CAUSE AND RISK FACTORS OF CHILHOOD OBESITY 1 4 CAUSE AND RISK FACTORS OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY Cause and Risk Factors of Childhood Obesity Lesly M. Ponce Gonzales Mountain View College ENGL 1302 - TR -11:00 Abstract Childhood obesity is a global public health concern and its increasing over the years and it is defined as an increase in body fat and this is related to an abnormal weight gain for their age and height. The obese child is more predisposed to being an obese adult and tends to increase his probability of early mortality. Causes or risk factors are closely related to genetic inheritance, lifestyle, and environmental factors, such as school diet, socioeconomic problems, and technology. It can also cause diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep disorders, among others. The causes and risk factors of childhood obesity because it helps to understand the increasing growth of obese children and adults in the world. Knowing the causes or risk factors allows specialists to find or propose solutions for its prevention. Cause and Risk Factors of Childhood Obesity Did you know that overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is one of the faster-growing epidemics in the world, that it is not only related to excessive consumption of calories? Although childhood obesity is caused by eating more energy than it is burning, and it is associated with a dietary factor and sedentary lifestyle, exists others less known causes associated with genetic, psychological, family, sociocultural, socioeconomic and environmental factors that develop and increase the risk of the childhood obesity. As a global health concern, World Health Organization (WHO), classifies if a child is overweight or obese using body mass index (BMI) “systematic reviews have shown that the BMI (…) provides the best simple means of defining obesity in children and adolescents” (Really). BMI is a simple indicator of the relationship between weight and height that it is used to identify obesity in children and adults. It is calculating by dividing children’s weight in kilos by the square of their height in meters BMI = (kg) / Height² (m²). For instance, the WHO uses the BMI-for-age chart for boys for screening for overweight or obesity in the child. As it has shown in figure 1 and 2 respectively, the line labeled 0 on the growth chart is the median or the average. A child whose BMI-for-age is above line 3 is obese, above 2 is overweight and above 1shows the possible risk of overweight. Obesity is interpreted “as an excess of body fat” (Sahoo) because it is understood that the excess of weight is due to the growth of fat cells or the born of the new ones. According to the researchers the prevalence of pediatric obesity in the world has increased at an alarmed rate s from “2% to 6.7% in 2010” (Al-Agha), turning it as the most serious public health challenge of this time. Fig. 1. Child Growth Standards BMI-for-age BOYS 2 to 5 years old Fig. 2. Ch ...

1. CAUSE AND RISK FACTORS OF CHILHOOD OBESITY
1
4
CAUSE AND RISK FACTORS OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY
Cause and Risk Factors of Childhood Obesity
Lesly M. Ponce Gonzales
Mountain View College
ENGL 1302 - TR -11:00
Abstract
Childhood obesity is a global public health concern and its
increasing over the years and it is defined as an increase in
body fat and this is related to an abnormal weight gain for their
age and height. The obese child is more predisposed to being an
obese adult and tends to increase his probability of early
mortality. Causes or risk factors are closely related to genetic
inheritance, lifestyle, and environmental factors, such as school
diet, socioeconomic problems, and technology. It can also cause
diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep
disorders, among others. The causes and risk factors of
childhood obesity because it helps to understand the increasing
growth of obese children and adults in the world. Knowing the
causes or risk factors allows specialists to find or propose
solutions for its prevention.

2. Cause and Risk Factors of Childhood Obesity
Did you know that overweight and obesity in children and
adolescents is one of the faster-growing epidemics in the world,
that it is not only related to excessive consumption of calories?
Although childhood obesity is caused by eating more energy
than it is burning, and it is associated with a dietary factor and
sedentary lifestyle, exists others less known causes associated
with genetic, psychological, family, sociocultural,
socioeconomic and environmental factors that develop and
increase the risk of the childhood obesity.
As a global health concern, World Health Organization (WHO),
classifies if a child is overweight or obese using body mass
index (BMI) “systematic reviews have shown that the BMI
(…) provides the best simple means of defining obesity in
children and adolescents” (Really). BMI is a simple indicator of
the relationship between weight and height that it is used to
identify obesity in children and adults. It is calculating by
dividing children’s weight in kilos by the square of their height
in meters BMI = (kg) / Height² (m²). For instance, the WHO
uses the BMI-for-age chart for boys for screening for
overweight or obesity in the child. As it has shown in figure 1
and 2 respectively, the line labeled 0 on the growth chart is the
median or the average. A child whose BMI-for-age is above line
3 is obese, above 2 is overweight and above 1shows the possible
risk of overweight. Obesity is interpreted “as an excess of body
fat” (Sahoo) because it is understood that the excess of weight
is due to the growth of fat cells or the born of the new ones.
According to the researchers the prevalence of pediatric obesity
in the world has increased at an alarmed rate s from “2% to
6.7% in 2010” (Al-Agha), turning it as the most serious public
health challenge of this time.

