Ogbonnaya Jr Akpara
ogbonnayajrakpara
Published in
19 min readMay 3, 2018

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Factors that are Associated with the Development of Obesity in Children

Ogbonnaya N. Akpara

Brooklyn College

The objective of this paper is to discuss the definition, overview, prevalence, and the

factors associated with the development of obesity in children. Childhood obesity has hazardous

factors such as depression, lack of self-esteem, body unhappiness and eating disorder symptoms

that is controlled by elements such as age, gender, family characteristics such as parenting

lifestyle, and environmental factors such as school policies and demographics. Obesity in

children is a health condition that affects many low and middle income communities, especially

in urban places. Reducing the epidemic of obesity in children is very essential by making

healthier choices in one’s life.

Childhood obesity is a condition that appears when a child is above the normal weight for

his or her age group. Obesity in children serves as a key public health problem that affect’s

children’s physical health, happiness, and self-confidence. The definition of obesity is the

increase in body fat as a result of excess calorie intake and lack of physical activity. Childhood

obesity takes place when a child has a lack of self-appreciation and unhappiness. In order to

lessen or lower childhood obesity, the parents of that child has to enhance the diet and exercise

pattern for that child.

In the article “Reducing obesity: motivating action while not blaming the victim” by

Alder, N.E., & Stewart, J, the authors state that “the increase in obesity in the United States may

slow the long-term progression or direction of increasing life expectancy.” (Adler & Stewart,

2009, p.49). This means that reducing obesity is very vital in order for a child to live a long,

healthy and prosperous life. The authors also makes a point that “Obesity results from health

damaging behavior especially among women from low-income communities, those with less

education, and ethnic and racial backgrounds.” (Adler & Stewart, 2009, p.49). This means that

women who come from ethnic and racial backgrounds that are from non-affluent communities

and with a reduced amount of education take part in a large sugar intake by sugary drinks, less

physical activity, and excessive food intake, which causes a child to follow into their mother’s

footsteps, which sets a bad example for that child.

In the article “Prevalence and Trends in Obesity and Severe Obesity Among Children in

the United States” by Skelton, J.A., & Skinner, A.C, the authors state that “we used height and

weight as measured during the examination component to calculate age-and sex-specific BMI

percentile (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared).” (Skelton &

Skinner, p. 561–566). The authors are saying that the Body Mass Index (BMI) for children is

determined by the age and gender of that child. A child’s weight estimation uses an age-and-

gender specific percentile for BMI because children’s body makeup differs as they age. In the

article “Trajectories and Transitions in Childhood and Adolescent Obesity” by Firestone, R.,

Howe, L.D., Lawlor, D.A., Tilling, K., the authors state that “since BMI changes in childhood, it

can result in changes in height and weight.” (Firestone, Howe, Lawlor, & Tilling, 2015, p.30). In

other words, when using age-and-gender specific percentile, one can determine the BMI for any

child. In the graph, “Different Estimates of the Prevalence of Obesity among US Adolescents”,

from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), statistics illustrate the

body mass index (BMI) measured from self-reported height and weight amongst youngsters in

9th to 12th grade. For progenies, obesity is well-defined as a BMI greater than or equal to the age-

and gender-specific 95th percentile standard.

According to the article “Obesity Prevalence in the United States-Up, Down, or

Sideways?” by Yanovski, J.A., & Yanovski, S.Z., the author’s state that “the prevalence of

obesity among children and girls ages 2 to 19 years of age (16.9%) has remained stable over the

past 10 years and the prevalence among boys (32.2%) has not changed significantly.” (Yanovski,

2011, p.987–989). This means that the incidence of obesity among boys and girls are steady

which is a good sign indicating that the prevalence of obesity among boys and girls are

improving. According to Table 1, “Distribution of Demographic Characteristics and Obesity

Prevalence by Demographic Characteristics for All Participants”, the results state that “Older

children and non-Hispanic black and Hispanic children had higher prevalence rates of

overweight and obesity as well as both class 2 and class 3 obesity in the group of all years

pooled.” (Yanovski, 2011, p.987–989). This means that Hispanic and black youths have the

largest incidence of obesity than Whites.

