The Cause Of Childhood Obesity

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

Unlike other illnesses, obesity in children is a direct result of eating too much food, eating the wrong kinds of food, and a more sedentary lifestyle. The typical diet for children today is oriented towards highly refined flours and sugars, sugary sodas and energy drinks, and snack foods that may be quick but have little nutritional value in the long run. When this is combined with a lack of exercise due to playing

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

Also genetics and medical conditions are causes of childhood obesity. In fact, if the child was born into a family of overweight people or is affected by hormonal disorders such as hypothyroidism, he or she is more exposed to obesity.

Childhood obesity is a national epidemic. Nearly 1 in 3 children (ages 2-19) in the United States is overweight or obese, putting them at risk for serious health problems. Studies show that overweight kids are likely to become overweight and obese adults. This is a significant issue in the U.S. and needs to be monitored closely. Some parents are in denial that their children are obese and do not do anything to help or prevent it. When obesity is a problem at a young age it is very easy to have, it become a habit all throughout their life.

this diseases impact over the past few years. With the changing of lifestyles, the production of children who are not as healthy as they should be has increased. Due to these results, a widespread of children being obese has occurred. The Center for Disease Control, CDC, distinguishes between being overweight and being obese. Overweight simply means that the weight is high compared to others in the same height category. According to the CDC, obesity means “an excessively high amount of body fat . . . in relation to lean body mass” (CDC). There are so many factors of childhood obesity. Some might say it’s the parent and some might say that it’s from advertisements. Childhood obesity can be a combination of factors scientific, genetic, cultural, or even environmental. The debate over childhood obesity and its factors has been going on for decades.

Obesity in children can be caused by many broad factors depending on the individual child. Research has shown the influence of genetics, as well as unhealthy home environments, in the development of childhood obesity. External factors such as the educational system and the food industry, promoting unhealthy eating, may also contribute to this problem. Physical inactivity in children is also a contributing factor. Therefore, it is

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

Childhood obesity is not just a hefty problem this country is facing, it’s an epidemic. This occurs when the child is overweight in comparison to their age and height. There are many causes which leads to this wide-range issue, factors such as eating patterns, outdoor activities, and psychological factors can lead to childhood obesity.

“At present approximately 9 million children over 6 years of age are considered obese” (Mahshid Dehghan). Childhood obesity continues to increase every year. Childhood obesity has a lot of causes centering on an imbalance of energy taken in and the amount of energy used. Factors of childhood obesity include children having obese parents; low energy expenditure which is a low amount of physical activity is a factor and too much television which is a cause for low physical activity time. Another factor that influences childhood obesity is heredity. Infants born to overweight mothers are found to be less active than other infants. Parents are the primary contributors of childhood obesity based on statistics, obesity risks, and government

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).

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.

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,