INTRODUCTION
Childhood obesity is a health problem which is rampant in the nation today. Millions of children are affected by obesity. There are many factors that regulate the problem of weight amongst children, and they are associated with the physical and psychological effects on obese children. Various factors govern the obesity in children. These include their nutrition and dietary intake, the quality of food, individual behavior of children towards eating and sometimes the effects of medication on the body. Moreover, lifestyle and physical activities have a major role to play in their lives. Children are always equipped with devices and gadgets, and often they make poor food choices. The factors blamable for childhood obesity include the school systems and their grooming concerned with eating habits. Parents are also blamable as they need to implement rules in the house for the children to eat healthily and cut down on the time spent on technological gadgets. Certain steps have been taken at school level such as portion control, healthier food choices and educating children on healthy eating. Emphasis on physical activity is also important when it comes to tackling the problem of childhood obesity. When children are guided well at a younger age, it is easier for them to maintain their weight as well as to establish good eating habits that prevent them from getting obese. This is important because the diseases that are incurred through obesity are problematic at a young age, and they escalate and worsen with the passage of time, especially in adulthood. Controlling childhood obesity is important because it has a major effect on the physical, psychological and social as well as emotional lives of the children. Where they might feel they are unable to do many things as other children their age might be doing, they are also susceptible to bullying, name-calling and feeling left out by others in their age group because they look different from the rest.
Causes
Obesity is a growing problem in the developed as well as underdeveloped countries. Usually, an unbalance in the intake of food, either in the form of malnutrition or excess intake of calories results in obesity. Obesity usually occurs because children consume more food than required. Nutrition plays a major role in weight regulation and obesity. Several factors such as a poor sedentary lifestyle, lack of quality food sources, behaviors and medication play a major role in childhood obesity.
Poor sedentary Lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle refers to an inactive lifestyle that is governed by less physical activity and more time spent sitting and lying down. Today, children are more likely to spending time sitting in front of television sets and watching programs in the comfort of their homes. Moreover, the introduction of video games, Nintendo’s, Play Station and Xbox has made them more addicted to sitting and playing games indoors. (Garver et al., 272). Hours can be spent by children sitting in one place and playing video games or watching television which means they are accumulating more weight by the minute and are more prone to become obese. The lack of physical activity disrupts the burning of fat in the body which causes them to gain weight. At the same time, children enjoy eating snacks and fast foods as they are playing games or watching movies or TV shows. Hence, they eat anything they can get their hands on and usually this is junk food and soft drinks. These foods have a high-calorie intake, and when these calories are not burned off by exercise and exertion, the fat is deposited as adipose tissue. The most sedentary the lifestyle, the more difficult it is for these children to lose the weight and not become obese. (Sims et al.,).
Lack of quality food sources
Quality food sources are linked to food that is low fat and high in nutrition. The food that promotes obesity in children is usually high in fats and carbohydrates, but it is low in nutrition ad usually is present in the form of fast food. Fast food is linked to high oiliness in the food, and it is eaten in large quantities which are high in calories and fat content. According to a nutritionist’s point of view, this is poor quality food. Food that is high in protein and low in calorie content is considered high-quality food and it needs to be incorporated in the diet. When a diet high in fiber and protein is not given to them, children can become obese and overweight. (Drewnoski and Specter).
Behaviors
Behaviors include the kind of habits that children have adopted in terms of consumption of foods such as sugary beverages and fast foods. When children do not exercise enough, these foods and their calorie content are not utilized properly in their bodies. This means that they have an intake of a large amount of sugary and fatty food which is accumulated in the body. Moreover, a lack of physical activity is a behavior which leads to obesity in children. There can be factors such as an unsafe environment in the neighborhood that may be a leading cause of children’s inactivity. Also, children are used to having large appetites. When they start getting large portions for a meal, the will eat more, and they will be used to that portion being fed to them. Hence, a large portion size is a behavior that greatly influences their diet and weight issue. (Karnik et al.,).
