Obesity in childhood poses immediate and future health risks. Parents, guardians, and teachers can help children maintain a healthy weight by helping them develop healthy eating habits and limiting calorie-rich temptations. You also want to help children be physically active, have reduced screen time, and get adequate sleep.
“There is a genetic predisposition, there are environmental factors contributing to that and definitely the lifestyle plays a very important role — dietary habits, physical activity level, sleep hygiene, sedentary levels — so all these are contributing to excessive weight gain and obesity.” Geography in Kentucky can make a difference too.
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The increased consumption of more energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods with high levels of sugar and saturated fats, combined with reduced physical activity, have led to high obesity rates among children.
For several years, many have been quick to attribute rising fast-food consumption as the major factor causing rapid increases in childhood obesity. However a new study found that fast-food consumption is simply a byproduct of a much bigger problem: poor all-day-long dietary habits that originate in children's homes.
Overall, the study suggests that proximity to fast food significantly increases the risk of obesity. One possible explanation is that proximity to fast food reduces the costs of fast food, principally travel costs. A second explanation is that easier access to fast food tempts consumers who have self-control problems.
Regular junk food intake leads to long-term health problems such as obesity, accompanying emotional and self-esteem problems, and chronic illnesses in later life. A single fast food meal could add 160 and 310 extra kilocalories to the daily caloric intake for teenagers and younger children, respectively.
Obesity is generally caused by eating too much and moving too little. If you consume high amounts of energy, particularly fat and sugars, but do not burn off the energy through exercise and physical activity, much of the surplus energy will be stored by the body as fat.
Fast foods offer convenience and large portion sizes to satisfy big appetites. Unfortunately, the excess calories, fat and other unhealthy ingredients, such as high sodium content, contribute to not only weight gain, but also increase the risks of major diseases.
Eating fast not only increases your risk of becoming overweight and obese, it's also linked to other health problems, including: Insulin resistance. Eating too quickly is linked to a higher risk of insulin resistance, which is characterized by high blood sugar and insulin levels.
Fast food is typically loaded with calories, sodium, and unhealthy fat—often enough in one meal for an entire day. It also tends to be low in nutrients and almost totally lacking in fruit, vegetables, and fiber.
In the short term, fast food impacts blood sugar and blood pressure, increases inflammation, and may mean an individual does not eat enough necessary nutrients. In the long term, a diet rich in fast food could lead to issues with digestion, immunity, inflammation, heart health, obesity, and more.
Why is fast food bad for you?Raise your blood pressure. Many fast food items are packed with sodium, which acts as a preservative and enhances taste. ... Leave you bloated. ... Drive up your cholesterol. ... Contribute to digestive problems. ... Lead to weight gain. ... Drain your energy. ... Affect your mood.