maturing the function of the organs of the child during puberty.

When girls go through puberty, their bodies will start producing more belly fat. This fat will then begin to spread to the hips, thighs, and breasts. That is why, girls who are pubescent will also experience breast growth.

Meanwhile, boys will also gain weight the same as girls. The difference is, this is not indicated by fat deposits in the body, but rather by an increase in muscle mass.

Yes, pubescent boys tend to be more muscular than before, especially the muscles around the chest and shoulders. That's why boys have wider shoulders and broader chests when they are teenagers.

How to maintain a healthy weight during puberty?

If your child gains weight at puberty, your child may not feel confident. Even so, it does not mean that children can diet carelessly so that they lose weight and return to ideal.

Actually, children don't need to diet just to lose weight that increases at puberty. Instead of making him lose weight, this can actually hinder his sexual growth and development.

Instead of letting the child diet, you should adjust the child's diet so that their weight remains stable. Provide a variety of healthy and nutritious foods such as lean meats without skin, fish, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

If children like to eat junk food, snacks, or sweet foods, it is best to immediately keep all these types of food out of reach of children. It should be noted that these foods are the biggest cause of weight gain in children.

In addition, this also needs to be balanced with regular exercise. In addition to preventing the risk of obesity in children, regular exercise can also form ideal posture and increase children's self-confidence.