Medications
There are certain medications that cause the body to gain weight. Often there are certain prescription drugs that can cause the body to feel hungrier, and hence, it increases calorie consumption. There are others that slow down the metabolism and consequently reduce the burning of calories in the body. (Sahoo et al., 187).
Nutrition
Nutrition is the body’s need to assimilate and utilize food in the body for survival. Nutrition keeps the body revived and healthy however when nutrition is in excess it causes the body to accumulate the excess nutrition in the form of fat, which if not burned, leads to obesity. There are several pitfalls to nutrition such as making poor food choices and the blame falling on the people who are endorsing such habits amongst children.
Poor food choices
Poor food choices account for the lack of healthy diet intake in children at an early age. When foods very high in sugar and fat are administered to young children, it has an immediate effect on their bodies. Fast foods, snacks, junk food and sugary foods and beverages are the leading choices in poor food intake. (Larsen-Gorden).
In the recent years, studies have revealed that consuming fast foods is rapidly leading to obesity in children. Usually, working parents like to take their children out of food because they haven’t the time to cook for them at home and then choosing the place nearest and most convenient for them; they adopt a habit of visiting the same place over and over again. The food served at fast foods is not healthy, because it has a high amount of calories and fat and an overall low nutritional content. This process is accentuated when going to fast foods becomes a habit and children develop a taste for fast foods because they like it more than the food that is prepared at home. Moreover, sugary beverages are an important factor in poor food choices. They are known to cause an increase in BMI over the years of their consumption. These not only include sodas and soft drinks but also encompass other drinks such as juices and various other sweetened beverages. Studies and research have linked sugary beverages with obesity and weight gain. The reason for this is the large quantities of sugar added to them, and they are not as filling as normal food, plus they carry a high-calorie intake. Moreover, they are drunk quickly and more in an amount usually, which means more calories are consumed. (Larsen-Gorden).
Snacks are foods that are prepared in the market as chips, biscuits candy and sweets and baked goods. The more they are consumed, the greater risk they carry toward high fat and sugar intake which directly leads to weight gain and obesity.
Who is to blame?
Parents
Parents are the first and most major influence in children’s lives. Children follow suit of their parents’ eating habits and lifestyle the most. Therefore, if the parents do not eat healthy, children will not either. If parents are inclined towards eating unhealthy and they take their children to fast food restaurants and provide them snacks to eat, the children will naturally eat unhealthy and become obese. When parents do not eat green vegetables or pulses and incorporate healthy food into choices for their lunch at school, then sodas and burgers will be the replacement which is packed with calories and is a sure ticket to obesity in children. Children are also discouraged from playing outdoors and when games and televisions are provided indoors, and then children get used to them. (Larsen-Gorden).
Children spend most of their time in schools. When schools and their systems are aware of the epidemic of obesity in the nation, then they can make a difference and prevent it from spreading. However, schools do not go for healthy alternatives rather there are candy machines and soda machines at school, along with a lunch menu that has fast foods on the list. Hence, school systems are equally blamable. (Pradinuk et al.,).
The cures for these issues are related to reversing the situation that causes obesity and to implement curative measures for the obese children in such cases. The cure for poor food choice is to incorporate healthy food choices. The first step is the elimination of all kinds of fast foods and sugary beverages from the diet. It should instead, be replaced with green vegetables, pulses, meat and food that is not fried in oil but baked in an oven using a minimum of grease. The beverages should be replaced with plain milk instead of sweetened milk and candies, and snacks need to be reduced to a minimum. Parents need to eat healthy themselves so that their children follow them and adopt healthy eating habits. If parents begin to start cooking at home, and they make use of healthier, organic food instead of canned food, fast foods, and snacks, then it will be easier for them to teach the child to eat healthy and safe. Parents also need to keep a check on their children about the amount of soda or fast foods they consume outside and what is their dietary intake outdoors. (Larsen-Gorden). Accordingly, they need to teach their children to play outdoors and encourage them to take part in sports and exercise more often in order to maintain a stable weight. School systems can do the same by prohibiting candy machines and sodas inside the school. The cafeteria should keep healthy food like salads, meats, sandwiches and milk for the children and encourage them toward a healthier diet. More importantly, schools can always help to educate children about obesity, its causes and who it can be prevented at an early age.
