What causes children to become overweight?

Children become overweight for a lot of reasons. The most common cause of overweight in children include genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors. In some cases, a medical problem, such as an endocrine disorder, may cause a child to become overweight.

Children whose parents or brothers or sisters are overweight may be also at risk of becoming overweight themselves. Although weight problems run in families, not all children with a family history of obesity will be also overweight. Genetic factors plays an important role in increasing the likelihood that a child will be overweight, but shared family behaviors such as eating and activity habits also influence body weight.

A child's total diet and their activity level also play an important role in determining a child's weight. The increasing popularity of television and computer and video games contributes to children's inactive way of lifestyles.