Information On Childhood Obesity: The Risk Factors & Causes

Childhood obesity is a serious problem that places affected children at risk of developing serious medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. According to the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, nearly 17 percent of American children ages 2 to 19 are obese. Not all overweight children are obese. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention charts the body mass index for children by age and sex. The agency classifies a child as being obese if his BMI is at or above the 95th percentile for children in the same age and sex category.

Socioeconomic Risk Factors

In the United States, children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to be obese. A 2001 study published in the "International Journal of Epidemiology" found the reverse to be true in Russia and China. In those countries, children of higher socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to be obese. In the United States, lower socioeconomic groups may not have access to healthy and affordable foods in their neighborhoods.

Inactivity

Physical activity is an important factor in combating childhood obesity. Children who lead a sedentary lifestyle do not have the advantage of burning calories through physical activity. According to the University of Michigan, children who spend long hours playing video games or watching television are at greater risk for obesity than their peers.

Genetic Causes

There does appear to be a genetic link to childhood obesity. Genes are responsible for determining how a person processes food, stores energy and expends energy. Children with obese parents are more likely to be obese themselves. In the May 2007 issue of "Science," Dr. Timothy M. Frayling identified a fat mass and obesity-associated gene that may be at least partially responsible for childhood obesity. In Dr. Frayling's study, children who carried the FTO SNP rs9939609 gene had higher BMIs compared to children who did not carry the gene.

Viral Causes

Scientists are researching a virus that may contribute to childhood obesity. In the September 2010 issue of "Pediatrics," Dr. Charles Gabbert wrote that adenovirus 36 is associated with childhood obesity and higher BMIs in children. As of 2010, research in this area is ongoing and a clear cause and effect linkage has yet to be demonstrated.