What are the Causes of Childhood Obesity?

If you are the parent of a child that is struggling with their weight, you don't need to be told how important of an issue childhood obesity is. However, the reality is that millions of kids across the country are dealing with this problem, and it has quickly become one of the more important national health issues our country is dealing with. But before you can begin helping your child, it's important to know – what are the causes of childhood obesity?

Of course, some of the causes of childhood obesity are essentially out of your control – genetics and family history. However, many of the factors that go into this equation are actually behavioral. And, if you've got a child that loves spending time in front of their favorite screens – whether it's the TV or computer – it's interesting to note how many of these childhood obesity causes are very closely tied to excessive screen time:

• Lack of exercise

• Poor body image / low self-esteem

• Bad eating habits

• Overeating

• Mimicking unhealthy parental behavior, such as bad eating habits, lack of exercise, etc.

• And more

There are more factors involved in childhood obesity than just this small list, but as you can see, sitting on the couch or being planted firmly in front of the computer can easily lead to many of the above causes of childhood obesity. For instance, think about the types and amounts of snack food many kids consume while watching TV.

Your doctor should be the first resource if you'd like to learn more about this pressing issue, but if you're looking for solutions you can put into use on your own, the Mikko Que may be able to help. Our innovative device gives you the ability to monitor and control your child's screen time on the Internet, TV, video games and more, and can help you create a healthy, effective system for teaching your children responsible media consumption habits and how to lead a more active, healthy lifestyle. With the Mikko Que you can reduce the use of electronic devices by decreasing your child's time allowance over a period of time.  For example, in a given month you might allow your child 10 hours a day of use. Then, you can reduce usage to eight hours a day the next month and so on until your child's media consumption is more in line with recommended standards. This technique is less obtrusive and will result in less resistance.  It will also give parents the peace of mind that during sleeping hours their children are not up watching TV, playing video games, or surfing the Internet.

To learn more about Mikko Que and the powerful tools it gives parents, contact us today.

Media Management for Children … It’s time.