Being aware of the causes of childhood obesity is a very good idea for any parent. It isIt's only when you recognize the true causes of this condition that you can truly work toward fixing it. Ignoring the situation will not make it go away. And when a youngster grows up overweight or obese it's that far more difficult to control the weight as an adult. So, what are the normal causes of childhood obesity and what can a family do to address these causes?
Consider the typical lifestyle that many people lead today and you may get your first indication as to the representative causes of childhood obesity. Youngsters just don't go out of doors and frolic anymore. They usually spend their free time performing video games or computer games or watching the television set. Lack of physical activity is one of the causes of childhood obesity. The body must burn the calories it assimilates from eating. Any extra calories not burned off are stored as fat.
Today people as well commonly drive everywhere instead of taking a walk. Children take the bus to school and are frequently driven to the bus stop itself. They're driven to their friend's house and to the corner store. And when it's time to do chores around the house we have numerous labor-saving devices that limit physical activity as well. Power lawn mowers, snow blowers, and leaf blowers mean that even when doing work around the house there is very little exertion expended. All of this lack of activity and lack of physical exertion is another part of those causes of childhood obesity.
The diet that many folks follow is another part of those causes of childhood obesity. Much of the food that people eat is very unhealthy. It's usually cooked with added oil, butter, and sugar to raise the flavor. Unfortunately, this also raises the calorie count! Fast food and junk food are two prime culprits. Hamburgers, fries, potato chips, and items like these are very calorieheavy meaning they have a lot of calories for the amount of food you get. Fast food restaurants are emphatically a large part of the common causes of childhood obesity! Enclosed in this are the numerous vending machines that are just about everywhere, including the schools. Most of their contents contain sugary foods and sodas. It's not unusual for kids to eat literally thousands and thousands of excess calories weekly. This, even if it doesn't seem as if anyone is overeating.
These common causes of childhood obesity can be handled by any responsible parent. There's no need to go to extremes and anticipate that your child to become a star athlete or to never have a hamburger again. But being balanced and moderate can go a long way in this respect. Treating these causes of childhood obesity may be as easy as walking after dinner as a family or going for bike rides on a regular basis. Prepare healthy and nourishing foods at home to balance out the excessive calories children get when on their own, and your child should maintain a healthy weight.
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