If your child comes from a family of people who tend to gain weight easily, your child may be more likely to put on weight. Genes and hormones. Sometimes, changes to certain genes can play a part in childhood obesity. So can conditions linked with hormones and many other processes that happen inside the body.
Body Composition: Babies have different proportions of fat and muscle. A baby with a higher percentage of muscle may feel heavier, while a baby with more body fat may feel lighter, even if they weigh the same.
It definitely varies from person to person. Some kids go through very natural phases before periods of a lot of growth where they get a little chubby. This happened to everyone in my family around 4th/5th grade.
Birth weight is affected to a great extent by the mother's own fetal growth and her diet from birth to pregnancy, and thus, her body composition at conception. Mothers in deprived socio-economic conditions frequently have low birth weight infants.
Reasons why more and more children are becoming obese include: Behavioral factors: eating bigger portions, eating foods that are calorie-rich but nutrient poor (junk foods), spending lots of time in front of the television or computer, and spending too little time doing physical activities.
Puberty - Increased hormones in a child's body during puberty (between the ages of 10 and 14 for girls and between the ages of 12 and 16 for boys) leads to growth and possible expansion of “baby fat” areas. This typically takes place in girls' belly, breast area and hips.
A child with one obese parent has a 50 percent chance of being obese. When both parents are obese, their children have an 80 percent chance of obesity. Many genetic and environmental factors contribute to the number of calories people eat and burn up, which is why weight loss and gain varies for different people.
From an analysis of around 100,000 children from six countries – including the United States – researchers found that around 20 percent of a child's body mass index (BMI) is inherited from their mother, while a further 20 percent is inherited from their father.
Underweight is a BMI below the 5th percentile. Healthy weight is a BMI between the 5th to the 85th percentile. Overweight is a BMI between the 85th percentile and the 95th percentile. Obesity is a BMI in the 95th percentile or above.
For some children, extra weight goes away as they grow taller. But some children who continue to gain too much weight over time may develop obesity. Obesity is a disease that increases the risk of developing many health problems.
Kids with two thin parents were twice as likely to be thin themselves compared to kids with two parents at the heavy end of a healthy weight range. And kids with overweight or obese parents were progressively less likely to be thin.
Research suggests that for some people, genes account for just 25% of the predisposition to be overweight, while for others the genetic influence is as high as 70% to 80%. Having a rough idea of how large a role genes play in your weight may be helpful in terms of treating your weight problems.
Severe protein deficiency can lead to fluid retention, which can make the stomach look bloated. Kwashiorkor is most common in children, especially if they do not have access to adequate nutrition soon after they stop breastfeeding. If a child experiences kwashiorkor, they need immediate medical attention.
Dr. Paul: Across cultures around the world, firstborn children and only children are more likely to be overweight than their siblings. Which is a bit of a paradox because women who get pregnant later in life are more likely to be heavier during pregnancy, which puts the child at risk for obesity.
Healthy weight: BMI is equal to or greater than the 5th percentile and less than the 85th percentile for age, gender, and height. Overweight: BMI at or above the 85th percentile but less than the 95th percentile for age, gender, and height. Obese: BMI at or above the 95th percentile for age, gender, and height.
The meta-analysis of 23 studies that reported an odds ratio (OR) for parent and child obesity associations found a significant association between parents and children who were overweight or obese (pooled OR, 1.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.85–2.10).
Lean muscle mass is more compact than fat. If you are muscular you can weigh quite a bit and not look fat. A person can be an ideal weight and have a lot of fat and look bulky. Another person can be overweight and have mostly muscle mass, and look lean and healthy.
A measurement called the body mass index (BMI) helps healthcare professionals check for overweight status and obese status. A child's BMI is based on the child's weight and height compared with those of other children the same age and sex using growth charts.