The number of obese children nearly doubled since the early 1980s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity amongst children is a growing concern, with 16 to 33 percent of children and adolescents in the overweight category, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Lifestyle is the most common contributing factor to the cause of overweight children in today's society.
Genetics
Genetics is a key contributor of the growing number of overweight children. In research performed in 1999 by Columbia University at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center published in the journal "Pediatrics", Dr. David B. Allison reports "genes account for 75 to 80 percent of the percent body fat in children, while the remaining 20 to 25 percent is attributed to nonshared environmental influences."
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry notes obesity is a concern for children when parents are overweight. If one parent is overweight, the child's risk of obesity increases 50 percent; however, if both parents are overweight, the risk increases by 80 percent. This increased risk predisposes children to health problems such as heart disease and diabetes during adulthood.
Eating Too Much
Portion controls is a growing concern, with consumers surrounded by super-sized meals and all-you-can-eat buffets. Children are learning unhealthy eating habits because busy lifestyles are leading to consumption of fast foods and prepackaged meals and the development of unhealthy snacking routines. Monitoring the amount of caloric intake is essential to keeping weight under control.
Lack of Exercise
The lack of exercise and growing number of couch potato kids is steadily increasing children's pants sizes. Children who watch more than four hours of television per day increase their chances of obesity compared with children who watch less than two hours of television per day, according to Kids Health from Nemours.
Children are spending more time in front of television, computers and video games and refraining from physical activity---recommended at 60 minutes per day---which is required to burn calories. Kids Health from Nemours reports children under the age of 6 spend an average of two hours per day entertained by electronics, with children over the age of 6 spending over four to five and one-half hours per day electronically entertained.
Psychological Issues and Stress
Children react differently than adults when dealing with negative family events in life, such as divorce, separation, death of a loved one and abuse. Low self-esteem and emotional problems pave the way to depression, which can decrease physical activity and cause children to replace emotions with food, leading to weight gain.
On the medical side, the use of antidepressants, steroids and psychiatric drugs is also a contributing factor to the increase in weight. During the use of these medications, the appetite may increase or metabolism slows down, which causes the extra weight to add up, notes the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
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