Kids with BMI or body mass index greater than 95% or at the same level of their age fellows are said obese. The weight status is determined by a tool known as BMI. With the help of body height and weight the BMI of a person is calculated. The gender and age determine the BMI percentile of a kid.
There are many causes of childhood obesity. Obesity these days is considered a serious health issue for kids and adults as it is related to various cardio vascular diseases. People and kids who are obese are at higher risk of getting heart diseases, diabetes and high blood pressure and other chronic conditions related to their health.
Not only physical health of a child is affected by obesity. The overweight kids also suffer from poor self esteem and tend to get depressed easily.
Causes of obesity in kids
There are several factors which are contributing to childhood obesity. The lifestyle, family history and psychological factors all determine the health state of a child. The kids of overweight or obese parents are often overweight as well. The child hood obesity is caused by two main factors in the modern era:
- Intake of junk food
- Technology making the kids sluggish
Is technology the main culprit of childhood obesity?
Too much intake of junk food like pizza, burger, French fries, mayonnaise based food tends to increase BMI of a person, also such food is low in other nutritional contents such as vitamins and minerals which lead to malnutrition disorders.
In the same way, technology such as the use of smart phones, laptops, smart televisions have made children sluggish. It is seen that kids prefer to sit back and enjoy their favorite games or movies more than playing any physical game. Virtual games are of great interest but they do not involve burning of calories which poses a great threat to health of such kids.
Thus we can say that lack of proper physical activity is the main cause of childhood obesity. Technology is one of the main culprit behind lack of physical activity as in past the kids used to play and run a lot while these days kids find it more interesting to play games at smart phones thus staying idle. When less active, people of any age group or gender are likely to get more weight. As we know that as we play a physical game or exercise, we not only burn calories we also maintain healthy weight by it. Even some parents are seen encouraging their kids to play virtual games and ultimately depriving their kids from physical activity. This results in increased body mass index or BMI and as a result children are at increased risk of obesity and malnutrition disorders.
In some kids, psychological issues can also result in obesity. The bored, depressed and stressed kids tend to eat more to cope with their increased negative emotions. Thus it is fair to conclude that one of the main culprits behind childhood obesity and premature chronic health diseases is technology.
Health factors linked with obesity in Kids
The kids who are obese are at increased risk of developing certain health concerns such as heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, breathing disorders such as asthma. Here are some of the diseases which are more likely to happen as a result of inactive mode of life:
The condition where the body fails to metabolize glucose sufficiently is known as type II diabetes. The childhood diabetes increases the risk of nerve damage, kidney diseases and eye concerns. The overweight kids are at increased risk of developing such diseases and hence it is extremely important for kids to burn their calories. The condition is reversible and changes in lifestyle, dietary pattern can provide relief. In the same way increased physical activity can be helpful to reverse the condition.
Cardiac health concerns
As there is high cholesterol buildup in kids, there is an increased risk of developing cardio-vascular diseases such as high blood pressure, irregular heart beat etc. The potential complications of high blood pressure are strokes and heart attack. Lack of physical activity caused by overuse of technology is the main factor contributing to high cholesterol level in the body.
Breathing disorders such as Asthma
Obesity is related to certain breathing disorders and asthma is one of them. Asthma is the inflammation of air passages leading to lungs. According to latest research by scientists it has been proven that obesity increases the risk of developing asthma and the consequences are more serious in kids. Increased physical activity increases the oxygen intake and air passages are also cleaned. The overuse of technology resulted in inactive mode of life and hence there is increased risk of developing such health concerns.
Excessive use of technology has not only resulted in inactive mode of life, it is also causing irregular sleeping pattern in kids. Children are seen involved in playing virtual games late night and hence they suffer from certain sleeping disorders such as snoring, sleep apnea. Also due to the increase in weight especially the fat buildup across the neck can block airways making breathing difficult.
Joint disorders and pain
Inactive mode of life has also resulted in certain bones and joint disorders. The overuse of technology has a great impact on immobility and hence there is more risk of developing early joint disorders such as joint pain. The condition is though reversible and can one can overcome it with the help of increased physical activity.
The overuse of technology has resulted in inactive mode of life. Due to inactive mode of life there is an increased risk of high BMI or obesity especially in kids. The increased BMI or childhood obesity is one of the main causes of diabetes, heart concerns and various chronic health conditions. It is therefore highly important to stay physically active. As we discussed, most of the health concerns caused by obesity are reversible and increased physical activity can make the things better.