Childhood Obesity Genetics

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Countless individuals say genetics are the root cause of childhood obesity. In fact, genetics cause only one percent of obesity. Those who compose of this one percent have rare forms of obesity caused by spontaneous mutations in a single gene. This gene controls appetite, food intake, and energy homeostasis. Others have an FTO on Chromosome 16 that gives them a 20 percent higher risk of becoming obese (). However, the environment has set the foundation of childhood obesity. Children ensue becoming less active, abundantly eating, and listening to everything the media says. Childhood obesity is a challenge, but it can be overcome by being more physically active, reducing food portion sizes, and discounting media 's false advertisements.
Physical
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The portion sizes of food have gotten larger, causing childhood obesity. In a food study, 180 people obtained a 9-ounce bowl of mac and cheese or a 13-ounce bowl. The people with the 13-ounce bowl ate 43 percent more than those with the 9-ounce bowl. People did not eat additional mac and cheese from the 13-ounce bowl because they were famished, nevertheless as the result of the brain telling the body to continue eating. Children happen to eat excessively for the reason that they are given larger portions of food. This causes children to assume they need to eat extra. Restaurants have set the trend for what the portion sizes at home consist of, thus with the larger portions at home and restaurants, obesity rates increase. However, there are ways for children to obtain the correct portion sizes. Actual measurements aren’t needed to find the correct portion size. Children need one cup of starches, and that’s approximately the size of a clenched fist. The size of a palm represents the amount of protein needed while added fats should be limited to the size of the top of a thumb. Another way is to divide a plate into four equal sections. Protein should fill one-quarter of the plate and starch should fill the other quarter of the plate. Subsequently vegetables should fill the last half of the plate. With these recommendations, portion sizes and obesity rates in children will

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