When children eat more than they need, their bodies store the extra calories in fat cells to use for energy later. If this pattern continues over time, and their bodies do not need this stored energy, they develop more fat cells and may develop obesity.
No single factor or behavior causes obesity. Obesity is caused by many things, including a person's habits, lifestyle, and environment. Genetics and some medical conditions also increase a person's chances of becoming obese.
Learned Behaviors and HabitsInfants and young children are very good at listening to their bodies' signals of hunger and fullness. They will stop eating as soon as their bodies tell them they have had enough. But sometimes a well-meaning parent tells them they have to finish everything on their plate. This forces them to ignore their fullness and eat everything that is served to them.
The way we eat when we are children may strongly affect our eating behaviors as adults. When we repeat these behaviors over many years, they become habits. They affect what we eat, when we eat, and how much we eat.
Other learned behaviors include using food to:
These learned habits lead to eating no matter if we are hungry or full. Many people have a very hard time breaking these habits
Lifestyle and EnvironmentThe family, friends, schools, and community resources in a child's environment reinforce lifestyle habits regarding diet and activity.
Children are surrounded by many things that make it easy to overeat and harder to be active:
If a parent is overweight and has poor diet and exercise habits, the child is likely to adopt the same habits.
Watching television, gaming, texting, and playing on the computer are activities that require very little energy. They can take up a lot of time and replace physical activity. And, when children watch television, they often crave the unhealthy high-calorie snacks they see on commercials.
See also: Screen time
At SchoolSchools have an important role in teaching students about healthy food choices and exercise. But not all schools offer healthy food choices or time for physical activity. Vending machines in schools that sell soda and other sugary drinks make it easy for children to make unhealthy choices.
In the CommunityHaving a safe community that supports outdoor activities at parks, or indoor activities at community centers, is important for encouraging physical activity. If a parent feels it is not safe to allow their child to play outside, the child is more likely to do sedentary activities inside.
Eating Disorders and Obesity in ChildrenThe term "eating disorders" refers to a group of medical problems that have an unhealthy focus on eating, dieting, losing or gaining weight, and body image.
Obesity and eating disorders often occur at the same time in teenage girls and young, adult women who may be unhappy with their body image.
Genetic FactorsSome children are at greater risk of obesity because of genetic factors -- they have inherited genes from their parents that make their bodies gain weight easily. This would have been a very good trait hundreds of years ago, when food was hard to find and people were very active. Today, though, this can work against people who have these genes.
Genetics is not the only cause of obesity. To become obese, children must also eat more calories than they need for growth and energy.
Obesity may be linked to rare genetic conditions, such as Prader Willi syndrome.
Medical FactorsCertain medical conditions, such as hormone disorders or low thyroid function, and certain medications, such as steroids or anti-seizure medications, can increase a child's appetite, which over time increases their risk for obesity.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 10/01/2010
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Obesity can heavily affect children. It will ruin their self-esteem, they won't "fit in" at school, and be lonely. Also, obesity increases the risks of almost ALL diseases for most organ, such as cancer.
Food.
overweight: obesity, Diabetes, heart failure, etc. underweight: malnourishment (which causes scurvy, ricketts, etc)
Do you mean the health risks
No obesity causes deficiency disease x
yes.
fat kids
fat kids
obesity is harmful to us because it causes many diseases
Obesity poses many risks including increased chance of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
disease and obesity
yes junk food is a major cause of obesity