Teen Obesity: Causes and Repercussions

According to the Centre for Disease Control, 30% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 are obese. This is three and a half times more than 20 years ago. Teens are regarded as obese if their BMI (Body Mass Index) is at least 30. (To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in metres.)

Causes of teen obesity Obese as a child. If teens are overweight as children and this is not addressed quickly enough, the chances are high that they will carry excess body fat into their adolescent years. Lack of physical activity. With the onset of computers, video games, DVDs and mobile phones, teens are becoming sedentary and are not getting the required exercise they need. Poor eating habits. Teens snack more and eat fast food instead of having a healthy lunch or dinner. Because they may not be getting all of the nutritional requirements a growing body needs, their may be calcium deficient, which could delay puberty. Binge drinking. Many teens discover alcohol early in their adolescent years and experiment with different concoctions at parties. A University of Washington study stated that if teens start drinking at 13 and continue into their 20s, they are three and a half times more likely to become obese. Depression. Obesity can lead to highs and lows in a teens mental state. Depression can be caused by unhappiness in their body shape, drugs, or alcohol.

Being obese as a teen may lead to remaining obese as an adult, and as we age, the more likely it is that we become more susceptible to disease and illness. Type 2 diabetes, respiratory problems, bone disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and mental issues are all serious health repercussions that may occur in adult life.

In summer 2004, the U.S. did recognize the teenage obesity problem by launching a new health initiative. The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN) goal was to encourage teens to take up sport, good nutrition and an active lifestyle. It may take more than a summer initiative to reverse what is becoming a serious epidemic among America’s youth.

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