What are the Causes of Childhood Obesity?

By Cindy Heller

Today, the rise in childhood obesity has several causes. The main cause of obesity is certainly children eating too much and/or not performing regular exercise or being generally inactive. The extra calories that are not able to burn up through exercises or physical activities will translate into fat, and when this fat becomes excessive, one will become obese.

This difference results in weight gain and will vary from child to child due to factors such as genes, health issues, physical inactivity as well as psychological issues also contribute to weight gain and may be what the causes of obesity are. Even though the main cause of obesity is underlying disorders, nevertheless, it is also closely related to people's lifestyle as well.

Poor eating habits and food choices

Today, the way we prepare food and the number of times per day is totally different as compared with our ancestors. During the old time, everything need to be cooked from scratch, but now with the help of modern equipment, the time and effort to prepare food is simple and faster. This is one of the reasons why fast food restaurants now dominate our diets.

By studying how the children eat today; you will know what the main cause of childhood obesity is. Small changes in their daily diets can be a large help, enabling you to prevent childhood obesity. The best healthy choices of food include vegetables and fruits instead of sugary snacks. The most popular choices include carrot and bananas, celery sticks, apples and even salads that include a large variety of vegetables. By helping children understand and choose the correct foods during childhood will definitely ensure that they make the correct choices as they move into adulthood.

Bad behavior is also one of the causes. This group of children eats food that is low in nutrition and high in fat. This group of children eats fast food meals, rich desserts and drinks with a lot of sugar. They also usually overeat, and the food that they consume has many empty calories. In other words, the food that they eat does not provide enough nutrition for a child's needs. This same group of children eat lots of sweets food which in general have empty calories.

Lack of Exercise

Lack of regular exercise is a factor that has contributed to childhood obesity. Children who spend a lot of time watching TV programs will have a greater risk of childhood obesity than those who go outside playing or sporting. This is typically true when the children are eating fast food while watching television or playing video games.

In the past, children would play sports more often, enjoy outside activities as forms of entertainment and walk to school. But nowadays, children are completely opposite from the past. The sports our children like to do these days include watching television, playing computer games, surfing the internet, chatting, and any game they choose while exercising only their mind, head and hands. When you combine the poor choices in food and the lack of exercise, there is a high chance that childhood obesity will end up leading to disease.

Genetics

Genetics and DNA have been found to be a contributing factor in childhood obesity. Unfortunately, some children are naturally predisposed to obesity. These children are born with genes that cause them to put on weight more quickly than other children. The children with certain genes end up storing the fat more easily than other children. There is not much that these children can do about their genes, but there are steps that they can take to conquer the obesity.

Parents can also aid in determining a child's chances of dealing with childhood obesity. If parents had a problem with being overweight, chances are the children will deal with the same issues. This makes it very important that you keep an eye on your children and their action and habits. Our DNA can not be changed. We can make small changes in other areas that can greatly improve on your child'd health. Some small changes, such as walking to school, playing outdoor games rather than letting children stay at home and avoid exercise. The simple and regular exercise can help your children avoid childhood obesity.

Psychological Issues and Stress

Some studies say that about 10% of people that are mildly obese are so because of psychological or stress problems. Some children have a difficult time dealing with stress so they use food as a comfort when they feel bad, and many children are prone to eating in response to negative emotions like being bored, feeling anxious or being angry.

Each child has to contend with different factors in their lives. The causes of obesity can also be viewed as being weakness, a lack of willpower or a lifestyle choice of overeating and not exercising enough.

Environments

The environment too plays a role in obesity. The family home is an important place to learn about proper nutrition and physical activity. Attitudes, Habits, and beliefs about food selection and how to spend family leisure time are critical factors to forming a healthy relationship with food. Children spend a lot of time in school, their food choices at school become important.

Modern lifestyles have improved our quality of life but also contribute greatly to physical inactivity. Cars are used for short trips, and the number of walking trips the average American children takes each year have decreased. Today only about 10% of public school students walk to school compared to the large number of student a generation ago.

About the Author:

Cindy Heller is a professional writer. Visit fast food obesity to learn more about child obesity from fast food and other childhood obesity statistics.

Article courtesy of www.goarticles.com.