Download The Growing Epidemic of Childhood Obesity and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Developmental Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! Causes and Solutions for Childhood Obesity Ana Cortes Department of Psychology, Mt. San Antonio College PSYC-14-08-26838.202220: Developmental Psychology Dr. Daniel Pueblos October 7, 2022 Causes and Solutions for Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity has been on the rise around the world, it is becoming a cause for concern in terms of the global health’s population. Several factors have been linked with an increase in weight gain for children that range from improper modeling behavior, genetic propensity and inadequate accessibility to fresh produce. Although, the disease is on the rise various methods and behaviors can be implanted in order to decrease the risk of childhood obesity. Since, we live in an era where technology and content are at our fingertips, we must also assess the effect it has on children. Obesity has been associated with many comorbidities that result in a decreased quality of life. For this reason, it is imperative that as a society we become aware and responsible in order to ensure the health of the future generations. Prevalence of Childhood Obesity Factors of Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is becoming more prevalent in the United States not only does it have physical impacts it can also affect the functioning of the brain; therefore, having the capability of affecting the cognitive abilities of a developing child. Multiple causes can be associated with obesity in children from genetic factors that can be categorized as monogenic; the mutation of one gene that contributes to disease and polygenic obesity, which attributes the development of disease to many genes (Littleton et al., 2020). An example would be the deficiency of the melanocortin-4 receptor, which has been linked with a higher intake of food consumption in children (Littleton et al., 2020). The reason being that children do not register satiation as easily and end up consuming larger quantities of food. Another example of genetics influencing obesity includes Bardet-Biedl syndrome, which is transferred via autosomal recessive genes, but a direct pathway is yet to be established between the genes and the phenotype it presents with initiative to learn about nutrition and then apply the knowledge for the benefit of the child. This includes awareness for media and technology and how it can contribute to the cognitive and physical development of the child. In certain cases, a child may have a genetic predisposition to increased weight gain, but this does not prevent a child from being in a healthy BMI index. References Dennison, B. A., & Edmunds, L. S. (2008). The role of television in childhood obesity. Progress in Pediatric Cardiology, 25(2), 191–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppedcard.2008.05.010 Fang, K., Mu, M., Liu, K., & He, Y. (2019). Screen Time and childhood overweight/obesity: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Child: Care, Health and Development, 45(5), 744– 753. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12701 Howlett, E., Davis, C., & Burton, S. (2015). From Food Desert to Food Oasis: The potential influence of food retailers on childhood obesity rates. Journal of Business Ethics, 139(2), 215–224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2605-5 Littleton, S. H., Berkowitz, R. I., & Grant, S. F. (2020). Genetic determinants of childhood obesity. Molecular Diagnosis & Therapy, 24(6), 653–663. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40291- 020-00496-1 Pace, U., Aiello, F., & Zappulla, C. (2019). Childhood obesity: The relationship between negative emotionality, Emotion Regulation, and parenting styles. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28(8), 2272–2279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01443-3 Rhee, K. (2008). Childhood overweight and the relationship between parent behaviors, parenting style, and family functioning. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 615(1), 11–37. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716207308400
