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Childhood Obesity More Environmental than Genetic
July 3, 2017
It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.
-Frederick Douglass, 1818-1895, Abolitionist and Statesman

"Evidence is confirming that the environment kids live in has a greater impact than factors such as genetics, insufficient physical activity or other elements in efforts to control child obesity," wrote Tara Haelle in her article, "Consumption Junction: Childhood Obesity Determined Largely by Environmental Factors, Not Genes or Sloth." 

Haelle describes three studies published in Pediatrics in April, 2013:

"The environmental factors in these studies range from the seemingly minor, such as kids' plate sizes, to bigger challenges, such as school schedules that may keep teens from getting sufficient sleep. But they are part of an even longer list: the ubiquity of fast food, changes in technology, fewer home-cooked meals, more food advertising, an explosion of low-cost processed foods and increasing sugary drink serving sizes, as well as easy access to unhealthy snacks in vending machines, at sports games and in nearly every setting children inhabit—these are just a handful of environmental factors research has linked to increasing obesity."

Source: "Consumption Junction: Childhood Obesity Determined Largely by Environmental Factors, Not Genes or Sloth" (Scientific American, April 9, 2013)





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Comments (1)

Displaying 1 Comment
Francis Wardle · July 03, 2017
CSBC
Denver, CO, United States


Are you kidding me - physical activity is not important in the the fight against childhood obesity? Of course it is, and we in early childhood have a huge responsibility, 1) to provide lots of challenging physical activities for ALL our children, every day, 2) to convince parents of the importance of physical activity, and 3) to be advocate to make sure the local school provides lots of opportunities for physical activity every day for ALL students.



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