Impacts of Lifestyle and Socioeconomic Status on Childhood Obesity

Abstract

Childhood obesity is an important indicator to predict adulthood obesity, so monitoring factors that contribute to childhood obesity plays a constructive role in preventing adulthood chronic diseases and metabolic syndrome. The present article attempted to analyze the impacts of lifestyle, sedentary activities, dietary habits and socioeconomic status on childhood obesity, and to provide recommendations for preventing childhood obesity. Research findings showed that childhood obesity results from increasing sedentary time, unhealthy eating behaviors and changes of healthy environment. TV viewing is the most common sedentary activity that children engage in. Although the causal relationship between TV and physical inactivity to obesity is not significant, sedentary lifestyle with long-term TV viewing has potential impact on childhood obesity. Therefore, daily TV viewing should be limited in 2 hours. Additionally, both unhealthy eating behaviors accompany TV viewing and the foods ads on TV are found to result in excess energy intake in children, and serve as critical connecting factors between TV viewing and childhood obesity. Family income and educational background of parents are also healthy indicators of children. Furnishing TV sets in bedroom, dining room or kitchen not only increases TV viewing but also worsens dietary habit. Therefore, increasing physical activity, controlling TV viewing time, carefully selecting TV programs and building healthy environment are effective strategies to prevent childhood obesity.