About one in three American children and teens is overweight or obese as of 2011, reports the American Heart Association. Being overweight increases your teen's risk of high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. Fat can lurk in several places on your teen's body, including her abdomen. While she won't be able to lose belly fat by spot-training exercises such as situps, she can make dietary and lifestyle changes to trim overall body and belly fat.
Cut Screen Time
Sixty percent of teens spend an average of 20 hours weekly in front of a TV or computer screen, according to a Canadian study presented at the American Heart Association's 48th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention in 2008. A third of them spend 40 hours, and 7 percent waste 50 hours in front of the screen weekly. All that time spent in sedentary activities takes prevents your teen from getting the amount of physical activity she needs. Lack of activity also leads to loss of muscle mass, which makes it even more difficult for your teen to lose belly fat. Encourage your teen to cut reduce screen time to two hours daily.
Increase Physical Activity
To replace TV or computer screen time, your teen should participate in more sports or physical activity to burn fat. She needs to do at least one hour of aerobic exercise daily. Include her to try soccer, basketball, track and field or ice and inline skating. While it may not be the first activity that springs to mind for your teen, weight training can also help to burn belly fat. Teens tend to enjoy strength training because it's less physically taxing than aerobic exercise, according to Avery D. Faigenbaum, an associate professor of exercise science and physical education at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, in an article published in the October 2002 "Strength Training and Conditioning Journal." It can also boost her energy, self esteem and respect from peers. She should start with a weight she can manage for one set of 10 to 15 repetitions three times a week.
Avoid Diets
Dieting is a common way for adults to cut calories to lose body fat and weight. However, your teen shouldn't take this approach to lose belly fat. Unlike adults, she is still in a phase of growth and development and her body needs enough nutritious food to keep her on track for healthy growth. Furthermore, consuming too few calories can slow down metabolism, thereby making it more difficult to lose belly fat. Even overweight teens can lose weight by exercising more and making healthier dietary choices --- for instance, eating whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates and eating more fruits and vegetables. Increase lean and skinless meat in her diet instead of serving fattier cuts of meat.
Limit Sugary Beverages
American children begin drinking sugary juices and sodas at an early age and increase this sugar habit as they get older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sugary beverages are key contributors to child and teen obesity. Even when diet options are available, such as beverages with artificial sweeteners, teens aren't likely to try them. To help your teen lose belly fat, stock your refrigerator with healthier beverage choices such as low-calorie milk and freshly squeezed juices. If your teen has a craving for sodas, suggest that she tries a diet brand instead.
References
- American Heart Association: Overweight in Childhood
- American Heart Association: Understanding Childhood Obesity
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Strength Training for Overweight Teenagers; Avery D. Faigenbaum, Ed.D., CSCS; Oct. 2002
- KidsHealth: Is Dieting OK for Kids
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Does Drinking Beverages with Added Sugars Increase the Risk of Overweight
- ScienceDaily: Many Teens Spend 30 Hours A Week On 'Screen Time' During High School
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