The authors also states that “32.2% of children in the United States aged 2 to 19 years

were overweight and 17.3% were obese. Additionally, 5.9% of children met criteria for class 2

obesity and 2.1% met criteria for class 3 obesity.” (Yanovski, 2011, p. 987–989). This means that

there is a distinction in percentage of youngsters or progenies who are overweight and obese.

Moreover, progenies who meet the benchmark or standard are grouped in the order of which

class a youngster belongs. The author also makes a point that the “prevalence rates of

overweight, obesity, and class 2 obesity are increasingly significant among Hispanic females and

black males.” (Yanovski, 2011, p. 987–989). This means that the occurrence of obesity has

escalated within the minority groups over the past decade.

According to the article “Prevalence of Childhood and Adult Obesity in the United

States” by Carrol, M.D., Kit, B.K., & Ogden, C.L., the authors state that “the prevalence of

obesity among infants and toddlers from birth to age 2 years was 8.1%.” (Carrol, Kit, & Ogden,

2014, p.806–814). This means that the incidence of obesity among newborns and babies are

small which is an extremely excellent sign that it is getting better. The author also states that “the

prevalence of obesity in the United States is high, with 17% of children obese, it appears to have

leveled off in the years of 2009 and 2010.” (Carrol, Kit, & Ogden, 2014, p.806–814). This means

that the incidence of obesity is elevating and it is essential that the prevalence of obesity is

maintained and monitored at all times. The author also makes a point that the “prevalence of

obesity was lower among non-Hispanic white youth compared with non-Hispanic black youth

(P=0.048) and Hispanic youth (P<0.001).” (Carrol, Kit, & Ogden, 2014, p.806–814). This means

that non-Hispanic white (racially white) youngsters have diminished or declined the prevalence

of obesity as opposed to non-Hispanic black (African-Americans).

In the article “Trajectories and Transitions in Childhood and Adolescent Obesity” by

Firestone, R., Howe, L.D., Lawlor, D.A., Tilling, K., the authors state that “the prevalence of

both overweight and obesity continued to rise from ages 9 to 19 years in both black and white

females, with very large increases in the late teenage years in an analysis of 2,379 school

children in the United States.” (Firestone, Howe, Lawlor, Tilling, 2015, p.19–37). In other words,

childhood obesity is proliferating and one needs to observe the prevalence of obesity in children

so that it does not skyrocket. The authors also make a point that “at age nine, 30.6% of black

females and 22.4% of white females were overweight, rising to 39.3% and 24.1% respectively at

age 16 and 56.9% and 41.3% at age 19.” This means that one has to stabilize the prevalence of

obesity before it rises abruptly and rapidly.

The origination and development of childhood obesity is very difficult regarding different

reciprocations among genetics factors. According to the article “HIF3A DNA Methylation Is

Associated with Childhood Obesity and ALT” by Ma, J., Song, Y., Wang, H., Wang, S., Yang,

Y., & Zhang, Y., the authors state that “inheritance could account for up to 40–70% of the

interindividual variability in body weight.” (Ma, Song, Wang, Yang, Zhang, 2015). In other

words, the individual’s trait that is genetically transferred from parent to child makes up 40–70%

of an individual’s body makeup. The authors also makes a point that “methylation levels in obese

children were significantly higher than in controls at positions 46801642 and 46801699 in

HIF3A gene (P<0.05), and found positive associations between methylation and alanine

aminotransferase (ALT) levels adjusted by gender, age and BMI at position 46801699 (r = 0.226,

P= 0.007).” (Ma, Song, Wang, Yang, Zhang, 2015). The author is saying that if you find a

certain substance in the person’s gene at higher than normal, the person is at risk for obesity.

