Essay on The Causes of Obesity in Adolescence

Introduction of The Causes of Obesity in Adolescence

      The trends of obesity are getting to an alarming level all around the globe and it is expected that trends will continue in this fashion if considerable focus and concern are not shown by the public. The bad thing about obesity is that it is causing serious health concerns, not only in adults but in adolescents as well. Things are getting worse with the passage of time, as more children are trapping into obesity, which is not a good sign for the future. It has been observed that global costs associated with obesity have been constantly increasing in the last decades. It is important to keep in mind that childhood obesity is not an issue specific to any region in the world; rather both developing and developed worlds are dealing with this issue. It has been revealed through statistics that the children under age 5 have been identified with obesity, and an overall number of such obese children all around the world are more than 22 million. It has also been reported that out of every 10 children, 1 child is identified as overweight. So, the issue is very much epidemic in the developed world as well as in the developing world (Raj and Kumar, 2010)

The Causes and Prevention of Obesity

     It is quite worrisome to know that the number of obese children is increasing day by day, and every latest report comes with shocking facts & figures. As per stats revealed in 2015, it was told that more than 43 million people in the world are obese, and out of this number, 24% are in the category of children and adolescents. There are many prevalent issues regarding the health of children, and one of them is nutritional disorders such as obesity. It is quite concerning to know that obese children and adults, both can be in danger of getting heart disease. It is vital to understand the common and other causes of obesity so that prevention strategies can be adapted accordingly. The fact of the matter is that when children use to eat more than normal, then calories intake of their body is more than the required level. So, obesity is caused when consumed calories in the body are more than burnt calories. The data has also revealed that only 10% of people are identified with hormonal & genetic causes of obesity, whereas 90% of individuals are idiopathic. Eating habits are quite crucial with this issue because abnormal eating habits will more likely lead to obesity in any given circumstances (Xu and Xue, 2016)

               The prevalence of obesity can be measured with various elements such as Body Mass Index (BMI). The weight and height of an individual are considered to see his/her BMI, and it defines the body fat level, which has categories such as underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity. The causes of obesity are various and it is known that when the energy intake of the body is more than its expenditure, then an imbalance is created, which leads to obesity. A person has to consume calories and fats to a certain level, and when limits are crossed, then those fats are not burnt by the body, and then person starts to become obese. The energy intake and its relevant expenditure can only be positive with the lifestyle choices made by an individual. If a child eats too much on a daily basis and then sits all the time to watch television or play games, and psychical activity is zero, then obesity is the most likely result of such a lifestyle. It means that lifestyle is quite crucial for individuals to remain fit and healthy along with their diet plan. The eating habits of children should be monitored and controlled; otherwise, it is impossible to stop them from getting obese (Sahoo et al., 2015)

               The researchers have conducted various research studies to know about the causes of obesity, and they have found so much useful information in this regard. It has been found that imbalance dietary intake of children is one of the major causes of obesity along with their sedentary behavior. In addition to that physical activity is closely associated with obesity. The children who are physically active and they play physical games, or if they are involved in doing exercise, then it is observed that such children are successful in avoiding obesity. The more physical activity keeps children fit and healthy, and they don’t gain too much weight to get obese. Still, the dietary intake will remain critical in this regard, because it cannot be allowed for children to have an imbalanced diet, just because he/she is involved in physical activity. The physical activity is important in its own terms, but a balanced diet will always remain viable for the children to remain fit and smart. It has also been observed that the lifestyle of parents also plays a critical role in this issue. If the parenting style adopted by parents is careless, and they are not involved in healthy physical activities, then children will develop those habits as well. Moreover, the eating habits of parents also matters a lot. If parents tend to have a balanced and healthy diet, they train their parents with the same. So, the role of parents is extremely vital in this regard (Sahoo et al., 2015)

               It has also been found that genetic factors may not be too significant, but still, they can also be a cause of obesity in children. It was observed that the BMI of children can be heritable up to 40%, and this number has increased over the period of time. However, genetics cannot be taken as a sole reason for children to get obese, rather relevant social and behavioral aspects should be reviewed together so that overall perspective can be found. There can be situations, where a child may get obese due to genetics, but there will be few who have genetics factors, but they also involve in a lifestyle, which plays a part in their obesity. So, parents will have to keep an eye on the intake of their children, and they must come up with healthy preferences for them, otherwise, obesity is the most likely result (Sahoo et al., 2015).

