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Environment Environmental factors refer to the factors that are externally impacting a child in developing obesity. A child can be influenced in many ways externally. Some of the factors that are pertinent in the development of obesity in children are the home environment, schools, and the food industry. Home Environment In the home, children�s habits in eating are constantly influenced by their parents. Parents are influential because they are in charge for their children who are not old enough to have sole responsibility for themselves. Parents are the ones who give the food to their children and therefore determine what their children eat and taking away a child�s ability to choose healthy foods. Parents also use food in different contexts. Parents may use food as reward or withhold food as punishment, which can throw off a child�s hunger cues. Also, parents are looked upon as role models in terms of eating habits. The times food is to be eaten, the size of the portion, the nutritional value of the meals, is all in the hands of the parent. Parents are also working more and the time to prepare nutritious home cooked meals may not be possible due to a lack of energy and adequate time to prepare the meals (Ebbeling, Pawlak, & Ludwig, 2002; Drohan, 2002; Hodges, 2003, Golan & Weizman, 2001; Laing, 2002). Parents are not only influential in a child�s eating habits. Parents also play a part in how much physical activity a child engages in. Parents may not promote physical activity in the home. Also, parents may not let their children play outside because they may have safety issues. There are other factors like the parents being obese themselves as well as parents neglecting their children. This makes the home environment a factor because of the potential influence it has on making children obese (Ebbeling, Pawlak, & Ludwig, 2002; Drohan, 2002; Hodges, 2003, Golan & Weizman, 2001).
Also, schools are filled with vending machines and pop machines that have unhealthy snacks and drinks that can be easily accessed by the children. Even fast-food chains are moving in by building their chains close to or inside schools. There are reasons why these unhealthy foods are present in schools and it is because of the food industry (Cowley, et al. 2000; Ebbeling, Pawlak, & Ludwig, 2002; Laing, 2002).
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