obesity in children

 

Causes of Obesity in Children     


Throughout the world people are becoming more and more weight conscious. A growing number of parents have expressed their concerns regarding the causes of obesity in their children.These days, childhood obesity has become a primary concern for the researchers in the US. The radio, TV as well as the newspaper deals with childhood obesity.

Well, what causes chidhood obesity? The reasons are very obvious. Fast foods, high calorie foods, not enough time to work out, sitting down and playing video games all the time, are just a few causes of obesity in a child. Fast food plays a crucial role behind childhood obesity. Just imagine all you can eat buffets, the thick and juicy burgers that you eat everyday. The spicy chicken sandwich that you ordered from Hardee’s for your junior, is filled with nothing else other than grease. A greasy pizza also falls under the category of harmful fast foods. The cakes that grocery stores like Albertsons sell are extremely high calorie foods and must be avoided at all costs. But, the kids love it and they always go for a big Mac burger and a 36 ounce pop.

The food market of today has plenty of high calorie foods. Imagine the Lasania that you cook at home. Think of all the Hershey’s chocolate that’s available at the chain stores. Even the things that you think are healthy can actually be deceiving. For example, swirls, juices and the salad dressing, all have high calories in them. If your kid is obese you need to monitor their food intake and watch out for the nutrition values of the foods that he or she is taking in. Staying off the chocolate cakes or the cheese cakes would help a lot in this case. As a matter of fact avoid the high calorie desserts like ice cream sandwiches.

Besides the fatty and fast food cause obesity is not working out. There are different takes on this particular issue. There are the kids who are always toning up muscles and trying to look good. Then there’s the other group who is not working out and putting on some weight deliberately. While putting on weight, kids should remember that being overweight kills. That should be the sole motivation behind working out. A lot of kids today eat plenty and don’t burn off those calories. They love to sit and do nothing. At the same time they are sitting in front of the TV and finishing up a whole bag of chips while watching NASCAR or NFL football.

Childhood obesity can be a genetic disorder. If your kids are obese, the parents are most likely obese. Therefore, it is imperative that the parents follow a healthier lifestyle as their children. Some kids are fat because it’s in their genes. Heredity is to be blamed in this case. A not so active lifestyle of the parents can also result in the children being not that active. Sometimes, certain parts of the body can accumulate more fat due to the genes.

Yet another cause behind the childhood obesity is the inactive lifestyle. Many kids today simply sit at home and play video games like Grand Theft Auto Vice City or keep watching movies. These activities are very sedentary in nature. As mentioned earlier, playing video games and munching on your favorite bag of chips and salsa can result in the overweight problems. This is when outdoor activities like hiking or climbing helps the overweight kids loose weight by doing what they like. Kids who are more active tend to burn off more calories and look good.

Thus, the causes of childhood obesity are apparent. Fast foods, high calorie foods, inactive lifestyle, not working out, and genetics are just some of the reasons behind the overweight children. Obesity is better prevented than cured. Just imagine how much effort it will take to burn off all those extra pounds that you accumulated over the years. Instead, if you work out on a regular basis, you are less likely to gain extra weight and you will feel much better. So, now that you know the reasons behind childhood obesity, you are ready to take the next step i.e. preventing i