National Childhood Obesity Article

Common Causes of Childhood Obesity Parents Should Be Aware Of

If you look at the studies conducted on children weight in the last twenty years, you will likely be shocked at just how many children are overweight or even obese. You would think that this is a problem that stems from inactivity, and thus would be limited to teenagers, but in actuality, even toddlers and preschoolers are overweight, some classified even at this early age as being obese. That being said, just what is the reason behind childhood obesity? Why are so many children, even young children, having to battle their weight so early in life? That is a question that has been the basis of many scientific studies of late, and still has no one definitive answer.

We do have a good idea of some of the causes of childhood obesity, and many of them can be avoided. One of the more common causes is that children are more interested in electronic games and devices than they are spending time outside playing or participating in sports. Children would much rather stay inside the house, with their video or computer game, than go outside and play tag or ride their bikes. Parents have to get involved here, and limit the amount of time that children have with these electronic devices, so that they have no choice but to get up and be physically active. You should limit the amount of television they watch, the amount of time they spend doing anything other than physical activity. It may be difficult at first, and it will not win you any popularity contests, but it is something that you have to do.

Over half of the children in the United States today spend more than three hours each day in front of the television, and even if they are watching educational programming that is suitable for their age, three hours is just too long. You should try to cut this down gradually, until children are allowed one hour per day for watching television, and no more.

As parents, time is something that we rarely have enough of, so it is tempting to try to do things to save as much time as possible, such as running through the local drive-thru on your way home for dinner, rather than preparing a meal. That is okay if you only do it occasionally, and if you choose healthy foods when you order, but if it becomes a frequent habit, you could be contributing to your child’s weight problem. The same thing is true if you buy simple snacks when you shop for groceries, such as chips, soda, cookies, candy, etc., rather than the healthier options of fruits and vegetables. Sure, they require less preparation, but how many extra calories are they adding you are your child’s daily diet?

There are all factors that you, the parent, have control over, at least to a point, but there are other contributing factors that you may not be able to control, such as genetics, and economic issues. By controlling the things that you can, you can help teach your child healthy habits that will not only help control their weight now, but for the rest of their lives.