The ever-growing childhood obesity crisis has been linked to bad eating habits and a lack of exercise among many kids today. But a new study shows that far more than just these factors might be at play.
To get to the root of the overweight issue, a group of British researchers looked at 5,000-plus pairs of twins (ages 8 to 11 — all born since the start of the obesity epidemic). The collection of twins included both identical (whose genes are exactly the same) and non-identical (fraternal) twins (whose genes are only half the same).
When they compared the two groups of twin pairs' waist circumference (or waist size measurement) and body mass index (or BMI, which uses height and weight measurements to estimate body fat), they discovered that:
- 77% of the differences appeared to be due to the effects of genes
- 23% were probably the result of the twins' home environment — "siblings' experience of being served similar food, being given the same options for television viewing and active outdoor play, seeing the same behaviors modeled by parents, and going to the same school"
So, what does that mean, exactly? To sum it all up, the researchers say their results "highlight the fact that excessive weight gain in a child is unlikely to be the fault of the parents and is more likely to be due to the child's genetic susceptibility" to a modern environment that actually encourages obesity.
According to the researchers, efforts to curb excessive weight gain in kids should begin in the home during the early years. But, because genetic effects on children's weight seem to increase as they grow, they say much broader societal changes are probably needed to encourage and maintain healthy lifestyles over the long haul, especially for kids who are at risk of becoming overweight.
What This Means to You
Whatever the main cause (or causes) behind the astounding number of youngsters carrying around too much weight, the problem is only getting worse — three times as many 6- to 17-year-olds are overweight now than 30 years ago. And some researchers even project that nearly half of the kids in North America will weigh too much by 2010.
Being overweight or obese can significantly affect kids' daily way of life, potentially causing serious physical and psychological problems today and in the future. Kids and teens carrying around excess pounds are often:
- prone to low self-esteem, depression, and suicidal thoughts
- teased, bullied, or rejected by peers (even as early as preschool)
- more likely to develop unhealthy dieting habits and eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia
- at risk for serious health conditions once thought only to affect adults (like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol)
No matter what your child's weight, it's important to instill the fundamentals of eating right and exercising from the get-go. To help maintain a healthy lifestyle in your household:
- Encourage kids to be physically active every day and to try a variety of sports and activities.
- Restrict TV, computer, and video game time to no more than 2 hours of quality content each day (and none for kids under 2).
- Serve a variety of healthy foods and eat meals together as often as possible.
- Don't use food as a reward for good behavior or try to stop bad behavior with treats.
- Ditch the clean-plate club. When kids say they're full, let them stop eating, even if there's food left on the plate. This reinforces the idea of eating only when hungry.
And if you're worried your child may be overweight, the sooner you can make an appointment with your doctor, the better. Preventing or treating obesity in kids may reduce their risk of developing medical and emotional issues now, as well as serious conditions (like heart disease and stroke) down the road.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: February 2008
Source: "Evidence for a Strong Genetic Influence on Childhood Adiposity Despite the Force of the Obesogenic Environment," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 2008.
