Teen Obesity

One of the growing concerns affecting today's teenagers is the increase in the rate of teen obesity. According to the American Obesity Association, about 30.4 percent of teenagers are overweight, and 15.5 percent of teens are obese (1). This means that 45.9 percent of teens are at risk for developing health problems due to weight. It is important to note that weight gain during the teen years is normal. It is when that weight gain progresses beyond normal limits that teens become at risk for obesity. Generally speaking, a person is obese when the BMI exceeds 30 percent (1).

Reasons for the rise in teen obesity

The American Obesity Association identifies the concerns parents have regarding teen obesity (2):

12 percent of parents feel their children are overweight
78 percent feel that P.E. classes should not be removed from school curriculum
27 percent of parents feel teens today eat less nutritiously than they did
24 percent of today's parents feel teens get less physical exercise
Some of the main causes of teen obesity

Most experts point out that an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, coupled with poorer nutrition choices, is contributing to the growing number of teens considered overweight or obese. Some factors that contribute to teens' unhealthy weight gain include (3):

Increased intake of "junk" food
Drinking sugary drinks, especially soda
Lack of physical activity (including many schools' decisions to cut P.E.)
Temptation of indoor sedentary activities including television, video games and computer use
Genetic factors
Health effects of obesity

The effects that teen obesity has on health can begin during the teen years and extend throughout a lifetime if not checked. Here are some of the common health conditions thought to have teen obesity as a risk factor (1):

Type 2 diabetes
Asthma
Sleep problems, including sleep apnea
Orthopedic (bone) problems due to an inability of the developing bones to support the excess weight