Predictors, Effects and Prevention of Obesity among Children

Summary Children nowadays suffer from diseases which were once considered to target mostly adults. Obesity is one such disease. Research has shown that child obesity has risen dramatically in recent years. This is raising grave concern among health care professionals, experts and parents. This paper strives to examine, describe and evaluate the plethora of factors, contributors and consequences of child obesity in the UK and internationally. Body weight is reflected by a combination of culture, behaviours, education, genes, metabolism, eating habits and social status. Children who carry a lot of excess weight in the form of body fat are classed as being obese. Even though obese children are less prone to developing the health problems obese adults face, they are highly likely to sustain their condition as they are growing up, thus turning into obese adults. Approximately one third of children in the UK aged between 2 and 15 are considered either obese or overweight (National Obesity Observatory 2012). The vast majority of childhood obesity represents an imbalance between the ingested calories and the expended calories. Other causes may include inherited or metabolic disorders, although these are very rare (National Obesity Observatory 2012). Treatment and, more importantly, prevention of obesity is dependent on the actions of all levels of society. 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