What Are the Causes of Fat Children?

Childhood obesity continues to become a bigger problem with each passing year. Increases in fatty food intake and decreases in exercise have caused children to gain more weight than previous generations. Being overweight puts children at risk for serious health problems later in life such as diabetes, heart attack and stroke. It is important to monitor children's intake of fatty foods and encourage them to exercise.

Poor Nutrition

• Most families in 2011 have two working parents. This results in meals that are prepackaged and high in calories and fat. More families eat in restaurants than in previous generations. The basic kids meal menu in a restaurant consists of fried chicken nuggets, pizza and spaghetti. All these foods are high in calories. Candy and soda also contribute to childhood obesity.

Lack of Exercise

• Instead of playing outside, many children choose to stay indoors and watch television and play video games. Schools have made physical education classes required for only a few weeks out of the year. Many homes also have more than one television. A television in the child's room may result in weight gain because the child is less likely to go outside and exercise.

Family Environment

• Childhood obesity also depends on the family environment. Stress related to parental divorce, moving to a new home and deaths in the family can contribute to gaining weight in children. Stress related to other family problems such as verbal and physical abuse can contribute to childhood obesity.

Genetics

• Some children are predisposed to obesity through genetics. Some problems, such as thyroid problems, that are passed to children through genetics can lead to obesity. Missing sections in DNA can also cause genetic obesity in children. However, the percent of people suffering from missing DNA is small.