Overweight and obesity continue to rise in American adolescents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this rise contributes to risk factors for cardiovascular disease, asthma and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, overweight and obese teens often become targets of bullying and teasing, which may lead to depression or low self-esteem. Because teens are often subjected to making health decisions based on their parents' finances, targeting teens with free programs for weight loss could significantly improve their long-term health and happiness.
Seventeen
The website Seventeen" offers free exercise video clips to help teens start a workout routine. Geared toward the interests of teenage girls, the clips have titles such as "Prom Dress Arms" and "Spring Break Booty." Each clip is approximately two minutes long, a perfect bite of information to keep your teen interested and educated. After checking out the videos, look into the website's "All Access" area, which includes information on healthy nutrition and other readers' fitness blogs.
Exercise TV
The website "Exercise TV" offers a number of free full-length exercise videos that range from five to 35 minutes long. While not all of the videos are geared toward teenagers, options like "Dorm Room Workout" and "College Crunch Time" keep young adults in mind. You can watch these streaming videos for free, or you can download them for a minimal cost in order to play them while you're on the go. In addition to the free streaming videos, Exercise TV offers a "Young Ladies" community group geared to providing teens and young adults with resources for making healthy decisions.
Government Sponsored Programs
The U.S. government has acknowledged the crisis America is facing with the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and has begun taking steps to reverse current trends. In fact, First Lady Michelle Obama took on childhood obesity as her personal cause, launching the "Let's Move!" campaign in early 2010. Three government-sponsored programs designed to encourage weight loss include: Shape Up America!, SmallStep Adult and Teen and The President's Challenge.
Shape Up America! isn't geared specifically to teens, but it still has some pretty cool features that are both free and easy to use, making them perfect for the average teenager. Start by checking out the website's virtual fitness center, cyber kitchen, and downloadable physical activity and nutrition diary in order to start your weight loss program right.
Smallstep Adult and Teen is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and encourages adults and teens to take small steps toward a healthier lifestyle. While generally an educational website, one section is particularly helpful. The "Take Small Steps Today!" section makes suggestions like "Don't skip breakfast" and "Choose fruit for dessert" that make small changes easy to identify and try.
The President's Challenge has different pages dedicated to children, teens, adults and seniors. The teen section encourages fun activities like basketball, karate and skateboarding to keep teens engaged. The President's Challenge offers two cool features that encourage ongoing activity. The first is the ability to start your own fitness group. Teens love hanging out with their friends, so the opportunity to create and manage their own fitness group makes dedication to the program more likely. Additionally, groups or individuals can track their activity level and work to earn awards, a great way to encourage ongoing activity.
Member Comments