Teenage Obesity: Tipping The Scales
Currently, in America 35% of teenagers are overweight or obese. Obese teens are described as a person between the ages 12 and 19 that are 20% over their ideal body weight. Comparatively in 1980 5% of teens were obese however, in 2010 a survey showed that there is an 18% obesity rate. This is a 13% increase. The scariest factor is that in 2010 one third of teenagers were either overweight or obese. The major issues entwined with teens being obese lies in cardiovascular risk, diabetes, stroke, and cancer. Teenage obesity leads to adulthood obesity. These adults do not know proper diet and exercise, therefore obese adults will not be able to teach their children proper eating and exercising habits leading to …show more content…
These children were doomed by their genetics to be obese. There are those who believe that the leading cause of teenage obesity stems from social issues. The thought is that teenagers eat to cope with their problems. A person’s adolescent years may be the most difficult when it comes to social life. Teens can be pushed into a depressed state by teasing and hormones or a combination of both. Many teens find comfort in eating. This can lead to binge eating thus leading to weight gain. When teens become overweight they often times become more depressed and get teased even more. This may result in overeating even further starting the downward spiral. Additionally, research seems to show that some teenagers with weight problems have been preexposed to these eating disorders because of their body type. They were born with a genetic predisposition to weight issues, such as polymorphisms in various genes that control appetite and metabolism. Studies show that when a person is predisposed to obesity it is often the leading factor in teenage obesity. With the proper environment this will be a deciding factor (ASPE).
To summarize, some people believe that issues with weight come from social life or problems they were born with and do not have the means to be fit. While some cases of teenage obesity are issues with genetics and mental disorders, the majority come from inadequate …show more content…
Teenagers that do not exercise are at a high risk for obesity issues. The recommended amount of exercise per day is one hour (Seventeen). Research shows that most teen’s activity is sluggish and be compacted into 75 minutes of vigorous activity such as jogging, biking, or some laps around the pool (NBC news). Without exercise a body has leftover calories that need to be stored. They are stored as fat. Exercising takes up time that is often spent eating. Exercise can build a mental toughness. This toughness comes from having to push the body beyond what it wants too. this helps for resisting the urge to indulge in junk food and sweets. When introduced to regular exercise at a young age an individual is more likely to maintain this routine into adulthood. This often times results in parents teaching their kids good exercise habits helping fight future teenage obesity. When teens are not introduced to exercise then most often they do not exercise as an adult or when if they do start then their body is not used to such activity and often times rejects this routine. This causes the individual to dislike exercise and in turn, keep them from teaching it to their kids. It also is helping for the mental image an individual has. When an individual works out they get a feeling of self accomplishment and self improving. This feeling is good for an individual’s diet because when a person feels good and has a
Currently, in America 35% of teenagers are overweight or obese. Obese teens are described as a person between the ages 12 and 19 that are 20% over their ideal body weight. Comparatively in 1980 5% of teens were obese however, in 2010 a survey showed that there is an 18% obesity rate. This is a 13% increase. The scariest factor is that in 2010 one third of teenagers were either overweight or obese. The major issues entwined with teens being obese lies in cardiovascular risk, diabetes, stroke, and cancer. Teenage obesity leads to adulthood obesity. These adults do not know proper diet and exercise, therefore obese adults will not be able to teach their children proper eating and exercising habits leading to …show more content…
These children were doomed by their genetics to be obese. There are those who believe that the leading cause of teenage obesity stems from social issues. The thought is that teenagers eat to cope with their problems. A person’s adolescent years may be the most difficult when it comes to social life. Teens can be pushed into a depressed state by teasing and hormones or a combination of both. Many teens find comfort in eating. This can lead to binge eating thus leading to weight gain. When teens become overweight they often times become more depressed and get teased even more. This may result in overeating even further starting the downward spiral. Additionally, research seems to show that some teenagers with weight problems have been preexposed to these eating disorders because of their body type. They were born with a genetic predisposition to weight issues, such as polymorphisms in various genes that control appetite and metabolism. Studies show that when a person is predisposed to obesity it is often the leading factor in teenage obesity. With the proper environment this will be a deciding factor (ASPE).
To summarize, some people believe that issues with weight come from social life or problems they were born with and do not have the means to be fit. While some cases of teenage obesity are issues with genetics and mental disorders, the majority come from inadequate …show more content…
Teenagers that do not exercise are at a high risk for obesity issues. The recommended amount of exercise per day is one hour (Seventeen). Research shows that most teen’s activity is sluggish and be compacted into 75 minutes of vigorous activity such as jogging, biking, or some laps around the pool (NBC news). Without exercise a body has leftover calories that need to be stored. They are stored as fat. Exercising takes up time that is often spent eating. Exercise can build a mental toughness. This toughness comes from having to push the body beyond what it wants too. this helps for resisting the urge to indulge in junk food and sweets. When introduced to regular exercise at a young age an individual is more likely to maintain this routine into adulthood. This often times results in parents teaching their kids good exercise habits helping fight future teenage obesity. When teens are not introduced to exercise then most often they do not exercise as an adult or when if they do start then their body is not used to such activity and often times rejects this routine. This causes the individual to dislike exercise and in turn, keep them from teaching it to their kids. It also is helping for the mental image an individual has. When an individual works out they get a feeling of self accomplishment and self improving. This feeling is good for an individual’s diet because when a person feels good and has a