Obesity results when too much fat accumulates in the body. A person is normally considered obese when his or her weight is 20% over the normal body-weight for height and age and the Body Mass Index (BMI) measures 30 or more. Now recognized as a serious medical problem, obesity affects about 30% of adults, and about 14% of children and adolescents in the United States.

People who are very active generally have a higher metabolic rate than those who are inactive because they burn off calories faster through energetic activity. For example, a labourer working on a building site may need as many as 4,000-5,000 calories a day to keep an even weight. In contrast, an office worker who uses a car to get to work, and does not exercise, may only need 1,500 calories a day.

Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in the U.S and the U.K. It is a very serious issue which can lead to many health and social consequences which can continue into later life. It is important that we implement prevention programmes and get a better understanding of childhood obesity. However it is not as simple as this as the science behind childhood obesity is highly complex and can vary between individuals. However medical advice and common sense are usually the safest and most effective ways of reducing childhood obesity in your child.

Causes of Child Obesity

Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is generally caused by lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of the two, with genetics and lifestyle both playing important roles in determining a child's weight.

Overweight and obesity is related to technological, social, economic and environmental changes that have reduced physical activity and increased food access and passive energy consumption.

Environmental Causes of Child Obesity

Insufficient Calorie Expenditure Through Exercise

The average American child spends a significant percentage of leisure time watching TV, or playing computer games. Few calories are expended during this sedentary activity. Not surprisingly, obesity rates are higher among children and teenagers who frequently watch television. In addition, only a small minority of children (1 in 5) regularly participate in after-school sports or extra-curricular physical activity.

Family Behaviors

It's difficult to separate genetic from family-environmental factors as causes of childhood obesity. Although children of obese parents are estimated to have a 25-30 percent extra chance of becoming obese themselves, part of this increased risk of obesity is probably due to eating habits and poor family nutrition, rather than heredity. Parental behavioral patterns concerning shopping, cooking, eating and exercise have an important influence on a child's energy balance.

Low Nutrition As mentioned above kids are not eating healthy food, they are eating processed food and fast food that dont have any nutrients and vitamins. To eat the necessary nutrients that our body needs they have to eat vegetables and fruits.

What can you do to prevent childhood obesity?

Be proactive!

Start by cooking and eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity and limiting TV watching and game playing to a few hours a day. You can encourage play by finding activities that your child likes to get involved in. Also, get everyone in on helping around the house.

Instilling the value of health consciousness as well as fostering fun and active pastimes, will allow you to keep childhood obesity at bay.