3. Fig. 1. Child Growth Standards BMI-for-age BOYS 2 to 5 years
old
Fig. 2. Child Growth Standards BMI-for-age Boys 5-19 years
old
This prevalent disease has many causes and results "from an
imbalance between energy intake and expenditure" (Sahoo).
This extra energy or calories that a child consumes is due to
external factors that have to do with the lifestyle. Accordant to
specialists, dietary factors that are linked with childhood
obesity are junk food and fast food because they are high in
caloric; as is the case of sugary beverages. Studies demonstrate
that "children and adolescents associate junk food with pleasure
(...and...) healthy food is considered odd" (Sahoo). It is the
reason why children choose this kind of food in a big size over
healthy food. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study ,
Kindergarten Class 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) data answered about
the frequency of eating a meal from a fast-food restaurant and
drinking soda pop were more than 4 times per week (Min). In
order to avoid this causality, children need to focus on eating
healthy food, size of portion conferring with their age, and take
pleasure eating with the family at home because it is an
evidence “ that families who eat together consume more
healthy foods” (Sahoo). In this way, children could avoid the
factor of poor diet and high caloric.
One of the factors that are producing the greatest impact on the
prevalence of childhood obesity is linked to the sedentary
lifestyle. Physical activity is reduced by screen time, online
class activities, watching Tv, or video games between others.
Researchers found " the increased amount of time spent in
sedentary behaviors has decreased the amount of time spent in
physical activity” (Sahoo), and the only way children can
expenditure calories is with movement. The screen time used in
children and adolescents according to the ECLS-K study is more

4. than 3 hours as a daily recreational activity. The specialists say
that when a child turned obese it is more difficult in order to do
exercises “obese bodies need much more energy to maintain
(and to move around) than non-obese bodies” (Reilly). In other
words, a child obese could be an adult obese which, in turn,
turning the health and well-being at greater risk. Related to the
reduction of physical activity, a study about various causative
factors associated with childhood obesity in Saudi Arabia found
it that 68% of children led a sedentary lifestyle, between a 34.4
% of the children reported to rarely engage in physical activity,
and another 34.5 reported an occasional, between 1 and 2
times/week (Figure 3).
Fig. 3. Rate of physical activity among obese children
Al-Algha, et al.: Causes and complications of childhood obesity
Although it is not the cause of the dramatic increase of
childhood obesity, “genetics is one of the biggest factors
examined as a causa” (Sahoo). This factor plays a role in
developing obesity only if it is related to external factor s like
environment and behavioral factor as the diet and sedentary
lifestyle. However, there is evidence that changes in the
economic sector, urbanization, and technological advancement
have influenced eating habits and sedentary lifestyles increasing
childhood obesity over the years " from 4.2% in 1990 to 6.7 %
in 2010 and is expected to rise to 9.1% in 2020" (Akowuah),
becoming in an issue of global public health. The urbanization
has led to a series of changes in relation to the content of the
diet, the time when families eat, and sedentary lifestyles have
also increased. Homemade dishes full of fruits and vegetables
have been replaced by fast-food foods, processed due to the
high hours that families must work. The short time at night
families has to prepare dinner makes them choose to buy semi
cook food or fast food and eating late at night. Moreover,
urbanization led to an increase in sedentary lifestyles and by
advancement in technology "children spend more time indoors
than they do outdoors, playing video games, [electronical

5. media, television viewing], and partaking in other indoor
activities" especially in urban areas (Akowuah) decreased
physical activities.
Currently, the obesity problem affects both developed and
developing countries. One of the developing countries that did
numerous studies on how the economy affected this developing
country in the childhood obesity is Ghana and shows that the
"prevalence of childhood obesity in these studies [rose] from
0.7%to 47.06%" between 2012 to 2019 and the overall
prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight ... was 8.6 and
10.7%(Kwaku). It is alarming how obesity is increasing in
developing countries because it was 6.1% in 2010 and is
expected to reach 8.6% by 2020. Poverty is another big factor
that is raising in the development of obesity. According to the
research of Fisher institute of Health and Well-being and Ball
State University, Muncie, USA, children from low-
socioeconomic households had three times higher odds of
obesity than children from higher socioeconomic households.
With the statistical methods this studies, it showed that the
impact of poverty affected overweight/obesity risk from early
childhood to adolescence.
Another environmental factor that increases the development of
obesity in children and adolescents is insecurity and violence.
Parents want children to be safe and they drive children until
the school's door. Past years, children rode their bike or walked
to school. A 2002 study found that "53% of parents drove their
children to school"(Sahoo)and they answered it because it is not
safe walking route. "Unsafe areas have fewer opportunities to
be physically activity." (Sahoo). For the same reason, parents
do not let children play outside unless they are with them and
with the short time parents have many children stay home and
prefer to play with technology. Environmental factors were
found to be the most predominant and most significant cause.
Psychological factors as depression, anxiety, self-esteem, body
dissatisfaction, eating disorder, emotional problems are the
other causes that increase the prevalence of obesity especially

