Calories is the amount of energy in foods or drinks. For instance, if a food contains 300–500 calories, it means the body will gain that amount of energy from that food. Some foods may contain only a few calories, while others can have many.

Calorie needs vary for each person, depending on their gender, age, and daily activity level. The calorie requirements for children aged 6–12 years are different from those of adults.

Therefore, every parent should pay attention to their child's daily intake to ensure it does not increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases later in life.

Calorie needs for children aged 6–12 years

Children have different body sizes and rates of burning calories, which means each child's calorie needs can vary. A 6-year-old child will have different calorie requirements compared to a 13-year-old, and their activity levels also affect their calorie needs.

Experts suggest the following daily calorie intake recommendations for children based on age and activity level:

• 6–8 years: around 1,600 calories per day.
• 9–10 years: around 1,800 calories per day.
• 11–13 years: around 2,200 calories per day.

When reaching puberty, girls need more calories than before. Regardless of age, a child's calorie needs will increase if they are very active and decrease if they are less active.

Beware of the risk of obesity in children

Obesity is a serious medical condition where the body mass index is more than 30. Today, obesity is not only found in adults but also in children.

Obesity raises health risks such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Obese children are also more prone to depression and have lower self-esteem.

Preventing obesity in children

To prevent obesity in children, they should consume food according to their calorie needs and daily activities. Avoid giving excessive calorie intake to children.

Children may consume excessive calories when they eat snacks and drink sweet beverages. Combined with low physical activity, the calories consumed will not be burned and will accumulate in the body.

To prevent the risk of obesity in children aged 6-12 years, it is advisable to:

• Set a healthy lifestyle example for children from an early age, such as eating healthy food and exercising regularly
• Reduce the intake of packaged snacks and fast food. Replace snacks with fresh fruit pieces
• Make fruit sorbets to replace desserts like ice cream
• Avoid giving children sweets or cakes as rewards for good behavior
• Encourage children to eat at the dining table without watching television
• Reduce the consumption of processed foods like sausages, chicken nuggets, or smoked meat
• Ensure children get enough sleep—at least 10-11 hours per day
• Encourage children to stay active and exercise. Suitable exercises for children aged 6-12 years include running, jumping rope, squats, sit-ups and push-ups, crab walking, yoga, playing ball, swimming, and more

It can be challenging to count every calorie a child consumes each day. You can use a calorie counting app to track food intake. To avoid excessive calorie intake, simply avoid trendy snacks and sweet drinks, and encourage children to stay active and exercise.

If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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