Causes of Childhood obesity
A number of factors can be blamed for the occurrence of obesity in children; there is no one single thing that can be blamed on an individual; however in most cases, the condition appear when two or more such factors play their role, the following are the main factors:
Lifestyle adopted by modern children: Modern foods, mostly junk foods are freely available for children; this has resulted to a changed eating habits to such foods that increasing the rate of child obesity. On the other hand, children are now engaging more in in-house games using computers, video games, and television, they do not have the chance to exercise their body and muscles, and this increases their chances of being obese since they do not burn calories they have consumed.
Genetic and hormonal: Children’s genetic and hormonal factors influences how bodies accumulate fats on the body; where some people have the tendency of accumulating more fat than other peoples accumulate. When child has a higher tendency of fat accumulation, then chances of becoming obese are high.
Familial and nutritional: Closely related to genetic factors, some families have the tendency of accumulating more fat than others accumulate, as much as this may be from biological making, it has been influenced greatly by the behavior within a family. Obesity can be seen to run down a family, because of diet and nutritional issues in the family setting. If a family engages in inappropriate eating habits, then children in the family are likely to suffer from obesity.
Psychological and physiological factors: Children as they grow develop some food likings, when they have the cash to buy the foods, then they are likely to eat junk that might cause a higher consumption of fats causing obesity.
Solutions to childhood obesity
It is better to prevent than cure, obesity can be prevented in the county through the intervention of policy makers, parents and other stakeholders. To address the issue of obesity in the society, a county’s health department has the role of enforcing rules and regulations as well as creating awareness to the people on how they can change their eating habits for the benefits of their children.
The country should ensure that children have enough playing ground, at school or village level so as they can use plays to exercise their bodies. Parents and junk food joints should be held responsible of children health; this can be through regulations that control advertisement of junk foods in the county and ensuring fresh and health foods are sold in the joints.
Every country should have a legislation that aimed at addressing the issue of obesity; it should;
- Parent’s sensitization on good feeding process to their children, this will be offended in pregnancy clinic where feeding mechanisms of a child before birth and after both will be advocated.
- Creating awareness on the dangers brought about by being obese, both children and adults obesity: knowledge is power thus when embarked on, it is likely to make people change their behavior
- Develop guiding brochures to be given alongside birth notification certificate to newborn. The brochures will advise the parent on right feeding process that he should adopt; the material offered should be a method of aggressive anti-obese campaigns
- Incorporate obesity cases in health insurance policies: this will assist the country suffering population to get proper medical attention for general improvement of their conditions
To attain the above objectives, there is need for corporation among all stakeholders involved. Parents should be given the mandate of ensuring that theory children are fed in the right way, they should ensure that food eaten by a child whether when with the parent or not is the right kind.