At least three of every four obese teenagers grow up to be obese adults, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. This makes them more likely to get heart disease, stroke, several forms or cancer, and degenerative arthritis. As teenagers, they may suffer from other medical problems, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides; insulin resistance or diabetes, and sleep apnea. Many factors contribute to teen obesity, and many of them are avoidable.
Parents
Genetics plays a role in obesity, although other family and parental contributions may be more powerful. Parents of obese teenagers may also struggle with weight issues and often model the core behaviors responsible for obesity, such as consuming too many calories, eating fast food often or leading sedentary lifestyles. Making healthy eating and exercise a “family affair” is one way to support obese teens. Taking complete charge of a teen’s choices, however, can backfire. Some researchers believe that controlling behavior by parents can lead to poor dietary self-regulation in their children.
Poor Diet
Children and teens who skip breakfast and consume other meals away from home may be at risk for obesity. Fast-paced modern lives have led to a greater reliance on fast foods and prepackaged, highly processed meals -- which are also higher in fat and simple sugars. Milk and other nutritious beverages have been replaced with sodas and other beverages with no nutritional value in many teen diets. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 32 percent of adolescent girls and 52 percent of adolescent boys drink three or more 8-ounce servings of soda every day. Only 21 percent of teens eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day - -and half of those vegetables are fried potatoes, also known as French fries, the agency says.
Inactivity
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and teens get 60 minutes of medium to vigorous physical activity a day – from biking, walking, running, active play and organized sports -- for their health. Staying physically active can help teens prevent or reduce overweight issues, obesity and related health problems. Yet teenagers rarely get enough physical activity, a problem made worse when schools cut back physical education and intramural sports programs, according to KidsHealth.org.
Electronics
Many teens are favoring inactivity by choosing sedentary activities. Youths are sometimes consumed with electronic devices, including computers, music players, game consoles, TV and DVDs. Older children and teens spend nearly six hours each day “plugged in,” according to KidsHealth.org. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting total daily screen time to no more than one or two hours a day for toddlers through teenagers -– and no screen time at all for toddlers and babies.
References
- KidsHealth.org; Overweight and Obesity; Mary L. Gavin; February 2009
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Why is Overweight and Obesity a Problem?; August 2010
- HealthyChildren.org; Obesity's Impact on Teen Health; American Academy of Pediatrics; May 2011
- Obesity Society: Childhood Overweight
- U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services: Childhood Obesity
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