Emotion can result into obesity in children, according to a Senegalese medical doctor.
In the country of Teranga, obesity is considered a public health problem with a prevalence rate of 10 percent in children. Unlike adults where environmental factors such as lack of physical activity trigger obesity, in children, this disease has several causes, including poor nutrition. “But it should be noted that in Senegal, 80 percent of the causes of obesity are genetic,” said Dr. Babacar Niang, a pediatrician at the Albert Royer Children’s Hospital in Dakar.
He was taking part, on Tuesday evening in Dakar, in a symposium marking the awarding of certificates to the class of 2022 composed of 78 health professionals from Senegal, Mauritania and Guinea who have undergone training in pediatric nutrition at the Nestlé Nutrition Institute (NNI).
Furthermore, Dr. Niang said that breastfeeding can reduce obesity in children by 20 percent. “A balanced diet also protects children from obesity, as well as energy-consuming activities such as cycling and running,” he added.
Based on this observation, Issa Sanogo, Director of Nestlé-Senegal stressed that the company believes “strongly in the power of food to improve the quality of life of current and future generations.” This is what pushed it to initiate a Graduate Program in Pediatric Nutrition (PGPN) in partnership with Boston University, an International Certificate in Pediatric Nutrition (ICPN) for pharmacy professionals in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, as well as a Certification Program in Nursing and Nutrition (CPNN) for nurses and midwives, in partnership with John Hopkins Nursing Institute in Baltimore.
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