What the Causes and Effects of Child Obesity

Child obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or wellbeing. Due to the rising prevalence of obesity in children and its many adverse health effects it is being recognized as a serious public health concern. (Peter, 2005)There are three prominent factors causing this serious problem.

Firstly child obesity is often caused by the interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The gene controls people’s appetite and metabolism.So many children always feel hungry and eat too much food from very young. At the beginning, their parents don not realize that why the babies eat so many .Mistakenly they consider that it is good for small baby to eat all kinds of food .However, they become fatter and fatter when they are grown-up, about 10 years old, even though they eat very little.

Another reason is bad eating habits. Children's food is influenced by family meals. Children’s mother often cook the high-fat,high-protein food instead of vegetables, which is considered to be good for children’s health. Additional, eating at fast food restaurants which are very convenient for children near their schools has become prevalent among young people. Moreover, James (2005) points out that soft drink consumption contribute to childhood obesity as well.

Eventually, the last important cause is lack of physical exercises. Many children fail to engage in regular physical activity. As the hi-tech developed, children prefer to sit on the computer and watch TV program. As a result, they spend fewer and fewer time on outside door activity and physical exercises.

Therefore, obesity is really harmful for children, which leads to many bad consequences.

On one hand, Carrying extra weight can lead to some severe physical problems as well, including Type 2 diabetes, orthopedic problems, Liver disease, Asthma Cancer, Osteoarthritis. (“Childhood Obesity” 2009)They are all at risk that results from obesity. Moreover, as the...