Which of the following are risk factors for childhood obesity?

• A. High-calorie diets, sedentary lifestyle, family environment, and genetics
• B. Low-calorie diet only
• C. Only genetic factors
• D. Outdoor activity without diet changes

Answer: (A)

Childhood obesity is shaped by multiple interacting factors that influence energy balance: what children consume, how active they are, the family environment that shapes routines and access to foods, and inherited differences in metabolism and appetite. The best answer captures all four areas: high-calorie diets raise energy intake, a sedentary lifestyle lowers energy expenditure, family environment affects eating patterns and opportunities for activity, and genetics can predispose a child to weight gain. Together, these elements explain why obesity risk is multifactorial rather than due to any single cause.

The other options don’t fit as well because a low-calorie diet alone would reduce risk rather than increase it; genetics alone without environmental or behavioral context doesn’t fully account for risk; and outdoor activity without diet changes would typically lower risk rather than create it.