Genetics More Than Poor Parenting Responsible for Childhood Obesity (ContributorNetwork)

An Ohio 8-year-old was removed from his parents' home and placed in foster care recently, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The child weighs more than 200 pounds and his parents are being charged with medical neglect. In the nature vs. nurture debate, the state blames poor parenting, while research says family history of weight problems might be the link to childhood obesity. Here's a look at childhood obesity and the heredity vs. environment discussion.

Childhood obesity

Juvenile obesity rates have tripled in the last 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2010, 35 percent of kids ages 2 to 19 were overweight and 17 percent were obese. 12.5 million children are obese based on Body Mass Index weight-to-height ratios. For adults, the BMI is a weight-to-height ratio, but for children, it adjusts for age and gender. The child's BMI is also not a static number but a percentile.

Environmental factors in obesity

One-third of low-income children are overweight. Children who are fed in day care, schools and by FNS-approved menus tend more toward obesity. The FNS pushes milk, including heavily sugared flavored milk, over water. Government food programs count pizza sauce as a vegetable and allow fried foods. Parents who bottle-feed vs. breastfeed tend to have overweight children.

Genetic predisposition refutes parental blame

If children are overweight, it was reasoned by experts like Harvard endocrinologist David Ludwig, that parents must be at fault. The idea of removing obese children from their parents' care stems largely from Ludwig, who said earlier this year that parents who allow children to become obese are negligent. But studies are finding children might be inheriting obesity. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition followed 5,000 sets of twins and found that beyond all other contributing factors, family genetics played the biggest part in obesity.

Genetics and increased obesity rates

Experts agree that environment choices are a link to childhood obesity. Too much "screen time," not enough exercise and increased intake of junk food as a primary source of nutrition contribute to childhood obesity. Further, they say, the predisposition to obesity has existed for some time. Food trends and activity levels have turned latent weight problems into the obesity epidemic that prevails.

Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about parenting 23 years raising four children and 25 years teaching K-8, special needs, adult education and home-school.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/biotech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111128/us_ac/10544485_genetics_more_than_poor_parenting_responsible_for_childhood_obesity

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