In the article “Genetics of Childhood Obesity” by Grant, S.F.A., & Zhao, J., the authors

state that “insulin-induced gene 2 (INSIG 2) was the first locus to be reported by this method to

have a role in obesity but replication attempts have yielded inconsistent outcomes. A common

genetic variant with modest relative risk (RR=~ 1.2), rs7566605, near the INSIG 2 gene has

described to be associated with childhood obesity from a GWAS (Genome-wide association

study) 100,000 SNPs.” (Grant, & Zhao, 2011, p.1–9). The author is saying that the insulin genetic

form is adjacent or close to the INSIG 2 that is linked to childhood obesity. Moreover, the

duplication process is not reliable or dependable to a point that the insulin gene will not produce

and effective result. The author also states that “studies from both FTO knockout and FTO

overexpression mouse model support the fact that FTO is directly involved in the regulation of

energy intake metabolism in mice, where the lack of FTO expression leads to leanness while

enhanced expression of FTO leads to obesity.” (Grant, & Zhao, 2011, p.1–9). This means that the

insufficiency of the FTO gene variation results in a deficiency or shortfall while a buildup of

FTO expression points to fatness or chubbiness.

In the article “An Obesity-Associated FTO Gene Variant and Increased Energy Intake in

Children” by Cecil, J.E., Hetherington, M.M., Palmer, C.N.A., Tavendale, R., & Watt, P., the

authors state that “children carrying the A allele had somewhat higher measures of waist and hip

circumference than children who did not have the A allele, but the differences were not

significant” (Cecil, Hetherington, Palmer, Tavendale, Watt, 2008, p. 2558–2566). This means

that the scientific measurements of youngsters with waist and hip boundary has a larger or bigger

value within the A allele. Moreover, the mathematical size of youngsters who have the A allele is

distinct or unique. The authors also state that “the children who carried the A allele had an

estimated fat mass that was 1.78 kg greater than that of non-carriers (P=0.01) and an estimated

lean mass that was less than 400g greater than that of non-carriers (P=0.46).” (Cecil,

Hetherington, Palmer, Tavendale, Watt, 2008, p. 2558–2566). In other words, youngsters that

carried the A allele had a heavy quantity larger than the progenies who are not carrying the A

allele and a lean mass smaller than 0.4 kg bigger than that of the youngsters that are not carrying

the A allele. The author also makes a point that “the children carrying the A allele ingested more

energy-dense foods than did the children who were not carrying the A allele, indicating a

preference for energy-dense foods.” (Cecil, Hetherington, Palmer, Tavendale, Watt, 2008, p.

2558–2566). This means that infants having the A allele consumed extra nourishments than the

progenies that did not have the A allele.

According to the article “An after-school exercise program improves fitness, and body

consumption in elementary school children” by Baldwin, S., Carrel, A.L., Clark, R.R., Curtis, V.,

Denininger, H., Logue, J., & Montague, P., the authors state that “improving health in children

should include a focus on increasing physical activity, in addition to encouraging healthy eating

for health promotion.” (Baldwin, Carrel, Clark, Curtis, Denininger, Logue, Montague, 2011,

p.32–36). This means that when you exercise and also participate in extracurricular activities, it

will enhance the progenies health in the long run. Exercising is a part of a daily routine that a

child must do on a daily basis. The parents of that child must teach the child that exercise is an

excellent form of physical activity that must be done to strengthen or supplement the child’s

health.

The author also makes a point that “the most successful programs are those that

incorporate activity into the child’s lifestyle, as part of the family and school environment.”

(Baldwin, Carrel, Clark, Curtis, Denininger, Logue, Montague, 2011, p.32–36). This

means that programs that have physical activity in a youngster or progenies life is vital in schools

and also in a family surroundings. The authors also state that “school based fitness programs can

significantly improve cardiovascular fitness levels, and body composition in young children.”