               It is also important to know the perspective of children, what they think about obesity, and what their perceptions are in this regard. A study was conducted in 2012 to get the perception of children about obesity. Around 80 teens were made part of this study along with their mothers. BMI was used to categorize the participants into four groups. The life history of these children was taken along with the conduction of semi-structured interviews to collect viable data. When data was analyzed properly, it revealed that perception of obesity in the eyes of children as well as their mothers was heritage. They think that obesity is inherited. Few other children have the perception that obesity is caused due to stressful events in life. Another group of participants had a perception that an unhealthy diet plays its part in developing obesity. Few others also talked about a lack of physical activity. So, the research showed that children have mixed perception about obesity (Gonçalves et al., 2012)

               The above-mentioned causes and facts are evident to say that obesity has become prevalent all over the globe, and it is getting epidemic in various parts of the world. So, the need to prevalent and deal with obesity is increasing with each passing day, and stakeholders will have to take adequate measures, otherwise, consequences can be severe than expectations. It is important to develop major prevention strategies to keep children away from obesity because it is not good for their physical and mental health. The first and foremost crucial strategy to deal with the issue is changing the behavior and perception of society. A strategy is needed to spread awareness in the society that they will have to change their habits and behavior. They will have to consider their eating habits and identify any bad eating habits, which should be minimized with the passage of time. The children should be encouraged to eat healthily as well as involve in healthy physical activities (Dehghan, Akhtar-Danesh and Merchant, 2005). It is vital to know that prevention of obesity should be made at the first stage, where it is made sure that children don’t get obese. The prevention is far better and beneficial as compared to cure. The children are adopting the lifestyle, where fast-food, sugar intake, as well as eating snacks, have become common. This lifestyle should be dealt with accordingly, and such bad eating habits should be changed to keep children fit and healthy (Pandita et al., 2016)

Conclusion of The Causes of Obesity in Adolescence

               It can be concluded that obesity in children and adolescents is increasing with the passage of time, and statistics are getting worse. There are multiple causes of obesity, which needs to be analyzed properly so that viable prevention methods are developed. It is observed that prevention at the first stage is far more crucial than treating obesity in adolescents. The children and adolescents will have to change their eating habits and behavior, where they eat healthy and also get involved in physical activities.

 References of The Causes of Obesity in Adolescence

Dehghan, M., Akhtar-Danesh, N. and Merchant, A.T. (2005) 'Childhood obesity, prevalence and prevention', Nutrition Journal, vol. 4, no. 24.

Gonçalves, H., González, D.A., Araújo, C.P., Muniz, L., Tavares, P., Assunção, M.C. and Hallal, P.C. (2012) 'Adolescents' Perception of Causes of Obesity: Unhealthy Lifestyles or Heritage?', The Journal of Adolscent Health, vol. 51, no. 6, pp. S46–S52.

Pandita, A., Sharma, D., Pandita, D., Pawar, S., Tariq, M. and Kaul, A. (2016) 'Childhood obesity: prevention is better than cure', Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes, vol. 9, pp. 83–89.

Raj, M. and Kumar, R.K. (2010) 'Obesity in children & adolescents', Indian Journal of Medical Research, vol. 132, no. 5, pp. 598–607.

Sahoo, K., Sahoo, B., Choudhury, A.K., Sofi, N.Y., Kumar, R. and Bhadoria, A.S. (2015) 'Childhood obesity: causes and consequences', Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 187–192.

Xu, S. and Xue, Y. (2016) 'Pediatric obesity: Causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment (Review)', Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 15-20.