Understanding Childhood Obesity: Causes, Effects, and Prevention
Posted by Improving Lives Counseling | Children and Adolescent Counseling
The days of walking to the neighborhood school, playing outside until nightfall, roller skating on the sidewalks, and riding bikes and skateboarding on neighborhood streets is long gone for many children. Doing manual chores, eating homecooked meals, and getting excited over a family outing for ice cream is recalling days gone by. Though these things still hold true for some children, the average child living in the United States, in both urban and rural communities, is living a very different life. School choice means parents are driving their children to school, putting them on public transportation, or choosing to school them at home in a designated room over a computer screen. The days of every child knowing how to roller skate or ride a bike is reminiscing, and with technical advances, changes in the educational system, changes in learning priorities, societal decline in class structure, and fluctuations in family paradigms, the toddler, adolescent, and teen is a very different child.
A recent Center For Disease Control (CDC) report found 14.7 million children and adolescents in the United States are obese, that the prevalence of mental health problems in children 3-17 ranges from 15% to 60%, that 19% to 45% of children 12 to 18 report being bullied, and 841,000 children in the United States live in food desserts. The counselors, therapists, and clinicians of Improving Lives Counseling Services diagnose and treat children with mental illnesses, behavioral disorders, and mental health issues triggered by bullying, and food insecurity.
OBESITY
“Childhood obesity is defined as a complex chronic condition that happens when a child is above a healthy weight for their age, height, and sex. The medical definition is having a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex in children 2 years and older.” Obesity negatively impacts a child’s physical health and mental wellbeing. It can lead to feelings of shame, self-loathing, and defenselessness. Obese children can struggle to find age-appropriate clothing, find it hard to participate in recreational activities, to fit comfortably in school desks, and to make friends.
Obesity Phenotypes
Obesity phenotypes identified by Mayo Clinic researchers refer to the many ways in which obesity manifests in individuals, encompassing differences in body composition, fat distribution, and metabolic characteristics. Tailoring treatment approaches to a specific phenotype can enhance effectiveness. Satiation is the feeling of fullness that tells the brain to stop eating. A Hungry Brain is unable to determine the meal is over, resulting in the desire to overeat. “Satiation-related genes and/or low levels of certain metabolites predict the hungry brain obesity phenotype.” Hungry Gut is related to the release of hunger hormones or gastric activity – gastritis or other digestive issues where the stomach feels persistently hungry or uncomfortable, even if food intake is normal. Emotional Hunger is craving for food driven by emotions, often sugary or salty foods, and a Slow Burn Metabolism refers to a metabolic rate that is slower than average, characterized clinically by low muscle mass and an abnormal metabolic rate. Other childhood phenotypes include fat distribution, genetic predisposition, early onset obesity, and growth patterns.
Disordered Eating
Obesity can lead to a child stealing healthy foods, fad dieting in an attempt to lose weight, or delving into disordered eating. Often observed in obese adolescents and teens, disordered eating is used to describe a range of irregular eating behaviors that may not warrant a diagnosis of a specific eating disorder. Symptoms of disordered eating include chronic weight fluctuation, yo-yo dieting, skipping meals, feelings of guilt and shame associated with eating, preoccupation with food, compulsive eating, unhealthy fasting, and purging.
“Disordered eating is a serious health concern that may be difficult to detect, since a person with disordered eating patterns may not display all of the classic symptoms typically identified with eating disorders. It’s important to remember that a person exhibiting disordered eating habits and behaviors also may be experiencing significant physical, emotional and mental stress.”
Food Insecurity
Statics show 6.5 million children live in food desserts – communities where access to healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables is limited. Encouraging a child to change to a healthy diet when there is no access to healthy foods, or their family has limited financial resources, can lead to anger, fear, emotional flight, anxiety, chronic stress, depression, and behavior disorders.
Fast Food
Commercially prepared food dates back to the pre-industrial old world, where in early Roman and Asian cities people purchased mass produced food from vendors. Today fast food is defined as a commercial term limited to “food sold with frozen, preheated, or precooked ingredients and served in packaging for take-out.” Initially designed to cater to travelers, urban commuters, and road trippers, fast food became popular for its convenience and affordability in the 20th and 21st centuries. In the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, the government funded fast food franchises in inner cities to encourage entrepreneurship. Expanding into the suburbs, franchises catered to the needs of busy American families. This contributed to higher obesity rates, among children, adolescents, and teens.
