What Is Causing The Current Dramatic Rise In Child Obesity?

As obesity rates continue to climb in the West it is not surprising that we are seeing a growing number of obese children. Of course the effects of childhood obesity are only too obvious, but precisely what is it that causes childhood obesity?

As is frequently the case there is no single cause of childhood obesity and there are several factors which cause obesity in children.

It is usually the case for example that a child with overweight or obese parents will also be overweight or obese which suggests that there might well be an inherited or genetic factor to obesity. But, though this is an area that is actively being studied, no clear genetic link has yet been discovered and it is thought far more likely that it is the eating habits in the family which lead to obesity rather than genetics.

We have witnessed a considerable shift in eating habits in the last few years with fast food restaurants springing up on every street corner, junk food widely available and our supermarket shelves lined with 'convenience' foods that are more often than not very high in sugar. The days when we sat down to home cooked meals are far behind us in many households and have been replaced by microwave meals or take-away food. Indeed, more and more parents are now electing to take their children out to eat instead of cooking meals at home not only because it is simpler than cooking a meal but also because they do not have to wash up!

We have also seen a very significant fall in levels of activity amongst many groups of children, fuelled in no small degree by the arrival of computers, video games consoles and now the ever present mobile phone. Of course, as activity levels have dropped so our children have also lost their god given ability to burn up the calories gained from eating an increasing amount of fast food.

The Internet, television, magazines and other types of media also play a part as they dominate the lives of our kids and junk food, fast food and candy manufacturers are quick to jump onto this particular bandwagon and make full use of the advertising opportunity provided by the media. Many people argue that advertising has done more to fuel the rise in childhood obesity than just about anything else in the last few years.

There are also a variety of social factors at play in today's world and a significant number of children today simply eat when they get bored. Additionally, they will turn to food if they are angry, stressed, anxious or depressed.

Right now a great deal of research is being directed towards the cause of childhood obesity and its treatment and much of this research is focused on solving the problem using diet and exercise once presented with an obese child. But, with childhood obesity continuing to grow at a disturbing rate, and with the obvious dangers of childhood obesity, perhaps it is now time to tackle the roots of child obesity and to prevent our children from suffering from obesity in the first place.