Introduction
Chapter 1 - Psychological Issues for Teens Relating to Being Overweight
Chapter 2 - Parenting Your Overweight Teen and Improving Their Self Esteem
Chapter 3 - Advice for Helping Teens Lose Weight
Chapter 4 - Some Simple Rules to Follow to Help Teens Lose Weight Safely
Chapter 5 - How Teens Can Lose Weight Quickly and Safely
Chapter 6 - Weight Loss for Teens – A Parent Should Not Worry Too Much
Conclusion
Since the late 1990’s, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in
Americans, regardless of age, according to information collected and analyzed by
the National Centre for Health Statistics.
Almost 9 million (15%) children between the ages of 6 and 19 are overweight, and
this number is still growing according to information gathered between 1999 and
2000 (triple the number of 1980). The information has also shown that another
15% of children between the ages of 6 and 19 are at risk of becoming overweight
also.
Obesity is defined as having an excessive accumulation of body fat which will
result in the person’s body being about 20% heavier than their ideal body
weight. So those people whose weight is above what is considered their ideal
range, are defined as being overweight. Obesity is a common eating disorder that
is associated with teens.
Although teens may have fewer weight related health issues than adults, those
teens that are overweight now are much more likely to be come overweight as an
adult. Teens who are overweight (in fact people of all ages that are overweight)
are at risk from a number of different health issues, and these include:
1. Heart Disease
2. Diabetes
3. High Blood Pressure
4. Strokes
5. Some forms of Cancer
Those teens who are obese may find that they are not only physically unfit, but
their well being is usually very low as well. Many obese people will also tend
to have a shorter life expectancy than those who are the right weight for their
body size.
Plus, it can also lead to social disabilities and unhappiness, which in turn may
cause them stress and in some cases, may make them mentally ill as well.
A study that was carried and details which were released in May 2004 suggested
that overweight children are more likely to be involved in bullying than those
children who are a normal weight. But they can not only be the victims of
bullying, they may be the perpetrators as well.
The development of their own personal identity and body image is an important
goal for any teenager.
There are a number of causes for obesity which centre around an imbalance in the
teens energy they put into their bodies, (calories that they obtain from the
food they eat) and the energy they release from their bodies (how good their
metabolism is, and how much physical activity they take part in). Often teens
when a teen is overweight, it is because there is a problem with the nutritional
value of their diet, or it may be psychological, familial or physiological, all
of which we will discuss a little bit more.
The Family
Often children and teens are more at risk of becoming overweight if they have
two overweight parents. Although in some cases, this may be due to a powerful
genetic factor, or it may be because they are modelling themselves after what
they see their parents eating. Also physical activities, if any, they take part
in, can indirectly affect the teen.
Inactivity
On average, an American child will spend several hours each day watching
television or on a computer. Compare this to years ago, when this time would
have been spent doing some form of physical activity instead. There are a large
amount of teens and children who are now overweight, as they are expending
little energy, and often eat high calorie snacks while watching TV or playing on
the computer. Today in the US, about 1/3 of elementary school children carry out
some form of physical education, and less than 1/5 take part in physical
activity programs after school.
Heredity
Recently, information has shown that heredity can influence fatness in a child
and teen. It was found that children born to overweight mothers have been found
to be less active, and often gain more weight by the age of 3 months compared to
those children born to mothers who are a normal weight, which suggests a
possible inborn drive to conserve energy.
In this book, we will look at various ways in which help can be provided to
overweight teens, and how they can lose weight successfully without them
resorting to fad diets etc.
For many overweight teens, their physical health and well being are the least
of their problems. Much more relevant is the teasing and abuse they receive from
their peers at school and near where they live. For many, it is not only what
others think of them that is upsetting, but it is what they actually think of
themselves. A good percentage of teenagers (especially girls) are clinically
depressed because they are so preoccupied with their weight. It does not help
that in every model or every actress you see, and that people tend to aspire to
be, are usually stick thin.
There is evidence now amounting to just how much pressure is being placed on
obese teenagers. A recent survey reveals that these kids rate the quality of
life they have as low as that of young cancer patients while they are having
chemotherapy. There are other studies which have been carried out that report
increased rates of depression, low self esteem and isolation from other members
of their age group, which can result in behavioural problems in some. These
teenagers are less likely to be accepted into higher education (college) or to
get married, and are more likely to be part of the lower socioeconomic groups.
What is worse is that many overweight teens will be hard on themselves, and will
often be mistreated by others. A study carried out in 2001 by Latner and
Stunkard finds that this situation, rather than improving, has steadily got
worse.
Often, those teens who are overweight can suffer from other problems such as
cardiovascular, orthopaedic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, hormonal,
neurological and metabolic diseases (diabetes). These can often manifest
themselves through psychological problems, and you may then have to ask for
assistance from a trained professional in order to deal with them.
Today in the US, there are some weight loss programs for kids which are
residential, and combine psychological therapy with behaviour change therapy in
order to improve the teens self esteem as well as their physical health.
So, during this book, we will look at ways in which those teens, who wish to
lose weight, can do so safely.
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