What is teen obesity and how can we tackle it? This parent's guide to teenage obesity examines obesity statistics and the causes and effects of this syndrome. You will find out how to decide whether your teen is at risk of teen obesity and how to tackle the problem.
What Is Obesity?
The body mass index (BMI) is one of the common measures of whether someone is obese or merely overweight. To find out your BMI, divide your weight (in kilograms) by the square of your height (in meters). If your BMI is over 25, you are defined as overweight; if it is over 30, you are defined as obese. These figures give a rough guide, though people can be obese with lower BMI ratios.
Since BMI is meant as a measurement of adult obesity, the standard calculation doesn't tell the whole story for teens, who have yet to reach their full height. To find out if teens are obese, their BMI is measured against the average for most teens of their age and gender. Since teens are constantly growing, there are also other measures to use in conjunction with BMI. Checking the thickness of the skin at the back of the arm is one measure. You can also compare your teen's weight to the norms on a growth chart.
Facts and Figures
Childhood and teen obesity have reached epidemic proportions in some parts of the world. In America there are now twice as many overweight children as there were in 1980. Among teens, the 1980 obesity figure has tripled. The US Surgeon General's figures suggest that between 1966 and 1991, the rate of obesity in boys ages 12 to 17 increased from 5% to 13%. Among girls, the percentage rose from 5% to 9%. The National Center for Health Statistics puts the 2004 obesity figure at 17% of adolescents between 12 and 17 years old.
Causes of Teenage Obesity
In some cases, teen obesity may result from medical disorders relating to the thyroid or endocrine systems. A simple test will establish whether there is a medical cause for teenage obesity. If not, then the causes of obesity in teens are similar to the causes of obesity in adults. Our lifestyles have changed. Most of us spend less time doing hard physical labor and many of us do not exercise as much as we should. Our leisure activities may also be less active. If your teens are playing Tetris instead of tennis, then they may not be getting enough exercise.
Our diets have changed a lot too. Like adults, many teens now eat fewer complex carbohydrates. Instead, their diets contain sugars, fats and saturated fats. Obese teens usually eat more foods that are high in calories and fat and get less physical exercise than their peers. The University of Michigan suggests that one third of teens do no strenuous physical activity.
Genetic factors also affect teenage obesity. According to the University of Michigan, children with overweight or obese parents have an 80% chance of becoming overweight or obese themselves. Children whose mothers are diabetic may also tend to be overweight.
Effects of Obesity
Being obese can shorten a person's life span and increase the risk of developing certain diseases and conditions, either in childhood or in adulthood. Childhood medical problems that may affect teens in this situation include:
Many of the same conditions may affect overweight or obese teens when they reach adulthood. They may also be more liable to develop certain types of cancers and diabetes.
Tackling Obesity
If your child is obese, it's never too late to start addressing the problem, and it's best to do it as a family. Unless obesity stems from a medical cause, doctors are unlike to prescribe weight control medication as this can adversely affect teens' growth and development. A dietician or nutritionist may provide a healthy eating plan for teens to follow. Don't put your teen on a diet or allow your teen to diet without first seeking medical advice.
Obesity develops gradually and must be solved gradually, but it can be done. Some suggestions for helping teens to deal with obesity include:
 | There are many childhood obesity causes. Experts agree that there is rarely one single cause of obesity in a particular child, but a combination of genetic and environmental contexts. |
 | The effects of childhood obesity are physical, psychological and emotional. In addition to the same health risks suffered by adults, overweight kids suffer from social effects that can be difficult to handle at a young age. |
The dangers of childhood obesity aren't limited to taunting at school. Diseases once found only in adults are now appearing in obese children. |
Childhood obesity facts are alarming in the United States. Around 12% of children under 19 are obese and facing threats to their long-term health. |
Fluctuations in weight are normal as kids develop, making symptoms of obesity hard to spot. Learn what to look for and why a pediatrician should examine your child if obesity might be a problem. |