(Baldwin, Carrel, Clark, Curtis, Denininger, Logue, Montague, 2011, p.32–36). This means that

implementations of an institution or departmental exercise program develops or increases heart

fitness levels and body makeup in offspring’s.

The authors also state that “an effective public health approach would also promote

increased physical activity outside of school and throughout the summer months, as physical

activity recommendations cannot be met through physical education classes alone.” (Baldwin,

Carrel, Clark, Curtis, Denininger, Logue, Montague, 2011, p.32–36). In other words, youngster

will need to go to fitness programs that are around their community and they can’t be in their

own institution. Moreover, physical education classes in any institution alone will not assist the

youngster to improve their health because of the limited time the progeny has to complete an

effective workout. When I was a child, the physical education classes we had to take lasted an

hour and fifteen minutes long which is not enough time to execute a proper physical activity.

In the article “The effect of twelve week aerobic exercise programme on health related

physical fitness components and blood lipids in obese girls” by Ozturk, M.I., & Saygin, O., the

authors state that “12 weeks of aerobic training improved insulin sensitivity in overweight and

obese girls without any significant changes in body weight, body fat percent and circulating

concentrations of adiponectin, IL-6, CRP, and other inflammatory markers.” (Ozturk, & Saygin,

2011, p.1441–1445). This means that fitness training for twelve weeks enhanced obese girls and

it did not disrupt their body makeup, body fat measurement, and their provocative pointers. The

author also makes a point that “the regular aerobic exercise may affect health related fitness

components and blood lipids positively in girls. Furthermore, it may result in decreasing obesity

in girls.” (Ozturk, & Saygin, 2011, p. 1441–1445). In other words, when a progeny does aerobic

exercise on a daily basis, it will have a major impact on a child’s life tremendously. Moreover,

exercise reduces obesity in girls and assist girls in improving their everyday lifestyle.

The author also makes a point that “the effects of aerobic exercise on obese children

(N=49) aged 8 to 12 years. They found that there was significant increase in the aerobic capacity

(P <0.001).” (Ozturk, & Saygin, 2011, p. 1441–1445). In other words, physical activity on obese

youngsters had a higher or larger oxygen consumption in obese progenies. Moreover, the result

of oxygen consumption expanded when a progeny does larger amount of work on an everyday

basis.

According to the article “Trends in the Nutritional Content of Television Food

Advertisements Seen by Children in the United States (Analyses by Age, Food Categories, and

Companies)” by Powell, L.M., Schermbeck, R.M., & Szczypka, G., the authors state that

“children’s exposure to fast-food advertising has recently increased. The public health

community and government agencies have emphasized the need to address unhealthful food

advertising seen by children.” (Powell, Schermbeck, Szczypka, 2011, p.1078–1086). This means

that youngsters who watch fast-food commercials has skyrocketed to new levels because of the

amount of progenies who watch commercials. Moreover, bureaucratic companies highlights that

fast-food commercials should be prohibited because of how progenies are observant and

interested in eating those foods that are broadcasted on television. The author also makes a point

that “television also remained the primary advertising channel for food and beverage companies,

who spent an estimated $745 million dollars in this medium, of which more than 50% was

directed to children younger than 12 years.” (Powell, Schermbeck, Szczypka, 2011, p.1078-

1086). In other words, liquid refreshment groups spent $745 million dollars on advertising which

is primarily drawn to youngsters younger than 12 years of age. Moreover, the liquid refreshment

companies spent that much money on publicity knowing children will be baited by the

advertisement. In my opinion, I think that it is a waste of money because that money can go into

retirement plans, children’s future expenses and paying bills.

