In today's technologically advanced society, teenagers find themselves more at risk for obesity than their parents and grandparents. You don't burn as many calories texting your friends as you do playing kickball with them. In Canada, teens' tendency to power up their laptops rather than lace up their skates when seeking entertainment can be blamed, in part, for the country's higher-than-ever teen obesity rate.
Number of Overweight Canadian Teens
Thirty-five percent of Canadian boys and 29 percent of Canadian girls weigh more than they should. And 17 percent of boys and 15 percent of girls in Canada fall into the obesity range. This rate has more than doubled since 1985. And 42 percent to 62 percent will stay obese as adults, according to an article by Sofia Segounis, a Canadian nutritionist who writes for True Star Health. Overweight teens may suffer psychologically because of teasing from peers and may face serious health problems, including diabetes, heart diseases, high cholesterol and blood pressure.
Diet
Teenagers often build their diet around convenience rather than health. Teenagers who eat meals away from home likely consume more calories than those who consume home-prepared meals. Some 42 percent of teens skip breakfast, another factor in obesity. If parents encourage their teens to eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day and eliminate sweetened drinks like soda, fruit juices and sports drinks, they can significantly reduce the risk of their teen becoming obese.
Lack of Physical Activity
Inactivity also plays a role in Canada's teen obesity problem. Teens spend an average of three to five hours every day in front of a TV or computer, and children who spend three or more hours at their computers or in front of their TV sets suffer double the rate of obesity than children who spend less than one hour in front of the TV or computer. Furthermore, half of these teenagers do not partake in enough physical activity to reach optimal growth. Encouraging teens to engage in 60 minutes of physical activity per day can significantly improve their physical and mental well-being.
Mothers Who Smoke
A 2010 Canadian Study discovered that babies who were born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy were more likely to become obese as teenagers. Researchers from the University of Montreal and McGill University examined 500 individuals, ages 12 to 18, and discovered that older teens whose mothers smoked had 26 percent more total body fat and 33 percent more fat in their abdomens than teenagers whose mothers never smoked while pregnant, according to the study published in the April 2010 issue of "Obesity."
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