- What can cause childhood obesity
- 1. Poor nutrition
- 2. Sedentary life
- 3. Genetic changes
- 4. Changes in intestinal flora
- 5. Hormonal changes
Obesity is not only due to the excessive consumption of foods rich in sugars and fats, it is also influenced by genetic factors and the environment in which they live, from the maternal womb to adulthood.
Factors such as having obese parents and younger siblings increase the chances of being obese, as genes and eating habits are inherited and affect the whole family. Find out what are some situations that favor obesity, in addition to poor diet and physical inactivity.
What can cause childhood obesity
About 95% of the causes of childhood obesity are related to poor diet, physical inactivity and lifestyle habits that are maintained at home, and only 1 to 5% are related to genetic or hormonal factors. Thus, the main factors involved in childhood obesity are:
1. Poor nutrition
The first factor related to childhood obesity is unruly nutrition, because the accumulation of fat occurs when the person ingests more calories, sugar and fat than he needs to live. Thus, the body accumulates the extra load for a future need, in the form of fat, first in the belly and then throughout the body.
Each gram of fat contains 9 calories, and even if the person eats good fat, such as avocado or olive oil, if your body does not need these calories, it will store it as fat.
How to fight: Thus, one of the best strategies to lose weight is to eat less, especially less fat and sugar. Watch more tips in this video:
2. Sedentary life
Not exercising regularly causes the body's metabolism to be reduced. Thus, the body uses less calories than the person ingests and weight gain occurs.
In the past, children moved more, because they ran through the streets, played ball and jumped, but nowadays, children have become more peaceful, preferring electronic games and TV, which combined with overeating, leads to overweight.
Obese children are more likely to be obese adults because it is during childhood that the cells that accumulate fat are formed. Thus, excess weight in childhood causes more fat cells to be formed, favoring the accumulation of fat throughout life.
How to fight: The ideal is that the child has only 1 hour a day in electronic games or watching TV and all free time can be spent with recreational activities that burn calories. You can enroll your child in children's sports or play with them with a ball, rubber band or other traditional games. Check out some ways to increase your child's physical activity.
3. Genetic changes
However, the genetic load also appears to influence weight. Having obese parents makes children more likely to be obese because they seem to transmit the genes that cause this disease. In addition, parents can be obese due to unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as not practicing physical activity and not having a balanced diet, causing their children to make the same mistakes that lead to weight gain.
Some genetic changes that can cause obesity include:
- Melanocortin-4 receptor mutationLeptin deficiencyPropiomelanocortin deficiencySyndromes such as Prader-Willi, Bardet-Biedl and Cohern
The risk of the baby being an obese adult begins in pregnancy, being greater when the pregnant woman is obese or has a bad diet, consuming many sugars, fats and industrialized products.
In addition, excessive stress and smoking can also cause changes in the fetus' genes that favor obesity. This risk also increases when a woman overweight during pregnancy.
How to fight: Genetics cannot be changed, so the ideal is to look at the child's health since pregnancy, maintaining the appropriate weight and healthy eating, and teaching good life habits, such as food rich in vegetables, fruits, cereals and prefer outdoor activities, to keep on the move whenever possible.
4. Changes in intestinal flora
The intestinal flora of obese people is different from the flora of people with the appropriate weight, presenting a lesser variety of bacteria that produce vitamins and that favor the absorption of nutrients. The intestinal flora is also responsible for increasing transit in the intestine, which is why excess weight is also linked to constipation.
How to fight it: Taking a probiotic medicine, containing millions of good bacteria for the intestine is a good way to improve the intestinal flora, which fights constipation and also helps you lose weight, and feel more satiated in less time. Another option is stool transplantation.
5. Hormonal changes
In obesity, there is a change in the genes that produce the hormones that control metabolism, the feeling of hunger and the accumulation of fat. Therefore, it is common for obese people to continue eating even when they are already full, which favors weight gain. Some diseases that may be related are:
- Hypothyroidism Cushing's Syndrome Growth hormone deficiency Pseudohypoparathyroidism
How to fight: It is recommended to prefer foods that are more satiating, which are rich in fiber. Determining how much food to eat at a meal is also a strategy that works very well. In addition, you should always mark the time when the next meal will be made, so as not to be eating all the time.
Thus, it can be concluded that there are several factors that are related to excessive weight in childhood and not all can be eliminated. However, whenever a child is overweight, parents should take extra care with their food so that they can reach their ideal weight, avoiding health and emotional problems that are linked to obesity. See everything you can do to help your overweight child lose weight.
Watch the following video and learn how to help your child lose weight:
According to the WHO - World Health Organization, there are 3 critical periods for the development of obesity: the pregnancy of the child, the period between 5 and 7 years and the adolescence phase. Therefore, in these phases it is even more important to maintain a healthy diet inside and outside the home.
