child obesity

Childhood Obesity is a significant medical disorder that affects both children and adolescents. Obesity can start with some health problems common to adults, like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. In Addition, it can cause the growth of depression and low self-esteem in influencing adolescents or children. 

What Are The Causes of the Child Obesity?

Lack of activity or daily consumption of food that contains too many calories can cause Child Obesity. Hormonal or Genetic Factors might also play a role. 

Childhood Obesity’s causes include the behavior of the child, Genetic Factors, Socioeconomics and Community, and Cultural factors. Children’s inactivity contributes to Obesity in children. Some children do not like to play outside and always want to spend their time inside the home, which can contribute to their inactivity and boost the risk of Obesity. Some things inside the home increase the inactiveness of the children. These things include Smartphones, tablets, and video games. 

Those Children’s parents or siblings who are overweight can also raise the chances of Obesity. The price and accessibility of nutritious food also contribute to Obesity in children. Seeing advertisements for unhealthy snacks and fast foods by children also causes child obesity.

What Are The Risk Factors of the Child Obesity?

There are so many risk factors that raise the risk of your child’s Obesity, like

Diet 

Consuming highly calorie food, such as baked goods, vending machine snacks, and fast foods, may affect children, and it’s a big reason for their obesity. Eating desserts or candies may also increase the chances of weight gain in children. 

Do Not Give Time To Exercising

If children spend their time outside of outdoor activities, they always want to watch television, use mobile phones, or play video games. This habit can also increase their risk of being overweight. 

Psychological Factors

Sometimes Parental, Personal, and family stress may increase your child’s risk of being overweight. 

Socioeconomic Factors

Living in communities that need more resources or supermarkets requires a safe place to exercise. Easy availability and access to supermarkets can also lead to obesity. Due to these issues, people might purchase food that only spoils quickly, like crackers, cookies, and biscuits. Regularly consuming these kinds of food may also increase the chances of being overweight. 

Medication

Some Medications, such as prednisone, lithium, paroxetine (Paxil), gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise, Horizant), amitriptyline, and propranolol (Inderal, Hemangeol), may raise the chances of being overweight.

What Are the Complications of Child Obesity?

The complications of childhood obesity may include two types of complications i.e. 

Physical Complications

Physical Complications of childhood obesity include Type 2 diabetes, joint pain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), and breathing issues.

Emotional Complications

Child Obesity can cause some emotional complications. Obesity in a child may increase the risk of stress and depression.

How is Childhood Obesity Diagnosed?

When you visit your child’s healthcare provider regarding Obesity, he assists you in determining the reason for your child’s Obesity. They can use the BMI-for-age development chart to diagnose whether your child is at a healthy weight and discuss your children’s diet charts.

How To Prevent Your Child From Obesity?

  • You have to offer healthy foods to your children.
  • Always try to encourage the children to play outside the home.
  • You can offer them some nutritional foods like fruits with low-fat yogurt, baby carrots with hummus, air-popped popcorn without butter, or whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk.
  • Keep your children away from desserts and candies.
  • You need to make sure that your child is getting enough sleep or not.