What causes childhood obesity?
A lifestyle issue which includes very less activity and more calories intake are the main contributors to childhood obesity. Here the genetic and hormonal factors play a main role.
Risk factors
Diet:
Regularly eating high calorie foods in ignorance is the main cause of childhood weight gain. Snacking habits including fast foods, baked goods and vending machine snacks, can cause the child to gain weight. Candy and desserts also can cause weight gain, and more evidence points to sugary drinks, including fruits and sports drinks, as culprits in obesity in some people.
Lack of exercise:
Children who don’t exercise much will cause weight gain because they don’t burn as many calories. More time of period spent in sedentary activities such as watching television or playing video games also contributes to the problem.
Family factors:
If the child comes from a family of overweight people, they will be more likely to put on weight.
Psychological factors:
Personal, parental and family stress can increase a child’s risk factors for obesity. Some children fail to cope with stress and problems at school or home. Emotions such as stress, or boredom can lead to overeating.
Socioeconomic factors:
People in remote areas often store convenience foods. As a result, they might buy snacks and foods that will not spoil quickly, such as frozen meals, crackers and cookies.
Certain medications:
Some prescription drugs carry the risk of weight gain and obesity. Few of these are prednisone, lithium, amitriptyline, paroxentine (paxil), gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise, Horizant) and propranolol (Inderal, Hemangeol).