Impacts of Lifestyle and Socioeconomic Status on Childhood Obesity
Journal Title: Obesity Research - Open Journal - Year 2016, Vol 3, Issue 1
Abstract
Childhood obesity is an important indicator to predict adulthood obesity, so monitoring factors that contribute to childhood obesity plays a constructive role in preventing adulthood chronic diseases and metabolic syndrome. The present article attempted to analyze the impacts of lifestyle, sedentary activities, dietary habits and socioeconomic status on childhood obesity, and to provide recommendations for preventing childhood obesity. Research findings showed that childhood obesity results from increasing sedentary time, unhealthy eating behaviors and changes of healthy environment. TV viewing is the most common sedentary activity that children engage in. Although the causal relationship between TV and physical inactivity to obesity is not significant, sedentary lifestyle with long-term TV viewing has potential impact on childhood obesity. Therefore, daily TV viewing should be limited in 2 hours. Additionally, both unhealthy eating behaviors accompany TV viewing and the foods ads on TV are found to result in excess energy intake in children, and serve as critical connecting factors between TV viewing and childhood obesity. Family income and educational background of parents are also healthy indicators of children. Furnishing TV sets in bedroom, dining room or kitchen not only increases TV viewing but also worsens dietary habit. Therefore, increasing physical activity, controlling TV viewing time, carefully selecting TV programs and building healthy environment are effective strategies to prevent childhood obesity.
Authors and Affiliations
CHU Chen-Yi
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP554025
- DOI 10.17140/OROJ-3-120
- Views 161
- Downloads 0
Behavioural and Psychological Variables Associated with Overweight and Obesity in Gran Canaria, Spain
Objective: To obtain data of the prevalence of overweight and obesity of adolescents from educational centers in Gran Canaria (Spain) and to analyze behavioural and psychological factors associated with weight status. Me...
Role of Oxidative Stress and Associated Alteration in Enzyme Activities in Obesity Comorbidities
Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or above, with progressively increasing prevalence all over the world in recent years. Obesity is characterized by deposition of abnormally increased body...
Obesity Induced Inflammation – A Complex Condition
The occurrence of overweight and obesity has risen around the world. This rate will increase in the future without appropriate interventions. Obesity is a condition with increased percentage of fat mass. Evidence based s...
Prescribing Exercise as an Alternative Treatment for Ageing Populations of the 21st Century
Life expectancy has significantly increased over the past few decades. Since 1990, life expectancy at birth has increased by 6 years globally, and populations live on average 20 years longer than 50 years ago according t...
An Investigation into Body Mass Index and Lifestyle Characteristics within an Elderly Population
Understanding and detecting patterns of body composition change and lifestyle factors that influence the development of effective strategies to optimise the health and well-being of the elderly are important. Therefore c...