The author also states that “the largest percentage of reduction was for sweet ads, which

fell by 55.1% and 44.0% among children aged 2 to 5 and 6 to 11 years, respectively.” (Powell,

Schermbeck, Szczypka, 2011, p.1078–1086). This means that we are doing a good job

condensing the sweet advertisements for children. The author also makes a point that “exposure

to beverage ads fell more than 40% among both age groups, as did exposure to snack product ads

among younger children. Overall, exposure to food and beverage product advertising fell 32.5%

and 21.7% among 2 to 5 and 6 to 11 year olds, respectively.” (Powell, Schermbeck, Szczypka,

2011, p.1078–1086). This means that the government agencies and the food and beverage

companies are removing advertisement rapidly because youngsters are no longer being vunerable

to foods and beverages being displayed on the television.

In the article “Trends in Exposure to Television Food Advertisements Among Children

and Adolescents in the United States” by Chaloupka, F.J., Powell, L.M., & Szczypka, G., the

authors state that “African American children in all age groups in all 3 years saw more food

ads per day compared with white children.” (Chaloupka, Powell, Szczypka, 2010, p. 794–802).

This means that there is somehow racial discrimination that is taking place because of the

amount of times food ads are appearing on television for African Americans. The author also

makes a point that “white compared with African American youngsters had a substantially

smaller increase in exposure (+0.7% vs. +5.2%).” (Chaloupka, Powell, Szczypka, 2010, p. 794-

802). In other words, race-related exposure expanded tremendously for African Americans than

that of white progenies. The author also states that “trends showing a fall in exposure among 2 to

5 years olds but a rise in exposure among 6 to 11 year olds suggest that some companies may be

shifting their advertising to programs that fall just under the threshold for their definition of

children’s programming.” (Chaloupka, Powell, Szczypka, 2010, p. 794–802). This means that

food and beverage companies are deviating towards youngsters that are lagging behind, so that

the food and beverage companies could understand the meaning for their interpretation behind

youngsters television programming.

In the article “Amount of Hispanic Youth Exposure to Food and Beverage Advertising on

Spanish-and English-Language Television” by Fleming-Milici, F., Ham’s J.L., & Sarda, V., the

authors state that “Hispanic children viewed 664 Spanish-language food ads, and adolescents

viewed 769 Spanish-language food ads, which represent 15% and 17% of all food ads viewed,

respectively.” (Fleming-Milici, Ham, & Sarda, 2013, p. 723–730). In other words, the amount or

quantity of Hispanic youngsters principally demonstrate or indicate Hispanic progenies

television observation. The author also makes a point that “exposure to large numbers of

television advertisements for foods and beverages with little or no nutritional value likely

contributes to poor diet among youth.” (Fleming-Milici, Ham, & Sarda, 2013, p. 723–730). This

means that displaying TV set announcements for food and refreshments are partly accountable

for inadequate weight-reduction. The author also states that “Hispanic preschoolers, children and

adolescents viewed 4218, 4373, and 4542 total food and beverage ads on television, respectively,

or 11.6 to 12.4 ads per day.” (Fleming-Milici, Ham, & Sarda, 2013, p. 723–730). This means that

Hispanic youngsters have been exposed and have watched too much food and beverage

advertisements on television. Moreover, one needs to do a better job to eradicate these

advertisements on television.

According to the article “Reducing Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Childhood Obesity: The

Role of Early Life Risk Factors” by Gillman, M.W., Kleinman, K.P., Rich-Edwards, J.W., Rifas-

Shirman, S.L., & Taveras, E.M., the authors state that “black-white differences in risk of

overweight and obesity were reduced by 38% after adjustment for education and income

partially explaining observed black-white differences.” (Gillman, Kleinman, Rich-Edwards,

Rifas-Shirman, & Taveras, 2013). This means that African American to white ratio distinction

has diminished very well by 38% after modification of education and income. The author also

makes a point that “social conditions and their effects on children’s environments are important

for partially understanding the origins of disparities in childhood obesity.” (Gillman, Kleinman,

Rich-Edwards, Rifas-Shirman, & Taveras, 2013). In other words, societal circumstances and

their impact or result on a progenies neighborhood is very vital when deciphering or

comprehending the root of diverseness or divergence in childhood obesity.