Physical Activity
Lack of enough physical activity is a major reason for obesity. The more sedentary the lifestyle, the higher is the risk associated with obesity. Thus, physical activity is a major factor in obesity, and the lack of it causes health problems in children.
Too much technology
Today, children are highly dependent on technology. In fact, ever since the television has been introduced, children have been transfixed by the TV screen, and they can sit in front of the TV for hours without budging. This is followed by video games on the TV and with the emergence of the computer, things have worsened. Earlier children would sit in front of computers all day long. Today the internet is available freely, and there is no restraint in its use. Moreover, technology has progressed to Smartphones, laptops, tablets and iPods, etc. which all make life even more interesting but only when a person is seated comfortably, using their gadgets. Now children can play games without even the need to go to the arcade and play. (Ross et al.,).
Less recess time
At schools, children do not get enough time to play during recess-that one time of the day they can freely run about and play games with friends, which is an extremely important activity for children. However when recess is cut short and time for playing is reduced, they spend more time sitting or eating away, which increases calorie intake.
Not promoting the importance of physical activity
Although schools may encourage children to play and take part in sports, at home the condition might be quite the opposite. This is because children are encouraged to stay indoors and play as it isn’t safe outdoors. Ultimately this makes them find leisure in indoor activities, and they fail to understand why it is important to play outdoors.
Thus, the cure for a sedentary lifestyle is for the parents and the school systems to encourage children to participate in sports and take up one physical activity as their hobby. This will develop a healthy habit of exercising and will interest them too. If sports competitions are held and more parks offer rides and playing equipment like Jungle Jim climbing frames and others, then they will always be enthusiastic about going outside and playing. When young children are more interested in outdoor games, then they will pay less attention to TV and indoor games. Moreover, parents should not introduce all kinds of games at home, and they can even schedule timings between which children can watch TV and play games. If a timetable is allotted, then they will not spend hours sitting and eventually their lifestyle will be active and healthier. Schools can increase recess duration so that children can play for a longer period of time and indulge more in physical activity. (Larsen-Gorden).
Genetics
Obesity can be highly caused by hereditary factors. Moreover, research proves that obesity can be caused by ethnic, racial, gender and socioeconomic factors.
Runs through the family tree
It has been defined as a hereditary disease which is a metabolic disease that is also caused by interaction with certain environmental factors especially from a dietary point of view. However, the genetic cause of obesity is a modification of the genes. There are three different types of genes that contribute to obesity, and they are based on genetic and phenotypic traits. The childhood obesity genes are present in the “rare forms of monogenic forms of syndromic or non-syndromic childhood obesity and polygenic childhood obesity.” (Bouchard). At other times, variations of the same gene may become the cause of childhood obesity. About 30% of the genes are influenced by obesity from the maternal or paternal side of the child. Sometimes it may happen that obesity runs in the family, and even uncles and aunts can have it while the parents do not but the child may inherit the gene from the maternal or paternal side. Hence, the child may inherit it even then. Also, a higher risk of inheriting childhood obesity is associated with the fact that the parents have obesity, and the child is more exposed to having it as well.
Although inheritance is not easily preventable, however, there is a cure in the form of gene therapy that can be administered to reverse the condition. A hormone Leptin is responsible for regulating fat and invoking thermoregulation in the body. (Ahima, 2010). With administration of this hormone, the body can begin to dissolve fats and reverse obesity. The other cure is exercise and diet control, or when grown obese, there are surgical options to the problem.
Conclusion
Childhood obesity is a national epidemic that affects millions of kids. There are a lot of factors that contribute to childhood obesity such as poor physical lifestyle, quality of foods, child behavior, and triggers of medications. Children today are too inclined towards technology and have a poor choice of foods to eat from. Areas such as school systems and parents are to blame for childhood obesity. Parents should be responsible for promoting physical activity and cutting down technology time. There have been steps to tackle down childhood obesity especially in the school systems such as portion control, better quality food choices, and education. Physical activity is also another great way to tackle down childhood obesity.
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