The Cause Of Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is becoming epidemic in the developed world, and is a condition in which excess body fat negatively affects a child's health. There are a number of effects this has on children, so many that it has become a public health concern that has reached national proportions

This is a direct reflection of the simple equation of weight management which is calories in must meet calories out and is a direct relation to a child's weight gain. Along with these technological activities such as video games, the internet or television, there is research that supports that children are not receiving enough sleep. Now while sleeping is the most sedentary activity there is, it is said that one minute of sleep can burn more calories than staying awake. In a research article reviewed by Niya Jones MD it states, “For some people, lack of sleep can be the main problem, and a narrow focus on diet and exercise will not be enough to solve it, says Jean-Philippe Chaput, PhD, junior research scientist in the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute in Ottawa”(Stewart).

Obesity is measured using the Body Mass Index formula, this calculates the body fat by dividing body weight in kilograms to determine if an individual is a healthy weight range for their height (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2004). Childhood obesity can occur from eating large amounts of unhealthy and high energy dense food and drink or a lack of physical activity or a combination of both, is then stored as fat as they are not burning enough energy, other contributing factors to weight gain include a child’s race, ethnicity, socio-economic barriers, environmental influences, the lack of parental health knowledge and guidance and genetics (Berkowitz and Borchard, 2009). Obesity has a strong genetic

An increase in childhood obesity is bad because it can be harmful to one’s health and it can lead to immediate and long-term effects on health. Overweight and obesity are the results of high amount of calorie intake in a human body than it is supposed to burn as energy. Considering the intake of calories by teenagers in this generation, a person should not be shocked by the statistics on obesity today. Obesity in childhood is also increasing because children between ages eight and 18 spend most of their time watching television, surfing the internet, texting, playing x-box or play station instead of participating in outdoor activities that include going on a walk, playing sports, and working out to stay fit and healthy. According to the researchers, students must sleep eight hours each day to stay

The environment in which children live and grow is another cause of childhood obesity. This means that parents can choose to avoid junk food and fill refrigerators and kitchen cupboards with fruit, vegetables and other healthy foods.

Have you ever wondered what are the major causes of obesity? The CDC (2017) states that one out of every five children in the U.S. are overweight or obese, and this number is continuing to rise. Wilson (2016) states that many children who are obese develop health complications, such as joint, gallbladder, and sleeping problems. The majority of children who are obese as kids tend to be obese as adults. Reason being, many children develop bad eating habits by learning from their surroundings. When it comes to such an important topic as obesity there 's not only one cause, but several causes of why obesity is such a huge problem in America. Childhood obesity has greatly increased over the years and there are three main causes that have caused

One might think that the reason so many children are obese is from eating too much food, but in reality there are many more variables. The chance of being obese increases forty-one percent if a child has a TV in his or her bedroom and watches more than two hours a day (Adams, 2010). Some other factors include: belonging to a single- parent family, living in an area without means of physical activity, genetics and lifestyle habits

If there is anything that children love, its Food!!! Food is a necessity for survival to everyone, especially children because the need food to stay healthy and grow. Too much food however, can be a problem to many children. This is referred to as obesity, when it occurs among children between ages 2 and 8 it is called childhood referred. Childhood obesity has been on the rise for the past few decades and it is making the lives of children shorter. Childhood obesity can be the outcome of many influences. Economic factors, an unmonitored environment, and lack of activity, are some effects of childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity has increased dramatically in the past few years. It is a result of an imbalance between how much a child eats and how much a child keeps their body active to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Common factors that are influencing childhood obesity would be the lack of self-control, environmental, and genetics. In order to combat these rising numbers of childhood obesity, people as a collective force must target problem areas within homes, schools, and their surrounding community by educating each other.

Childhood obesity has become an epidemic and a concern to parents and doctors, there are many factors to obesity and many of these factors can be changed through diet and lifestyle

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

During adiposity, around 5 to 6 years of age, a child’s body fatness declines to a minimum before increasing into adulthood. A study conducted at Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound found evidence of normal weight children with at least one overweight parent at the time of adiposity rebound, is nearly 5 times as likely to be obese as an adult. However, if both parents are obese before the child reaches adiposity rebound, there is 13 times the risk of the child becoming an obese adult. Generally recognized as genetic predispositions, the causes of excess adiopsity may affect a variety of possible physiological processes, including basal metabolic rates. Individuals with “fat phenotypes” are likely to develop adult obesity but genetic inheritance does not cause obesity alone (Whitiker).

Everybody knows the child that can eat any type of food all day and never seem to gain weight. This occurrence has led researchers to investigate the role that genetics plays in childhood obesity. Not all children who are inactive or who eat poorly are obese, much in the same way that some obese children eat fairly healthy, and exercise moderately. Heredity has recently been shown to influence body fat percentage, regional fat storage, and the body?s response to overeating (Rush, 1). Children who have obese parents are 80% more likely to be obese than their lean parented counterparts (Buffington, 16). This familial correlation is contributed to genetics as well as the parents eating habits. Children with obese parents typically aren?t taught the correct way to choose when and what food to eat, leading to poor eating habits and eventually obesity. Many genetic defects can have a significant effect on obesity such as variable thyroid activity and pituitary defects. Abnormalities in any one of these regulators could be responsible for appetite abnormalities and weight gain. Furthermore, obesity leads to defects in appetite regulation, hormone production, and metabolic events (Oklahoma Cooperative, 4) that are responsible for further weight gain,

The diagnosis of obesity is based on Body Mass Index (BMI). Childhood obesity can result from a wide range of factors that act in combination (Flegal & et al, 2012). Children with parents who are obese pose a higher risk to become obese since it may be reflected on the environment and genetics. The cause of obesity in children is mainly due to the family practices that have changed. In general, the number of mothers who breast-feed has decreased and as a result more infants become obese as they grow. In addition to that more children also engage in more indoor activities, such as watching television and playing video games, which increases the risk of becoming obese due to lack of physical activity. In adults, becoming obese is mainly due to unhealthy eating of sweet and fatty foods with high contents of calorie and lack of exercise. If the individual was overweight as a child or other members of their family were obese, then the individual is likely to be obese at adulthood because genetic factors play a major role. Furthermore, medicine and medical conditions in adults can also increase weight resulting in obesity. Overall, parents can help their children from becoming obese by changing their eating habits and exercising together. Mothers on the other hand can avoid obesity by breastfeeding their children and doing physical activities. Policies, laws, and regulations have been in placed to prevent obesity. Indeed, obesity is a challenge and needs to be tackled from all

Childhood obesity has become a major epidemic in the United States. “The percentage of children with obesity in the United States has more than tripled since 1970.” The current childhood obesity rate in the United States is 18.5 percent. That means that one of every five children in the United States is classified as obese. “Both the short term and long term effects of overweight on health are of concern because of the negative psychological and health consequences in childhood.” Children with obesity are at a much higher risk of having serious health conditions such as asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, type 2 diabetes, and risk for heart disease. There are many factors that contribute to childhood obesity. Diet, lack of exercise, psychological factors, socioeconomic factors, and sleep are all leading causes of childhood obesity.