According to the article “Childhood obesity: causes and consequences” by Bhadoria,

A.S., Choudhury, A.K., Kumar, R., Sahoo, B., Sahoo, K., & Sofi, N.Y., the authors state that

“the psychological factors of childhood obesity are depression and anxiety, self-esteem, body

dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms and emotional problems.” (Bhadoria, Choudhury,

Kumar, Sahoo, Sofi, 2015, p.187–192). This means that youngsters who eat too much have to

manage and handle problems with feelings and emotions, such as anxiety and stress, or battle

tediousness. Their close relatives might have comparable preferences. In the article

“Psychological correlates of childhood obesity” by Munsch, S., & Puder, J.J., the authors state

that “An important psychological factor of childhood obesity might be found in familial stress.”

(Munsch and Puder, 2010, p.37–43). This means that familial stress such as mental disorders

might contribute to the manifestation and maintenance of childhood obesity, partly by promoting

excessive energy intake.

The author also makes a point that “the mother’s anxiety predicted the child’s

internalizing problems and the child’s self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms, whereas

the mother’s depressive symptoms and eating-disorder pathology did not make an additional

contribution.” (Munsch and Puder, 2010, p.37–43). In other words, the mothers concern or

nervousness projected or anticipated the youngsters inner difficulties and misery while the

mothers gloomy warning signs and anorexia nervosa or bingeing did not mark or create a

supplementary or extra improvement. The authors also state that “the causal relationship between

obesity and psychological factors, such as impulsivity, depression, anxiety, familial influences

and poor social functioning, is not clearly defined. This is further due to the cross-sectional

nature of most studies, different definitions and assessment of psychopathology in childhood, as

well as lack of inclusion of potential confounders or mediators (social parameters, TV viewing,

sleep deprivation and so on).” (Munsch, Puder, 2010, p.37–43). In other words, the affiliation or

association among obesity and psychological factors is not properly or appropriately clear.

Futhermore, numerous or many meanings and valuation of mental disorders as well as the

absence of societal limitations, small screen programing and sleep deficiencies are due to

transversal analysis of most examinations.

The author also states that “the interrelatedness between weight gain and psychological problems

might be bi-directional, in that clinically meaningful psychological distress might foster weight

gain and rapid weight gain may lead to psychosocial problems.” (Munsch, Puder, 2010, p.37–43).

This means that obesity and mental complications might be amalgamated in that mental and

emotional pain and suffering might increase obesity while rapid obesity may indicate a

correlation between the psychological and social aspect of an individual’s well-being or health

which is a constant difficulty that needs to be examined.

In conclusion, childhood obesity is an illness that appears when a youngster is above the

standard weight for his or her age group. Obesity in children functions as an important or crucial

public health difficulty that affect’s youngster’s physical well-being, joy, and confidence.

These articles made me think about all the in-depth information I never knew about childhood

obesity. The general public base such as the media and television tends to control what and how

one thinks. In order to eat healthy and live a long and flourishing life, one must refrain from

advertisement from the TV set that encourage and bait children to engage in unhealthy behavior.

Children should participate in exercising because exercise is a crucial part of a child’s

life. When the youngster stays fit and trains its body, the child can live long. The incidence of

childhood obesity must be monitored because if it is not observed, it will rise sharply to levels

where one can’t control it anymore. The genetic factors of childhood obesity is the insulin gene

that is near the INSIG 2 that is linked to childhood obesity. The psychological factors includes a

child who overeats, and one has to manage and handle difficulties with feelings and emotions,

such as anxiety and stress, or battle dullness. African American to white dissimilarity has

weakened very well by 38% after adjustment of education and income. The public environment

and their power on a child’s neighborhood is very important when interpreting and

comprehending the root of inconsistencies of childhood obesity.

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