Obesity in children

When children eat more than they need, their bodies store the extra calories in fat cells to use for energy later. If this pattern continues over time, and their bodies do not need this stored energy, they develop more fat cells and may develop obesity.  Infants and young children are very good at listening to their bodies’ signals of hunger and fullness. They will stop eating as soon as their bodies tell them they have had enough. But sometimes a well-meaning parent tells them they have to finish everything on their plate. This forces them to ignore their fullness and eat everything that is served to them.  Some people may use food to reward good behavior or seek comfort when sad.
These learned habits lead to eating no matter if we are hungry or full. Many people have a very hard time breaking these habits.  The family, friends, schools, and community resources in a child’s environment reinforce lifestyle habits regarding diet and activity.  Children are surrounded by many things that make it easy to overeat and harder to be active. Watching television, gaming, texting, and playing on the computer are activities that require very little energy. They can take up a lot of time and replace physical activity. And, when children watch television, they often crave the unhealthy high-calorie snacks they see on commercials. See also: Screen time and children