Teenage Obesity:
Instilling Healthy Habits

Teenage obesity is a dangerous problem.
There's no simple cure, and like many teen and young adult issues, the weight issue intensifies because of factors such as self-esteem and peer pressure.

However, now is the time to begin promoting a healthy lifestyle and introducing teens to healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

A recent study reports that as many as 15 percent of youth in the "6 to 19" age bracket are overweight. In addition, another 15 percent are at risk of becoming overweight. What frightens researchers and parents is that these figures are triple what they were 20 years ago!

Children and teens have less of a chance of developing weight problems than adults. Nevertheless, overweight teens have a high risk of becoming overweight adults. These weight problems will eventually lead to a number of health issues that include Type 2 diabetes, heart problems, arthritis, joint pain, and back pain.

Find it fast with our site search.

Custom Search

The physical and health effects and causes of obesity are not all the overweight teen faces at home and at school. Obesity during the teen years can lead to stress, mental illness, and an inability to function in society. Experts point out that a teen who suffers from teenage obesity is often the victim of bullies and fails to develop close friendships.

Our teenage years are an important time of self-awareness and development. It's during these years that a person becomes comfortable with her body image and develops her personal identity. Teenage obesity can be a roadblock to reaching these developmental milestones.

Parents of obese teens can make a difference in their child's life. Parents should approach this situation of teenage obesity with love and let their child know that they cannot "loose the weight" for their child. However, they can help their child make great decisions about diet and exercise, weight loss supplements health issues and personal issues. It's also a parent's duty to point their children to the right medical and fitness professionals for help.

Today's teens live in a fast food world. The 'fast' applies to more than food. Everything a person needs is available within a very short time. Parents must make sure their child does not expect a quick fix for their weight problem.

Even at a young age, the obese teen is experiencing health problems faced by older adults. Neck and back pain and joint pain are the result of too much weight on the body. As the weight is slowly lost over time, the pain diminishes.

Make the teen's weight loss a family affair. Encourage the entire family to eat healthier and exercise more. Plan more family time to improve self-image. A key to overcoming teenage obesity is keeping positive and listening to the child at all times!

One of the best ways to open a conversation about teenage obesity with an obese teen is to discuss realistic and unrealistic body images. Experts report that body image is a delicate issue, especially for teenage girls, and it is important to steer them away from the belief that they have to look like an airbrushed model. Do not use words like fat, overweight, skinny, and thin. Try to focus on healthy behaviors.

Teenagers and younger kids are very sensitive to all things around them, especially teenagers, lets help them through one of life's battles, the battle with peer pressure and being overweight.

They are in a huge growth and learning phase, lets give them and you, some good solid advise about food and nutrition. They are little sponges at this moment in their life, so lets make sure they get good advise about their health. It will serve them well for a long time to come.


I have to say this. Honestly, most food and pharmaceutical companies are really only concerned with one thing: MONEY!!
(Why is that so surprising?)

If they were to actually "Teach us the real truth behind how to lose weight and take control of our health" most of the food products, supplements and medications on the market today would be completely unnecessary??

Let’s be honest:
No one is going to get rich selling apples, of course?
I think most of these companies are feeding off people’s emotions. The more addicted they get people to their own products and dietary foods, the more money they will continue to make. (Again, why does that surprise us?)

If you were to get someone to their ideal weight, with natural foods like veggies, fruits and natural meats, there would be no food addictions to diet foods and chemicals, just good healthy eating.