This article is originally published on Freedom from Diabetes website, available here.
Childhood obesity in India has reached epidemic proportions.
It is no coincidence that India is also leading in the race to become the next diabetes capital of the world. The connection between obesity and metabolic disorders, like diabetes, Blood Pressure, and heart disease, has already been established. So what will the future be like with a massive young but overweight population coming around the bend.
The medical implications are enormous and so are the financial considerations. It is imperative that this problem be tackled at the micro-level, i.e. in every family. But before we look at treatments, let us understand what has caused this situation to begin with.
What are the main causes of childhood obesity?
In this huge population, Childhood obesity in India has reached epidemic proportions. Childhood obesity has become a serious problem in recent years. There are many causes of childhood obesity. There is no single cause of childhood obesity. There are several inter-related factors, including biological, developmental, behavioral, genetic, and environmental ones.
Recent studies show that factors like epigenetics (how behavior and environment affect gene function) and the gut microbiome are contributing to the increasing number of obese people.
The environment play a big role, it has a big impact. As people get wealthier, their diets shift from simple, healthy foods to modern ones high in fat, sugar, salt, and preservatives. Urban living also leads to a more inactive lifestyle with little exercise.
Lets understand their reasons one by one.
1. Nurture or Nature?
If your parent or grandparent is overweight, it’s more likely that you might be overweight too. Research shows that children of overweight or obese mothers are more likely to be overweight by age four.
This is regardless of their BMI at two. On the other hand, studies show that children born in families where neither parent is overweight are less likely to be overweight. This is of course by no means definitive, as there are many other factors that have a bearing too. For instance: stress.
2. Stress
Sometime Children living in a stressful environment are more likely to be overweight than those living with less familial stress.
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