For years schools benefited financially from fast food restaurants, canteens, snack and vending machines in their cafeterias. Statistics showed 60% – 70% of children from 5-18 years-of-age had access to salty, high sodium foods, and sugary drinks during school hours. Though the government’s 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Act removed fast food chains from most schools, and implemented a Healthy School Lunch Program, states challenged the program and won – obesity in children continued to rise. Studies show children who have access to fast food are at a greater risk of becoming obese. Today the average child is 0.6 miles from the nearest fast food restaurant.
LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Upper middle, and upper class families in inner city and suburb communities have access to a wide range of “costly” extracurricular activities which keep their children active. Though free play is limited, organized team and individual sports programs abound. The higher the family social class, the more motivated the child is to be healthy and physically active. In contrast, children whose families live at or below the Federal Poverty Level ($30,000) tend to lead more sedentary lifestyles, with less exercise and limited outdoor playtime, contributing to a higher prevalence of obesity. In underprivileged and high-crime communities, children are frequently confined indoors, where they may spend excessive time watching television, scrolling through social media, eating emotionally, and consuming sugar-sweetened beverages.
GENETICS
Many in the scientific and medical communities believe genetics plays a role in childhood obesity. However, despite a growing trend, less than 35% of adults aged forty and over are obese. An obese child in a household where everyone else maintains a healthy weight can be subjected to forced fad diets, degradation, and mockery. In families where weight and appearance are highly prioritized, a child can experience significant discrimination. Comments like “No one in our family is overweight,” “Why are you doing this to us?” or being called names such as “pig,” “fatty,” or “big boned” can contribute to behavior disorders, substance abuse, promiscuity, or suicidality.
Genetics can contribute to the causes of obesity both directly, as in Prader-Willi syndrome, and indirectly by influencing metabolic pathways, neural networks, and appetite control centers in the body. According to a 2022 clinical review Trusted Source, more than 500 obesity-related genes have been identified in humans.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods and sugary drinks aimed at children can significantly influence their food choices. The addition of toys, gifts, contests, and other incentives to kids’ meals enhances their appeal. High exposure to advertisements for fast food and sugary snacks can negatively impact children’s eating habits. Additionally, poorly maintained neighborhoods, a lack of playgrounds, and unsafe environments limit opportunities for outdoor play. Factors such as food deserts, eating behaviors, emotional eating, and cultural attitudes toward food and body weight contribute to childhood obesity.
PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY
Childhood obesity increases the risk of high blood pressure, early onset heart disease, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal discomfort, respiratory issues, skin conditions, metabolic syndrome, reduced physical agility, and delayed puberty. Many of these carry into adulthood, shortening life expectancy.
PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY
Psychological effects include, but are not limited to, anxiety, chronic stress, depression, bullying, stigmatization, low self-esteem, isolation, an inability to self-regulate, body dysmorphic disorder, fear, self-harm, and equivocating. If not treated, children can carry these effects through adolescence into adulthood – which can lead to more aggressive mental illnesses. Clinically diagnosed eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, Pica, and Rumination Disorder. Early diagnosis through comprehensive assessments can help the obese child cope with the mental health challenges of obesity.
OBESITY AND MILITARY READINESS
“Just over 1 in 3 young adults aged 17-24 is too heavy to serve in the US military [PDF-774KB]. Among the young adults who meet weight requirements, only 3 in 4 report physical activity levels that prepare them for challenges in basic training. Consequently, only 2 in 5 young adults are both weight-eligible and adequately active for military service.”
SUMMARY
The counselors, therapists, and clinicians of Improving Lives Counseling Services can help children modify unhealthy behaviors, address emotional factors, introduce healthy lifestyle changes, change thinking related to food and body image, and design and deliver treatments meeting the specific needs of each person receiving services with us. National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month is observed to raise awareness about childhood obesity and to prevent it; we can help. Call us to learn more.
“On September 11, 2024, a weight-loss drug for children as young as six was approved by the FDA. Dr. Claudia Fox, co-director of the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine at University of Minnesota said, “Children have had virtually no options for treating obesity. Now, with the possibility of a medication that addresses the underlying physiology of obesity, there is hope that children living with obesity can live healthier, more productive lives.”
