Obesity is not only due to the excessive consumption of foods rich in sugars and fats, but also influenced by genetic factors and the environment in which one lives, from the maternal uterus to adult life.
Factors such as having obese parents and younger siblings increase the chances of being obese because genes and eating habits are inherited and affect the whole family. Find out what are some situations that favor obesity, as well as poor diet and sedentary lifestyle.
What can cause childhood obesity
About 95% of the causes of obesity in childhood are related to poor diet, sedentary lifestyle and life habits that are kept in the home, and only 1 to 5% are related to genetic or hormonal factors. Thus, the main factors involved in childhood obesity are:
1. Poor feeding
The first factor related to childhood obesity is unregulated eating, because fat accumulation occurs when a person eats more calories, sugar, and fat than he or she needs to live. Thus, the body accumulates the extra load for a future need, in the form of fat, first in the belly and then throughout the body.
Each gram of fat contains 9 calories, and even if the person eats good fat, such as avocado or olive oil, if your body does not need these calories, it will store as fat.
How to fight: That way, one of the best strategies to lose weight is to eat less, especially less fat and sugar. Watch more tips on this video:
2. Sedentary life
Not exercising regularly causes the body's metabolism to be reduced. Thus, the body spends less calories than the person ingests and gives the weight gain.
In the old days the children moved more, because they ran in the streets, they played ball and they jumped, but nowadays, the children have become more calm, preferring electronic games and the TV, that allied with an exaggerated feeding, leads to the excess weight.
Obese children are more likely to be obese adults because it is during childhood that the cells that accumulate fat are formed. Thus, overweight in childhood causes more fat cells to be formed, favoring the accumulation of fat throughout life.
How to fight: The ideal is for the child to have only 1 hour a day in video games or watching TV and all free time can be spent with recreational activities that burn calories. You can enroll the child in children's sports or play with a ball, elastic or other traditional games. Check out some ways to increase your child's physical activity.
3. Genetic alterations
However, the genetic load also seems to influence weight. Having obese parents makes their children more likely to be obese because they seem to transmit the genes that cause the disease. In addition, parents may be obese due to unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as not practicing physical activity and not having a balanced diet, causing their children to make the same mistakes that lead to weight gain.
Some genetic changes that can cause obesity include:
- Melanocortin-4 receptor mutation
- Leptin deficiency
- Deficiency of Propiomelanocortina
- Syndromes such as Prader-Willi, Bardet-Biedl and Cohern
The risk of the baby being an obese adult begins in pregnancy, being greater when the pregnant woman is obese or makes a poor diet, consuming many sugars, fats and industrialized products.
In addition, too much stress and smoking can also cause changes in the genes of the fetus that favor obesity. This risk also increases when a woman is overweight during pregnancy.
How to fight: Genetics can not be changed, so it is best to look at a child's health since pregnancy, maintain adequate weight and healthy eating, and teach good eating habits such as food rich in vegetables, fruits, cereals whole, and prefer outdoor activities, to keep moving when possible.
4. Changes in intestinal flora
The intestinal flora of obese people is different from the flora of people of adequate weight, presenting a smaller variety of bacteria that produce vitamins and that favor the absorption of nutrients. The intestinal flora is also responsible for increasing the transit in the intestine, so overweight is also linked to constipation.
How to fight: Taking a probiotic remedy containing millions of good bacteria for the gut is a good way to improve the intestinal flora, which fights constipation and also helps you to lose weight, and feel satiated in less time. Another option is stool transplantation.
5. Hormonal changes
In obesity, there is a change in the genes that produce the hormones that control the metabolism, the feeling of hunger and the accumulation of fat. Therefore, it is common for obese people to continue eating even when they are already full, which favors weight gain. Some diseases that may be related are:
- Hypothyroidism
- Cushing's syndrome
- Growth hormone deficiency
- Pseudohypoparathyroidism
How to fight: It is indicated to prefer foods that satiate more, which are the rich in fibers. Determining the amount of food you will ingest at a meal is also a strategy that works very well. In addition, you should always mark the time when the next meal will be made, so you do not eat at all times.
Thus, it can be concluded that there are several factors that are related to excessive weight in childhood and not all can be eliminated. However, whenever a child is overweight parents should take extra care with their food so that it can reach the ideal weight while avoiding health and emotional problems that are linked to obesity. See all you can do to help the overweight child lose weight.
Watch the following video and learn how to help your child lose weight:
According to WHO - World Health Organization, there are 3 critical periods for the development of obesity: gestation of the child, period between 5 and 7 years and the phase of adolescence. Therefore, in these phases it is even more important to maintain a healthy diet both inside and outside the home.
