Causes of Childhood Obesity

Hey guys,

Today I will talk mainly about childhood obesity and how its caused. The three main factors I am going to talk about today are: 1) genetic makeup, 2) parental involvement and 3) environmental elements.

1) The genetic makeup of an adolescent has shown to be a major player in a child’s risk of being obese. One of the key players in regulating lipid (fat) metabolism is the gene that codes for the protein-hormone leptin. Leptin, an emissary from fat tissue, regulates hunger and energy storage. When leptin levels drop, the animal feels hungry and needs food to survive. Therefore leptin works by making sure that the animal does not starve. When leptin levels rise, hunger decreases. Just like leptin, there are 8 other hormones that are released from the digestive tract that all regulate hunger, starvation, and metabolism. All these hormones either work together or against each other to maintain metabolism. A major risk factor of obesity is when the genes that code for these protein-hormones get mutated. In rare cases, when the leptin gene gets mutated in children, the fat cells can no longer communicate with the brain which leads to no control of hunger. As a result, the children eat voraciously and become obese. Similarly, a gene that codes for the leptin receptor in the brain, can be mutated which can cause the leptin to never be recognized by the brain. When leptin can no longer communicate with the brain, the risk of obesity increases. Latest research is being conducted today to find ways to treat this metabolic error. However, solving this genetic riddle will not be an easy task. When leptin was first discovered, it was considered the master regulator to obesity and hunger. However, in the past twenty years, new research shows as many as 100 genes that could regulate obesity risk (Okie 46). This complex picture of lipid metabolism and appetite regulation can only get worse. The genetic makeup of an individual is one of the major risk factors for childhood obesity; nevertheless, there are several other elements that can put a kid in risk for childhood obesity.

2) Another major cause of childhood obesity is too much parental attention or too little parental attention. Laura L. Hayman, the Associate Dean for Research at the University of Massachusetts, states that an increase in childhood obesity is due to, “longer working hours for parents/guardians, more meals consumed outside the home environment, fewer family meals, and decreased opportunities for physical activity and increases in sedentary activities/screen time” (Medscape). This idea shows that maybe too little parental attention due to longer working hours and fewer family meals might lead to a higher risk of obesity. However, some studies show that too much parental control over a child’s food choices and intake may be counterproductive. Some researchers say that “…working against children’s innate ability to monitor their own hunger or satiety” is dangerous (Okie 64). Nutritionist researchers Leann L. Birch, Susan L. Johnson, and Jennifer O. Fisher reported that young children whose mothers restricted their eating were more likely than other children to be overweight. This remains a controversial topic because research “generally show(s) very inconsistent results”, notes Jane Wardle, a professor of clinical psychology at London’s University College (Okie 65). These findings underscore a point made by all dietary experts: effective strategies for changing eating habits should involve teaching the whole family, not just the overweight child.

3) Finally, the most common cause of childhood obesity is environmental, lack of physical activity and bad meal choices. Susan Okie, the writer of Fed Up, surveyed the food choices kids took at D.W. Griffith Junior High, in East Los Angeles. One boy wrote, “Breakfast: pizza, chips, cereal, ice cream, donuts. Lunch: pizza, cupcakes, Cheetos. Dinner: pizza, soup, bread. Snacks: pizza, chips, sugar” (Okie 7). Out of the 27 students that were surveyed, only 2 of the 27 listed a single fruit. When Okie asked why kids do not get enough physical exercise nowadays, they all said technology, laziness, crime, or traffic. Several people were asked why the obesity epidemic was spreading. The answer was the same, “They look at their children’s lifestyles and point to super-sized sodas, TV and video games, and snack foods” (Okie 8). Environmental factors are the most dangerous and the goal of society should be to find ways to endorse physical activity and improve meal choices.