Writing Resources
Key Determinants of Childhood Obesity Most proximally and simplistically excess energy calorie consumption without adequate energy expenditure over sufficient time leads to obesity Given obesity is far more complex than energy in vs energy out many additional and more descriptive key determinants have been identified These determinants primarily fall into the following categories biological individual behavioral environmental including the proximal home environment and the more distal school and community environments socioeconomic cultural and political Each category is examined in more detail below Biological Determinants Beginning in utero there are significant biological factors that predispose an individual to the development of childhood obesity This category is notable for being entirely out of the individual s control and generally dependant on parental decisions or environmental factors For example excessive maternal weight gain particularly during the first trimester has been linked with epigenetic changes which predispose children to obesity poor glycemic control appetite and lipid biosynthesis Some studies indicate that these epigenetic changes will be passed on to future generations as well Further maternal smoking during pregnancy has been shown to increase the risk of obesity in adulthood with an odds ratio of 1 50 regardless of birth weight
