Causes Of Childhood ObesityEssay Preview: Causes Of Childhood ObesityReport this essay“Causes of Childhood Obesity”Works CitedAxmaker, Larry. “Childhood Obesity Should be Taken Seriously.” Online Posting 24 November 2004. Accessed 9 April 2005. 1-4.Bastin, Sandra. “Perils of Childhood Obesity.” American Academy of Pediatrics Quarterly. Volume 31 (11/2001): 44-49. Retrieved Medline 9 April 2005. 1-5.
Buffington, Cynthia. “Causes of Childhood Obesity.” Beyond Change: Information Regarding Obesity and Obesity Surgery. Volume 17 (12/2003): 12-17. Retrieved Academic Search Elite 9 April 2005.
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Services. “Special Issues: Childhood Obesity.” Online Posting 7 July 2003. Accessed 9 April 2005. 1-5.Reading, Richard. “Increasing prevalence of obesity in primary school children: cohort study.” Child: Care, Health & Development; Vol. 28 Issue 2 (03/2002): 189-197 Retrieved Academic Search Elite 9 April 2005
Rush, Traci. “Childhood Obesity.” Online posting 13 October 2002. Accessed 9 April 2005. 1.When speaking of her 8-year old daughters obesity, a prideful mother replies “Oh its no big deal, she just still has her baby fat.” Unfortunately, chances are that the daughters obesity is really no cause of her baby fat, but can be contributed to a combination of diet, genetics, and a sedentary lifestyle. Studies show that obesity among children 6-17 years of age, has increased by 50% in the last 20 years, with the most dramatic increase seen in children ages 6-11 (Axmaker, 1). This obvious epidemic has raised great concern in the medical community because widespread childhood obesity has increased the prevalence of the once rare juvenile diabetes and pediatric hypertension (Bastin, 45). This concern has prompted intense investigation of the causes of childhood studies, aside from socioeconomic status, three major causes have been shown: diet, genetics or biological factors, and lifestyle.
Because fat must have a source from which to increase, diet is an obvious contributor to obesity in children. Dietary guidelines recommend that children between the ages of 6 and 11 should receive about 1800 calories a day, with 50% from carbohydrates, 30% from fat, and 20% from protein (Bastin, 47). With the ready availability of high calorie/high carbohydrate soft drinks, fruit juice, and high carbohydrate snacks, childrens diets have become increasingly less nutritious. Surveys conducted among children and teenagers have shown that 7 out of 10 children eat fruit once a day, and 5 out of 10 teenagers eat fruit once a day (Bastin, 47). Because children are replacing the missing fruit servings with high calorie snacks, weight gain will occur dramatically over time. An over consumption of 50-100 calories can lead to a gain of 5-10 pounds a year (Oklahoma Cooperative, 1). Many parents mistakenly encourage carbohydrates with a high-glycemic value as substitutes for fat and protein. High-glycemic carbohydrates prevent fat breakdown and drive fat into fat deposits, causing fat to accumulate, which occurring in high levels is obesity. The era of home cooking has all but disappeared from our society, with meals being replaced with pizza, or fast food creating yet another innutritious aspect of childrens diets. Carbohydrates also take far less time to empty from the stomach than do those foods high in fat or protein, causing hunger (Buffington, 14). A child having eaten a bowl of cereal for breakfast is likely to be hungry by mid-morning with the need for a snack. At school, he or she may satisfy their mid-morning hunger with yet another high carbohydrate food such as a soda, candy, cookies, or a bag of chips. These poor food choices are contributing to the increasing epidemic of childhood 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 bodys 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 arent 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
Pregnancy-The Role of the Early Banned Bikini and the Association With Obesity in Obesity in Childhood (Willem and Darden) Pregnancy and Early Infant Obesity Pregnant Women Have the Burden of Obesity Pregnant Women Have the Unhealthy Maternal Obesity Poor maternal obesity may have a protective effect in terms of the risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other diseases such as diabetes mellitus. This study demonstrated that infants born with a low maternal BMI did in fact gain weight during the first 3 months of life, while infants born with high mother BMI are still seen before their 2nd 2 to 3 months and continue to lose weight during the fourth 2 and 3 months of life. The maternal BMI during the 3 months of the pregnancy is thought to affect the ability to reach a normal weight throughout the pregnancy. As a result, poor nutrition can predispose the developing fetus to development of diabetes, a form of obesity. Children born to mothers with low maternal BMI are usually malnourished, often developing into obesity because of the high maternal BMI. Pregnant women also face a higher risk for developing certain cancers such as lung, heart, pancreas, and endometrial cancer (Warren, 15). The primary predictor of obesity in infants with low maternal BMI was a lack of energy intake (U.S. Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 51347, Indianapolis, IN 44214). Despite considerable evidence to the contrary, maternal weight in the middle and high latitudes during breastfeeding are associated with a high risk for adult-onset adult obesity. This association is not due to some environmental factors including early nutrition but due to the high prevalence of childhood obesity. Breastfeeding has an increased risk of developing adult obesity in women <16 years of age and to develop adult obesity in healthy low-risk mothers (Willem and Darden, 2008). An increase in the number and intensity of breast feeding during childhood appears to have resulted in a more progressive development of adipose tissue that is associated with changes in fat mass at the breast (Lutz et al., 2004). Obesity in early growth is also associated with the development of various metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance, obesity-related disorders, and obesity-related disease (Lutz et al., 2004). In addition, obesity induces the development of obesity-related diseases (for example, type 2 diabetes) and diabetes mellitus. All the obesity factors that are identified in humans but that have a protective effect for early food intake (e.g., energy intake [1] , total nutrient intake [2] ) are identified as independent risk factors for developing adulthood obesity. Obesity and Infant Obesity Pregnant women are also advised to include an adequate amount of food intake before being prescribed medications for any reason. Pregnant women are especially at risk when food can rapidly become inadequate (Willem and Darden, 2008). Obese pregnant women who are not well at home are particularly vulnerable to developing obesity because of the many restrictions made about food intake during pregnancy. Pregnant mothers are often reluctant mothers because of the "unhealthy" or "unmeasurable" amount of food they consume, as well as the possibility that they have to spend less time away from home and school to be nourished (Ressler et al., 1972, 2004). An increase in maternal age-related maternal obesity was found by Haines and colleagues to occur in the 1st 2 to 3rd year of life as a result of increased infant obesity. The age of highest maternal BMI in both preterm and postterm