Roles of Nature and Nurture In Child Obesity, Research Paper Example

Introduction

Nature in child obesity is the genetic factor that causes obesity among children, while nurture in child obesity is the environmental factor that causes obesity among children. Concerning the nature factors that cause obesity, genetic syndromes such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome play a role in causing childhood obesity. Some disorders like Endocrine disorders facilitate the abnormal growth of hormones, which eventually leads to obesity; these disorders can be classified as the natural causes of childhood obesity. Nurture in child obesity has been related to various environmental factors which cause obesity in children; some of these environmental factors are imbalanced diet, lack of physical body exercises which minimize chances of being obese, and also the background of the child (whether there is anyone related to the child had/has obesity).

Nature in Child Obesity

When some genes like the leptin gene undergo mutation, they cause other conditions which lead to obesity among children; this is because leptin genes are responsible for regulating the production of hormones that control appetite in a human’s body (Wilsey, 2016). Individuals whose production of mutation genes is high have a lot of appetites and find themselves eating uncontrollably. In the process of eating uncontrollably, these individuals find themselves eating a lot of calories that the body is unable to burn off. According to research, around 4 % of the children who suffer from severe obesity are due to mutation of leptin genes, which increase their appetite.

A genetic disorder that leads to obesity is known as the Bardet Syndrome; this disorder is also known to negatively affect children’s mind and lead to loss of sight. According to studies, around 150,000 children in the United States are born with Bardet Syndrome. Additionally, slowed growth of hormones can lead to obesity among children. A child whose growth of hormones is low has retarded muscle formation, retarded bone development, and reduced metabolism of cells in the body, leading to low energy expenditure (Paramjit S. Tappia, 2020). Low energy in the body results in more calories than the body can burn, leading to obesity.

Another genetic disorder that leads to obesity is known as Prader-Willi syndrome. Prader-Willi syndrome is known to cause stunted growth among children, uncontrollable appetite, and low metabolism levels; all these factors cause obesity among children. Additionally, Prader-Willi syndrome is known to shorten humans’ lifespan and negatively the human brain (Gordeladze, 2017). According to statistics, around 14,000 children in the United States have Prader-Willi syndrome. Cushing syndrome is another genetic disorder that leads to obesity. Cushing syndrome leads to the formation of high cortisol levels, which usually engineers the body to break crush down body muscles. Therefore, Cushing syndrome leads to stunted growth of body muscles and makes children not perform heavy duties which enable their bodies to burn calories.

There is an endocrine disorder known as Insulinoma, which makes insulin levels in the body rise. When insulin levels in Children are high, they have big chances of being obese.  Endocrine disorder motivates the body to store more glucose which is needed by blood, therefore, making the levels of glucose in the blood go down. When glucose levels in the blood go down, humans tend to have an uncontrollable appetite because the body tries to increase the blood’s glucose levels. Increased appetite leads to more food than the body can burn, leading to obesity (Hankey, 2018). Therefore, high insulin levels in the body lead to obesity among children. According to studies, in every 50,000,000 people, there is one person who is affected by Insulinoma.

All the above-mentioned genetic disorders and endocrine syndromes play a role in obesity for the children who show the symptoms mentioned above. Nevertheless, genetic diseases and endocrine syndromes account for only around 1% of the total number of children with obesity as other significant factors cause obesity. Therefore, even when the nurture factors become responsible for severe obesity in an individual, the natural elements have majorly engineered the rising numbers of obesity among children.

Nurture in Child Obesity

Statistics show that a significant number of children are either overweight or obese. The records are that; one in three children or youths ranging from two years and 19 years old have obese or are overweight, and nurture factors cause the obesity in them. Nature factors like genetic disorder are rarely transferred to the 2^nd generation, and therefore, nurture factors are responsible for the many cases of obesity among children today. Nurture factors should be thoroughly investigated to curb the increased number of obesities among children (Wilsey, 2016). Some of the nurture factors that lead to obesity include imbalanced diet and lack of physical activities that help burn calories. Additionally, children who grow up in low-income households have high levels of being obese since they cannot purchase balanced diets.

Lack of a balanced diet in the body is a significant factor that causes obesity among children. Lack of a balanced diet can result from not eating fruits, vegetables or even skipping some meals like lunch or supper. Studies show that children in the United States consume many calories due to the availability of portion sizes that they consume in high numbers (Hankey, 2018). Also, consuming foods with sugar is on the rise in the United States since one teen out of five is known to consume sugary foods every day. Also, the media appears to be promoting the consumption of sugary foods since almost all children’s programs have advertisements related to sugary foods. The impact of an imbalanced diet is powerful, and it is arguably the leading cause of high levels of obesity among children today.

Another nurture factor that leads to child obesity is a lack of physical activities. Statistics show that a record of 18% of children in the United States undertakes physical activities, including exercises for around 60 minutes every day. Studies show that only a few learning institutions offer physical education sessions and that only a few pupils trek to school every day compared to previous years. Other factors lead to obesity among children, like spending much time on the TV and phones. Physical activities among children worldwide are on a fall which has led to increased levels of obesity (Paramjit S. Tappia, 2020). Another nurture factor that leads to child obesity is the socioeconomic status of the child’s family. When the child’s family is not well-up, then the child becoming obese is high since the family cannot afford money to purchase foods containing a balanced diet.

Conclusion

In essence, nurture is the leading cause of obesity among children today because many children do not eat foods with a balanced diet and do not take part in physical activities as recommended by physical activity guidelines. If a lot of effort can be put in minimizing the nurture factors which cause obesity, then the rates of child obesity would go down at a very high rate.

References

Gordeladze, J. (2017). Adiposity: Epidemiology and Treatment Modalities. BoD – Books on Demand.

Hankey, C. (2018). Advanced Nutrition and Dietetics in Obesity. John Wiley & Sons.

Paramjit S. Tappia, B. R. (2020). Pathophysiology of Obesity-Induced Health Complications. Springer Nature.

Wilsey, S. (2016). Developmental (Lifespan) Psychology. Module 5 – Middle Childhood.