Causes
When investigating the root cause of childhood obesity, it is important to remember that a mere 1% of all cases of obesity have a genetic origin. The remaining 99% are caused by outside contributing factors such as poor food choices and lack of activity. This is good news for children who want to lose weight. With the proper information and tools, parents can help their children achieve a healthy body weight. In other words, an overweight or obese child is not necessarily destined to become an obese adult.

The three main contributors to childhood obesity are:

• A decline in daily physical exercise;
• An over-consumption of processed and fast foods; and
• An increase in serving sizes.

The amount of time children spend on outdoor activity and play has declined dramatically with the surge in popularity of TVs and computers. Whereas yesterday’s children would ride their bikes for hours, play hockey and soccer or run in the park, today’s children are more inclined to mindlessly munch in front of a TV or computer screen. The decline in daily activity coupled with poor dietary choices is one of the main culprits packing the extra pounds on our children.

The quality of food our children are eating has also taken a plunge. The favorite foods of today’s children include hamburgers, french fries, hot dogs, pizzas, white bread and candy. Foods such as red meat, luncheon meats and deep fried foods are loaded with fat and therefore contain more calories per serving. Other foods such as refined grains (white bread) and the average soda (which contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar!) elevate a child’s blood sugar levels, thereby stimulating the pancreas to release too much of the hormone insulin. In short, excess insulin = excess fat.

Larger serving sizes are also major contributors to childhood obesity. Research clearly shows that people overeat when they are served more food, whether they are hungry or not. Unfortunately, the food industry uses catchy slogans such as “two for one”, “all you can eat”, “free refills” and “extra large” to attract consumers. This super-sizing of food that is laced with chemicals that create cravings has worked to dissociate children from their true hunger cues.