Childhood Obesity Causes - Facts & Dangers
Key points
- Losing weight can look like an unwinnable war for those who are suffering from overweight.
- For many physicians and researchers studying obesity, BMI (body mass index) is the measurement of choice.
- - - Genetics, behavior, and family environment play a role in childhood overweight. - - Childhood overweight increases the risk for certain medical and psychological conditions. - - From 1976 to 1980, 5% of children aged 2 to 5 were considered obese.
- The risks of childhood obesity are more serious than teasing on the schoolyard and far deeper.
Losing weight can look like an unwinnable war for those who are suffering from overweight. Be aware from several childhood obesity causes, Facts and Dangers that have contributed to its boost globally.
Childhood Obesity (meaning a BMI-for-age above the 95th percentile) can happen as an effect of various combination of causes like environment and genetic factors. Nevertheless, it is significant to realize that weight gain, whether leading to mild or severe clinical obesity, typically occurs when a person takes more calories than expends. A high calorie surplus is usually needed to cause obesity.
Definition:
Childhood obesity is a critical medical situation that affects children as well as adolescents when a child gains weight above than normal age and height ratio. Childhood obesity troubles particularly because extra pounds mostly lead children on the path to health problems that were formerly confined to adults, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Childhood obesity can lead to poor self-esteem and depression in persons. To reduce childhood obesity, one of the best strategies is to improve the diet and workout habits of whole family. Preventing and treating childhood obesity helps to care for the health of your child.
BMI:
For many physicians and researchers studying obesity, BMI (body mass index) is the measurement of choice.
BMI = weight in kilograms / (height in meters x height in meters)
This is what the child's BMI can indicate:
- - A BMI of less than 19 – underweight
- - A BMI of 19-24.9 – normal weight
- - A BMI of 25-29.9 – overweight
- - A BMI of 30+ – denotes obesity

Causes of Childhood Obesity:
Lack of Exercise:
During these days, the average children spends a lot of time in watching TV at home, playing computer games that include mental stimulation not physical. Just few calories are expended during this sedentary doings. Obesity evidence is higher in children and teenagers who habitually watch television. Merely a little minority of children (1 in 5) take part regularly in after-school sports or extra-curricular or outdoor physical activity. Inclusion of running and burning the calories in games that gained from their food are not a popular option any longer. Minority numbers of children are aware about fitness. They do not care about the overweight or care extra about it causing bulimia and anorexia.
Snack time, All the Time:
Obesity's one of the causes is too much nibbling. Statistics and facts of the childhood obesity show that on snacks and fast food, billions of dollars are spent on a daily basis. Children do not concentrate on healthier types of snacks. High-calorie snack vending machines surrounded at school are dispensing high-calorie snacks that have a tendency of a high calorie count. Children are exposed to a battery of fattening snack foods and drinks via regular TV-watching. That's why the variety in the market and amazing marketing techniques on the part of snack manufacturers have added the list of causes leading to obesity.
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
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