Childhood Obesity: Nature Or Nurture?

Child Obesity - Nature or Nurture?
Taylor Nelson

The debate between “Nature vs. Nurture” has been going on for decades. People have been using both arguments as evidence to explain an individual’s reaction to various stimuli; physical and behavioral. Those that favor the “Nature” side of the debate believe that an individual’s genetic makeup the most significant impact to those stimuli. Genetics includes biological makeup, hereditary factors, and level of intelligence. The other side of the debate is “Nurture”. This side believes that how a person is brought up or influenced by others is the driving factor that shapes their characteristics and demeanor. Upbringing includes the relationship between parent and child, societal norms, current

Unfortunately, it can be difficult with a family’s busy schedule and the ease of fast food in today’s society. According to the Academic and Nutrition and Dietetics, eating healthy for children includes starting your day with a well rounded breakfast, avoid eating out and making sure that portion sizes are appropriate (Denny, 2015). Children are very much influenced by what they see. If they live in a household where other family members live unhealthy lifestyles, especially when most meals consist of fast food, they are prone to follow suit. On the other hand “If healthy foods have become familiar to the child, if eating them is modeled by peers or adults model, or they are paired with positive social contexts and physiological consequences, children will be more likely to accept and prefer these foods” (Birch, Ventura, 2009). It is recommended that a child consumes between 1,600 to 2,500 calories per day, based on their age and gender. Those that frequently drink sugar laden drinks, common in fast food combo meals and convenient stores, are consuming up to 200 extra calories daily (Brassfield, 2013). Those extra calories are then turned into fat for the body to store. If this is a daily occurance, weight gain is inevitable. A child needs to be surrounded by healthy food choices from the start so that eating nutrient dense foods become a

Children are not getting the necessary exercise needed to keep a healthy body weight. They should be participating in one hour of physical activity daily (Smith, Robinson, 2018). This can include indoor or outdoor activities, doing chores, and participating in sports teams. Unfortunately, kids tend to spend more time in front of a screen. This sedentary lifestyle is contributing to an increase in the number of overweight children. Based on research collected by The State of Obesity, “91 percent of American children have poor diets and less than half get the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity” (The State of Obesity, 2017). Similar to eating healthy, more exposure to physical activity and having limited screen time will decrease the chances of a child becoming