Childhood Obesity Genetic Factors

Genetics and DNA have been found to be a contributing part in the causes of childhood obesity, because metabolic disorders can be inherited. Emotional issues are another cause of childhood obesity. Obesity can result from low self-esteem, depression, or dramatic life events. Dramatic events in the lives of some children such as deaths in the family, the divorce of parents, or moving to another home can also lead to overeating. Some children overeat as a way of coping with problems in their lives or dealing with emotions like stress or boredom.

When combining these two factors, there is a high risk for developing childhood obesity. However, factors such as genetics, psychological factors, and socioeconomic factors can all play a role in the development of childhood obesity. (Walley) When a child’s family is unhealthy and overweight, it increases the chances that the child will be overweight as well, especially in a household with an unhealthy food supply and lack of encouragement for physical activity. Psychological factors, such as stress, depression, anxiety, and poor self-image all can lead to weight gain in children due to stress eating and lack of motivation to exercise. (Strauss) Also, when a child grows up in a struggling household where the parents opt to buy unhealthy food due to the cost, and the lack of a safe place to exercise, the risk for obesity in children is higher. (Mayo Clinic)

The factors contributing to childhood obesity are multifaceted. Although there are many contributing factors to childhood obesity, studies show that certain behaviors are key contributing factors.

Factors that increase a child’s risk of becoming overweight include diet, inactivity, genetics, psychological factors, family factors, and socioeconomic factors.

The causation of obesity is multifactorial. Genetic and environment factors play a crucial role in the involvement of childhood obesity and a superior role when combined.

There are many factors that play into whether a child will become obese. Most of the time it is due to lack of physical activity but there are key features such as where you come from and what your race/ethnicity is. If you are from a wealthy family and like to buy a lot of junk food or fast food then you are more at risk to become unhealthily overweight. If you are poorer and come from a minority in some cases you eat the bare minimum which keeps you below the overweight line. This is an important factor to take into consideration.

The basic reasons that cause obesity in kids might be the technology and the food industry development. Technology and fast food can be commonly used, bringing more convenience to the people in their daily life. For example, there are convenient transports, phones, computers and televisions. Kids are spending more time on those instead of going out to do exercise. And kids

The risk factors for obesity in children include: poor diet, lack of exercise, while the main contributing factors for childhood obesity are lack of healthy options in schools, lack of physical education, lack of open space for safe recreation activities, lack of parental knowledge and low rates of breastfeeding, fatty food industry marketing due to social and cultural factors, and availability of low price beverages (CDC, 2014).

Culture is another influence of childhood obesity as their culture may restrict the child from eating certain foods. These foods may be needed to provide the nutrients or proteins that the body needs in order for it to function well. Every culture has their own set of beliefs, some may restrict certain things these many be essential for the adolescent to prevent their risk of

Around the world, obesity has recently become a growing epidemic and its prevalence is continuing to increase at an astonishing rate. According to Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) and National Population Health Survey (NPHS), between 1985 to 2000 there has been an increase in obesity prevalence from 5.1% to 9.3% in Canadians ages 20-64 (1). Likewise, this has significantly increased the amount of deaths due to obesity from 2,514 to 4,321 from 1985 to 2000 (1). This trend in growth in obesity will continue to increase unless obesity is treated more seriously, which could be done by treating obesity as a disease (1).

The three main causes of childhood obesity are dietary, sedentary lifestyle, and genetics. Obesity can be combated and prevented by reducing time engaged in sedentary behaviors, such as watching television, meeting recommended nutrition standards, including eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and by engaging more frequently in physical activity (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2003).

First and foremost, the most common causes of childhood obesity are genetic factors, overeating, and not exercising enough. Although obesity may run in a family, it does not determine whether a child will be obese or not (“Obesity in Children”). If a child who comes from a family of obesity, happens to become overweight like them, the likely cause is due to bad eating and activity habits. Many children today spend more time inside the house eating and watching television, rather than being active outdoors (“Obesity in Children”). This is due to the recent popularity of having electronics such as television, games, and phones serve as entertainment. Another reason for the excessive eating is because parents are often too busy to cook healthy foods on a regular basis, leaving children to rely on fast food or

It’s been shown that children with obese parents are more likely to become obese. Heredity contributes between 5-25 percent risks of obesity. Other risks can be attributed to the environment and behavior. Obesity is generally linked to over eaten but in most cases its heredity problem children should be careful because genes can also pass to their offspring. The problem cannot be corrected but you can prevent it. Children should be given an appropriate diet and should be deterred from overeating. Child obesity can be predicted at an early stage and children should be aware of the consequences of obesity.

In the humanistic perspective, obesity can be caused from a number of different things. Gender differences could be a recent factor to why children are becoming more obese from a younger age. We can link this to how social media is teaching its younger viewers. Social media today talks a lot about how women do not have to be super skinny to be pretty and to embrace their natural curves of their body. It also talks about men “bulking up” and eating a lot more in order to do so and gain as much muscle as possible. Children from a young age seeing this everyday can be the cause of so much weight gain because they do not understand when to stop or what

Childhood obesity is a complicated topic and is complicated to pinpoint what the exact cause is, some of the major factors that contribute to childhood obesity are lack of exercise in their daily lives, poor nutrition, and eating habits; and lack of education among parents to safely help their children live a healthier life.