Detection of childhood obesity or overweight – Causes of being obese or overweight

Detection of childhood obesity or overweight is the first step to defeating health complications relating to weight gain. Parent must take the lead role in molding their children into healthy living.

Obesity and overweight are a serious threat to human life, allowing this to happen in one’s life is not only harmful but also life shortening. We must do all it takes to ensure that we are safe from these conditions. By doing this will only be effective when we impact the healthy lifestyle in our children and being keen to monitor their growth and development just in case there is evidence of development of obesity or overweight. This will help us remain focus and make early detection which will make us take precautions to correct this before it escalate to a life threatening levels. Therefore as parents, we need to be knowledgeable of the causes, precautions and solutions. If your child is obese or overweight, this means that they are carrying excess body fat and if no action is taken, the extra weight may cause problems for their health.

You may not have any idea how to go about this because for sure it is not easy. We want to be of help to and your children by inviting you to pay us a visit at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. Doctor Akoury together with her team of experts will be waiting for you to help you establish whether your child is overweight or obese by calculating their body mass index (BMI). This is a measurement of your child’s weight in relation to their height as we do this, remember that a child’s BMI is not interpreted in the same way as it is done for adults, their BMI is charted on special growth charts which show how your child’s BMI compares with the normal range for children in the same age bracket, sex and ethnic background.

Health risks for overweight or obese children

Children who are overweight or obese can develop health problems during childhood because of their weight. Health complications may include:

• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Fatty liver disease
• Gallstones and
• Signs of heart disease

The disturbing thing is that these health complications have traditionally been associated with adults, where overweight and obese adults are having an increased risk of developing them. However due to the intensifications in the levels of childhood obesity, these obesity-related health complications are affecting much younger people today. Therefore a child who is overweight or obese will most likely develop the following complications besides the already mention above:

• Going through puberty early.
• Being overweight or obese as an adult (more than half of children who are obese will grow up to be obese as adults).
• Joint problems, including osteoarthritis and separation of the ball of the hip joint from the upper end of the thigh bone (slipped capital femoral epiphysis).
• Developing iron deficiency and vitamin D deficiency.
• Breathing problems, including worsening of asthma, obstructive sleep apnea (difficulties with your child’s breathing whilst they are asleep) and feeling out-of-breath easily when they are exercising.

Being overweight or obese at this tender age can also have psychological effects for some. It may lead to low self-esteem and serious lack of confidence. The victim may be subject to bullying because of their weight. They may become withdrawn and avoid social contact. It may lead to low mood and, in severe cases, depression.

When these conditions are recognized and treated at their initial stages of development some of these health problems may be reversed, or even prevented. The child is also more likely to grow into an adult who has a healthy weight.

What is the cause of being overweight or obese in children?

This is very important for anyone (including children), your weight is dependent on how much energy you take in (the calories in food and drink) and how much energy your body uses (burns) up:

• If the amount of calories that you eat equals the amount of energy that your body uses up, then your weight remains stable.
• If you eat fewer calories than you burn up, you lose weight. Your body has to tap into its fat stores to get the extra energy it needs.
• If you eat more calories than you burn up, you put on weight. The excess energy is converted into fat and stored in your body.

The reasons why energy taken in may not balance energy used up and may lead to weight gain in children, include the following:

How much a child eats and drinks

Overweight in children is mainly because of what they eat and drink more than their body needs. Having too many foods or drinks that are too sugary or fatty is a common problem.

Lack of physical activity

It is important to know that a child may be eating the right type and the right amount of food but, if they are not doing enough physical activity, they may put on weight. Luck or inadequate exercise also contribute, for instance spending many hours watching television or playing video games and having parents who are inactive can also increase a child’s risk of being overweight or obese.

Your parents

Being overweight or obese does run in families. Statistics from the experts indicate that 5 out of 10 children who have one parent who is obese will become obese themselves while 8 out of 10 children with both parents who are obese will also become obese themselves.

This may partly be due to learning bad eating habits from your parents as a child. But, some people actually inherit a tendency in their genes that makes them prone to overeating. It is however not fully understood how this genetic factor works. It has something to do with the control of appetite. When you eat, certain hormones and brain chemicals send messages to parts of your brain to say that you have had enough and to stop eating. In some people, this control of appetite and the feeling of fullness (satiety) may be faulty, or not as good as it is in others.

However, if you do inherit a tendency to overeat, it is not inevitable that you will become overweight or obese. You can learn about the power of your appetite, ways to resist it, be strict on what you eat and do some regular physical activity. But you are likely to struggle more than most people where your weight is concerned. You may find it more difficult to stop yourself from gaining weight or to lose weight.

Lack of sleep

Not getting enough sleep has been suggested as another possible risk factor for obesity in children. There seems to be a trend of children going to bed later but, also, too little physical exercise can lead to poor sleep. The two hormones known as leptin and ghrelin may be important here.

• Leptin is released by fat cells to tell your brain that fat stores are sufficient.
• Ghrelin is released by your stomach as a signal of hunger.

In someone who does not have enough sleep, leptin levels are low and ghrelin levels are high. These changes in hormone levels may encourage a child to eat more.

In conclusion having known the causes of this unhealthy condition, together we can kick this out of our families and from our children’s lives. Our children must not grow into obese adults by all means. Doctor Akoury will be there for you and your family to help you bring up health children free from being obese or overweight all you need to do is to schedule for an appointment with her today. Our next article will major on “What should I do if I am worried that my child is overweight or obese?”

Detection of childhood obesity or overweight – Causes of being obese or overweight