Over the years there has been a massive debate on whether or not childhood obesity is linked to genes or if it is an environmental influence. In some cases children can be overweight due to a certain condition in which they have such as; Prader-Willi, Cohen and Bardet-Biedl syndromes. In some cases genetics can play a major role in a child’s obesity level however, this is not always the case. According to a new piece of research which was published by the International Journal of Obesity it suggests that childhood body weight is strongly influenced by genes. Thirty-two genes have been identified as risk factors for obesity, however previous analyses suggests that these genes alone cannot fully explain the high level of childhood obesity. Within this new study researchers used a new method called Genome-wide Complex Trait Analysis (GCTA) to investigate the molecular genetic heritability of body weight in children. GCTA is used to take advantage of the fact that some individuals are more genetically similar to one another than others.
However, this is not always the case. For many children suffering from childhood obesity it is an environmental problem. This can be due to a range of influences such as their diet or their lifestyle. Children are not as physically active anymore which is one of the major problems within today’s society. Children are not as physically active due to the high level of modern technology which is being produced. Children are becoming more interested in sitting at home and playing games on many different devices. Over previous years, technology was not as widely available which resulted in children having to play outdoors. The main question when looking at the influences, is technology ruining today’s society?
As well as technology playing a major influence on the level of childhood obesity, there are also major environmental issues which can also play a part. Many families can struggle financially, in this case, children are not being provided with the correct foods. When looking at different products, many types of cheaper priced food had more bad components in them which could have an effect on children. Although this is not always the case within families, food manufacturers have a big part to play. Food manufacturer’s job is to sell their products, and they will aim at the best market possible. In some cases this market is children. Children are intrigued by bright colours, and cartoons even if this food is not good for them. Parents can often find it a struggle to find a certain food that a child will eat, if this food is not good for the child parents will often go for the easy option.
In many cases, parents can have a busy lifestyle and it is often their diet as well as their child’s diet which is affected. Children are not sat down to a healthy meal, instead they are sat down to something which is ‘quick’ and ‘easy’. This is another major influence on childhood obesity because again it is these quick and easy meals that do not have the correct nutrients for the child. Many chefs have given top tips to parents which allows them to make ‘quick’ and ‘easy’ meals for their child but still allowing it to be healthy. If healthy promotions were made and continued to be shown in many locations it would promote a healthy lifestyle.
Childhood Obesity 