What is Childhood Obesity?

Childhood obesity is a medical condition that affects children and teenagers. Everyone has a body shape that is just right for them but sometimes we can store excessive body fat. If a child or adult stores too much fat they can be classified as obese. A sign of childhood obesity is a weight well above the average for a child's height and age.

Which children are at risk of becoming overweight or obese?

Most overweight and obesity problems in childhood are caused by children eating too much and not exercising enough. Weight gain happens when energy ingested (food and drink) is more than energy burned off (physical activity). A very small number of problems with obesity in childhood are related to uncommon genetic diseases. Children at risk of becoming overweight or obese include children who:

• consume food and drinks that are high in sugar and fat on a regular basis such as fast food, candy, baked goods, and ESPECIALLY pop and other sugar-sweetened beverages
• are not physically active each day
• watch a lot of TV and play a lot of video games, activities that don't burn calories
• live in an environment where healthy eating and physical activity are not encouraged
• eat to help deal with stress or problems
• come from a family of overweight people where genetics may be a factor, especially if healthy eating and physical activity are not a priority in the family
• come from a low-income family who do not have the resources or time to make healthy eating and active living a priority
• have a genetic disease or hormone disorder such as Prader-Willi syndrome or Cushing's syndrome