Obesity is a buildup of body fat. Obesity is measured by the height and weight of a child. A child is termed overweight if they have a BMI greater than 85th percentile and less than the 95th percentile of their weight. The treatment for obesity in a child involves a change in diet and exercise. The following are some of the factors that may contribute to overweight adolescents:
- Easy availability of food, especially high-calorie snack food
- Parents’ attitudes towards food
- An increase in the eating of fast-foods
- Using food as a reward or punishment to change behaviors
- Lack of exercise
- Television watching and snacking
- Not knowing how to eat healthy
- Heredity (parents and family members weight)