Excess belly fat can increase the risk of diabetes for both men and women, and the disease, which used to be found mostly in adults, is becoming increasingly common in teens, reports FamilyDoctor.org. The best way to lose belly fat is to reduce caloric intake and get more physical exercise, and regular exercise can be quite effective, especially for teens who are genetically predisposed to obesity. A study in the "Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine" found that exercising for 60 minutes each day may offset genetic predisposition to obesity for teenagers.
Watch Less Television
According to FamilyEducation.com, the teen metabolism slows down significantly when a young person is watching television. In fact, you metabolism will be faster when you're resting or doing nothing at all than when you're watching television. With the average teen spending some 30 hours a week watching television, that's a lot of time spent with a slow metabolism, which means more obesity. So even if you don't have the energy to get outside and exercise, even taking a nap or simply sitting and thinking instead of watching TV can help you lose weight.
Play Sports
As a teen, you have more opportunity to play sports than most adults do. You've got plenty of free time, likely don't have to worry about supporting yourself and your school probably provides plenty of athletic opportunities. Find a game or athletic competition that you enjoy and play it. If you're very competitive and you're talented enough, join your school's team. If you're not so into intense competition, join a recreational or intramural league. If you want to avoid structure altogether, join a pickup game at a local park or get some of your friends together to play.
Dance
According to MayoClinic.com, a person who weights 160 pounds will burn an estimated 219 calories during an hour of ballroom dancing. Dancing can be a great way to meet people, and your school likely holds dances every couple of months. You can, of course, just dance with a friend or significant other whenever you've got music and a safe space, and you can even dance alone, which is a lot of fun, and gets you used to dancing so you can show off your skills for others.
Walk and Bike for Transportation
According to MayoClinic.com, a 160-lb.person walking at 2 mph for an hour an hour will burn an estimated 183 calories. A person of the same weight taking a leisurely bike ride at less than 10 mph for an hour will burn an estimated 292 calories. Biking or walking to school or to your friend's house can be more interesting than driving or taking the bus, because you get to see your neighborhood from an up-close and personal perspective.You can walk or bike with friends and enjoy interesting conversation or walk or ride alone and find some precious time to think and explore.
Eat Healthy
MayoClinic.com lists five different food pyramids, four of which are from around the world, and one of which is for a vegetarian diet. MayoClinic.com's standard Healthy Weight Pyramid recommends you consume less than 75 calories of sweets, three to five servings of fats, three to seven servings of protein and dairy, four to eight servings of carbohydrates, a minimum of three servings of fruits, and a minimum of four servings of vegetables each day. Avoid fast food and find new and interesting ways to cook meals that are more satisfying to avoid overeating.
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