6. in adolescence also those could be consequences. Published
studies between 1995 to 2005 about the impact of psychological
factors impact obesity, found that children especially younger
females had an "increased perceived lack of control over eating
seemed to heighten the psychosocial consequences" (Sahoo).
Exist a relationship between obesity and phycological factors;
for instance, other studies show also that obese children "have
lower self-esteem while others do not (Sahoo). Although
apparently exits major problems than psychological and social
consequences that affect obesity in children and adolescents it
is one of the most prevalent consequences. About medical
consequences that affect children, physical health was found
"fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes, asthma,
hepatic steatosis (fatty liver disease), cardiovascular disease...
menstrual abnormalities" among many others (Sahoo). Also,
children obese are linked with low school performance and
“more liable to bullying for their peers, discrimination, and
social marginalization” (Al-Agha). Definitely is one of the
challenge that needs immediately efforts.
In conclusion, while childhood obesity results by leading a
sedentary lifestyle, following an unhealthy diet with high
caloric content, evidence shows that environmental factors
socioeconomic (urbanization, poverty), security, and
psychological factor has more impact on the prevalence of
obesity. For decreasing this risk of factors, society will
probably require personal, and family changes to modify diet
and physical activities by children.
References
Al-Agha, A., Mabkhoot, Y., Bahwirith, A., Mohammed, A.,
Ragbi, R., Allhabi, E., Dumyati, B., & Milyani, A. (2020).
Various causative factors and associated complications of
childhood obesity in Jeddah, Western Region, Saudi
Arabia. Annals of African Medicine, 19(1), 15–19. https://doi-
org.dcccd.idm.oclc.org/10.4103/aam.aam_8_19
Akowuah, P. K., & Kobia-Acquah, E. (2020). Childhood

7. Obesity and Overweight in Ghana: A Systematic Review and
Meta-Analysis. Journal of Nutrition & Metabolism, 1–11.
https://doi-org.dcccd.idm.oclc.org/10.1155/2020/1907416
Min, J., Xue, H., & Wang, Y. (2018). Association between
household poverty dynamics and childhood overweight risk and
health behaviors in the United States: a 8‐ year nationally
representative longitudinal study of 16 800 children. Pediatric
Obesity, 13(10), 590–597. https://doi-
org.dcccd.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/ijpo.12292
Reilly, J. J. (2007). Childhood Obesity: An Overview. Children
& Society, 21(5), 390–396. https://doi-
org.dcccd.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/j.1099-0860.2007.00092.x
Sahoo, K., Sahoo, B., Choudhury, A. K., Sufi, N. Y., Kumar,
R., & Bhadoria, A. S. (2015). Childhood obesity: causes and
consequences. Journal of Family Medicine & Primary
Care, 4(2), 187–192. https://doi-
org.dcccd.idm.oclc.org/10.4103/2249-4863.154628
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Boys Growth Record. In
Training Course on Child Growth Assessment. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/childgrowth/training/boys_growth_record.
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kilisol1467:HIV_(1).docx
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Word count: 684

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kilisol1467:HIV_(1).docx
ORIGINALITY REPORT

10. PRIMARY SOURCES
"HIV/AIDS in South Africa 25 Years On",
Springer Science and Business Media LLC,
2009
Publication
Submitted to University of Arizona
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en.wikipedia.org
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Submitted to Tufts University
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Submitted to University of Johannsburg
Student Paper
scholarworks.waldenu.edu
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archive.org
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9 1%
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Exclude matches Off
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GRADEMARK REPORT
GENERAL COMMENTS
Instructor
PAGE 1
Comment 1
Use MLA format. This is APA.
Comment 2
No headings in MLA format.
PAGE 2
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Your using exact language here without quotation marks, which
is plagiarism. Make sure you

12. avoid this in your final draft.
Comment 4
Make your solutions clear in your thesis statement - the last
sentence of your introduction
paragraph.
PAGE 3
Comment 5
Introduce authors with a bit of info on who they are. Why are
they trustworthy?
Comment 6
explore a single solution - you don't have to fully solve the
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can do or proposal we can support to start addressing the
problem?
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Use MLA format.
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