Teenage Obesity Is Sky Rocketing

Obesity has evolved into a serious problem now, more so, because it has begun taking its toll on teenagers. According to a recent survey, teenage obesity has increased at an alarming rate across America. Teenage obesity is mainly attributable to the increased consumption of junk food which contains hefty amounts of fat. This has exposed the teens to a 14% greater risk of having a heart attack, high cholesterol as well as severely high blood pressure. Incidence of Type 2 diabetes amongst the teens has also splurged tremendously. Moreover, these teens are more likely to grow into obese adults in the near future, further fueling their health risks.

Various causes of teen obesity have been claimed, the most prominent one being insufficient physical exercise on the teen's part. It is argued that teens nowadays lack sufficient physical exercise topped with their unhealthy eating habits are more prone to obesity. Nowadays, a major portion of the teenagers spend their spare time glued to the computer, television or perhaps simply playing games. This significantly limits any kind of physical activity of the teenager. According to a recent survey, around 43% of teenagers spend more than 2 hours watching television every single day.

Prolonged periods of inactivity in addition to the ill eating habits have increased the incidence of obesity in teenagers even more. However, this does not mean that teens do not do enough exercise, but the amount which they do, is certainly not sufficient as compared to their intake of fatty foods. Besides this, the contribution of parents is also quite less. Parents need to change the overall lifestyle of the household in order to facilitate a healthier lifestyle of their children. Unfortunately, the majority of parents fail to do so. It is extremely important that the whole family switches their diet, which will significantly boost the confidence of the teen.

The teenagers must also be encouraged to engage in other physical activities which require more effort; such as, playing basketball, tennis, badminton, volleyball and swimming. Meanwhile, the teenagers also need to be educated on the ill effects of junk food and must be asked to avoid them as much as possible. Their diet must also be made healthier and more balanced, which will help them in losing more weight quickly. For better guidance on reducing the teen's weight quickly, parents can always consult with a doctor or a trained dietician.