Introduction
Child obesity is a major health issue, which is becoming more prominent and severe. It is important to note that one of the most commonly accepted ideas is based on the environment and its related factors. However, the overall impact of one’s genes should not be overlooked because it can create strong propensities and predispositions. On the basis of the given assessment, it is evident that a child’s environment is a stronger influencer than his or her genetic makeup.
Nature
One should be aware of the fact that genetic factors and inherited predispositions can be major contributors to childhood obesity. A study suggests that at least 21% of BMI variations are due to the genetic makeup of a person, including a child (Locke et al., 2015). In other words, one cannot dismiss the nature element because a wide range of different genes can dictate the course of BMI alterations in a child. One’s nervous system can significantly contribute to the emergence of obesity, and the pathways and genes linked with genetic components are involved in energy metabolism, adipogenesis, insulin action, glutamate signaling, and synaptic function (Locke et al., 2015). In other words, nature can have a strong influence on a child’s propensity to become obese.
With the understanding that obesity is accompanied by a significant number of various complications, interest in the causes of obesity is growing. In this regard, an active search is underway for biologically active substances and genes encoded at different stages of their synthesis. However, it is not possible to find anyone substance or one gene that would determine the development of obesity. Therefore, at present, among the main causes of obesity, both genetic, hormonal factors and diencephalic factors are considered, and, of course, all this against the background of improper diet and lifestyle.
Studying the genealogy of obese individuals often found that other family members were obese as well. This forced everyone to explore in more detail the genetic aspects of obesity. From the point of view of genetics, obesity can be monogenic and polygenic. Among the monogenic forms of obesity, mutations of the leptin gene, the leptin receptor gene, the convertase gene, the prohormone gene 1, and the 4B-melanocortin receptor gene are the most studied. Obesity is morbid and manifests itself from the first years of life (Locke et al., 2015). In addition, there are syndromes associated with obesity, but monogenic obesity is extremely rare.
Polygenic obesity is most often encountered by general practitioners, as well as specialized specialists such as endocrinologists and cardiologists. In general, the nature of most forms of obesity is, of course, multifactorial. In the development of such forms of obesity, both genetic factors, the contribution of which is at least 25%, and environmental factors, that is, lifestyle and diet, are important (Locke et al., 2015).
Of primary importance in the manifestation of this phenotype is insulin resistance in muscle tissue, accompanied by a decrease in glucose uptake. In accordance with this assumption, it is believed that insulin resistance of muscles will be a limiting glucose utilization by muscles, thus preventing the development of hypoglycemia during fasting (Locke et al., 2015). At the same time, during the period of an abundance of food, such a phenotype will contribute to the development of hyperglycemia and the conservation of energy in adipose tissue.
Nurture
Environmental factors and the environment itself can be major contributing factors, and it is evident that an excess amount of food is a necessary requirement for the development of obesity among both children and adults. A highly comprehensive study conducted on twins reveals that the nurture element is more predominant during early childhood and puberty, whereas the nature element takes over near adulthood (Silventoinen et al., 2016). It is explained by the fact that as children become older, they gain independence from their parents, which results in a complete separation when they become adults (Silventoinen et al., 2016).
In other words, genetically coded behavior cannot be expressed fully during the childhood years due to the strong influence of parents because they are the ones making dietary decisions. However, as soon as a child, teenager, or adult gains independence, such as during college years, the genes become the dictators of behavior. It means that childhood obesity is likely to be the result of environmental factors rather than genetic makeup since the genes cannot fully control the exhibited behavior.
One of the common nurture-based components involves social aspects, which might be the result of socioeconomic status (SES). Social determinants of childhood obesity include increased food portion sizes in foodservice establishments, advertising of high-calorie foods in the media, the prevalence of instant food, videogame fashion, and augmented television and computer time. A significant effect on the formation of excess body weight in children was revealed by the regularity and length of time spent playing video and computer games. The relationship between time spent watching TV and the development of childhood obesity has been confirmed in a study.
The impact of watching TV and online video platforms on the formation of obesity is not only a decrease in a child’s physical activity. In childhood, advertising promotes the unconscious choice of a certain food brand. A child can watch a huge number of food commercials per year, most of which are high-calorie. The consequence of this influence of the media is an increase in the consumption of foods high in fat and carbohydrates by children. Children from families where one of the parents was obese may prefer more high-calorie meals, given a choice. Obese children of preschool and school-age can choose the most advertised brand of food.
The information presented above reflects the negative impact of the external environment on the formation of an overweight child by promoting unhealthy nutrition. Large portion sizes of food consumed are the leading cause of overweight (Silventoinen et al., 2016). It can be assumed that there is a clear relationship between the amount of food consumed during snacks and the formation of overweight in children. The use of vegetables as a snack in school meals can simultaneously reduce the volume of the main course in addition to increasing their daily consumption. The number of snacks outside of the main meals by school-age children is proportional to the development of overweight and obesity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, from the descriptions and information presented above, it is evident that although genes are strong determinants of the issue, the environment lies at its core. It is important to note that both studies do not dismiss the role of genes in the development of childhood obesity. However, genes’ expression cannot yield a high level of impact due to a lack of independence from parental guidance. Therefore, nature can be a major and even sole cause of obesity among adults, who are mostly independent and can freely exhibit genetic behavior, but children and adolescents are under the control of their environment.
References
Locke, A. E., Kahali, B., Berndt, S. I., Justice, A. E., Pers, T. H., … Buchkovich, M. L. (2015). Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights into obesity biology. Nature, 518(7538), 197-206.
Silventoinen, K., Jelenkovic, A., Sund, R., Hur, Y.-M., Yokoyama, Y., Honda, C., … Aaltonen, S. (2016). Genetic and environmental effects on body mass index from infancy to the onset of adulthood: an individual-based pooled analysis of 45 twin cohorts participating in the COllaborative project of Development of Anthropometrical measures in Twins (CODATwins) study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 104(2), 371-379.