Causes of Obesity in Youngsters

Weight problems are not only a big issue for adults but are also equally damaging to the youngsters. Educators, nutritionists and researchers are trying to call attention to the crisis of youngster's obesity. Nowadays, we can see a lot of young crowd that is struggling with their weight as never before. This burgeoning obesity epidemic among youngsters is expected to have a terrible impact on their future.

Being overweight or obese places youngsters at high risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease later in life. It's important to realise that the fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. A large calorie surplus is typically needed to cause obesity. Global increases in overweight and obesity are attributable to a different combination of reasons like:

• Diet: Lack of time to prepare healthy meals at home and the easy availability of take away foods is the root cause of obesity among youngsters. The dietary habits of youngsters have shifted away from healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to high-calorie and processed snacks, fast food, and sugary soft drinks. They are the most targeted by fast food chains, promoting their super-size portions and all-you-can-eat offers. These foods are ridiculously high in sugar content, saturated fats, white starches and carbohydrates with hardly any nutrients.

• Sedentary lifestyle: Physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyle is also one of the key determinants of the growing rates of overweight/obesity. Nowadays, youngsters spend most of the day working in front of the computer and then spend a significant percentage of leisure time in watching TV or playing computer games. Staying physically inactive leaves unused energy in the body, most of which is stored as fat and it also goes against our ancient "hunter gatherer" body cycle. Not surprisingly, it is observed that obesity rates are higher among children, teenagers and youngsters who frequently watch television or work most of the time on computers.

• Genetics: Science shows that genetics plays a role in obesity. Metabolic rate, blood glucose metabolism, fat-storage, hormones to name a few, are all influenced by our genetic inheritance. Analyses of the distributions of the degree of obesity among family members suggest that a few genes have a discernible effect on fat metabolism rate. The scientists discovered the gene, known as FTO, in a study of 2,000 candidates. A person with the FTO variant is likely on average to weigh 3 kilos (6.6 pounds) more than a person who does not have the FTO variant. Identifying obesity genes could help in preventing the condition and lead to treatments for it.

• Developmental factor: Obesity results from a complex combination of factors that act at many stages throughout a person's life. These include both biological and socio-environmental factors. In early childhood, feeding practices, taste acquisition, and eating in the absence of hunger can lead to obesity in the future. For example, breast-feeding may protect against obesity in later life with the risk of being overweight later on inversely associated with the duration of breast-feeding. Other factors such as maternal diet, alcohol consumption, and smoking can affect the fetus in the womb itself.

• Medical illness: Certain medical conditions and medications can cause or promote obesity. These generally decrease metabolism or increase the appetite for carbohydrates, causing weight gain. These include Cushing's syndrome (a condition in which the body contains excess amounts of cortisol, also known as "the stress hormone"), Hypothyroidism, Insulin Resistance and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS/PCOD).

• Psychological factors: Many youngsters eat in response to negative emotions such as boredom, sadness, or anger. Unfortunately, turning to food to face depression can lead to obesity. Our society places a high value on looking a particular way. If the youngsters don't fit into this mold they develop low self-esteem and body image issues that can lead to depression. Depression leads to surge of negative emotions which eventually leads to overeating, thus creating a vicious cycle.

Addressing these causes of obesity requires the youngsters to focus on lifestyle issues and making modifications to their habits when they are still young enough to ingrain these new habits into their life.  Clearly, these are not easy changes to make. Persistence and perseverance is the key to success.