CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Childhood Obesity



Childhood Obesity

Introduction

Obesity in children is a growing global problem. The problem has become so alarming that several international organizations studying the issue very seriously, including the World Health Organization. Obesity is often defined as being 20 percent over the midpoint of one's accepted weight range (using the height weight charts) or above 30 on the BMI. Morbid obesity is defined as weighing almost twice the weight the chart says they should, or above 35 on the BMI (Larimore, 2004).

If the child is the 60th percentile, this result means that 60% of children of similar age and sex have a lower body mass index. Furthermore, BMI is not a perfect measure and should be used in conjunction with other assessment measures such as the skin fold, the level of physical activity, diet and blood pressure.

Discussion

Causes of Obesity in Children

There are many causes of childhood obesity. It is of immense importance to know about these causes because it serves as an important step toward breaking the cycle. The most common cause which leads to obesity in a child is the intake of too much food and less physical activity. There is a need for enough food for healthy development of children, but when the calorie intake increases and the child do not burn those extra calories, they gain weight rapidly (Collins , 2005). There are many causal factors which contribute to the imbalance between the calorie intake and the calorie burning process.

Apart from these problems, gaining weight could be hereditary as well. Thus, in order to control childhood obesity, it is necessary to consult a doctor and seek professional help to find the root causes that have caused obesity, as putting a child on dieting can have further repercussion on the child's health. Following are the reasons which contribute to childhood obesity.

It is known that obesity is often diagnosed within families, i.e. it could be genetically inherited. For example, there are specific alterations in the leptin pathway (NewsRx, 2011). When obesity is genetic, one must consult a doctor before telling the child to go on any kind of diet or exercise plan.

The Consequences of Childhood Obesity

There are numerous problems which an obese child can face. These could be related to his health as well as his psychology. However, there are two major consequences that childhood obesity has. The first consequence is referred to changes that ...