Children obesity high rates due to bad habits, not genes

New research at University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center suggests poor eating and activity habits, not genetics, are the underlying causes for most cases of adolescent obesity.

Researchers say that for the extremely overweight child, genetic screening may be a consideration, but for the rest of them increasing physical activity, reducing recreational screen time and improving the nutritional value of school lunches offers great promise to begin a reversal of current childhood obesity trends.

The finding comes against the backdrop of the recent enactment of the federal government's new "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010," which is designed to foster healthier school menus for the nation's 31 million children currently

The study findings were published in a recent issue of the American Heart Journal.