Teenage Obesity Statistics, A Growing Concern

Thank you for reading this article, what follows is the result of great research put into excellent writing.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity has continued to increase dramatically during the late 1990s for Americans of all ages.

Obesity is no longer limited to adults anymore. The growing percent of children and teens that are overweight and obese also continues to increase at an amazing rate. According to data from 1999-2000 children and teens ages 6-19, are overweight by 15 percent (almost 9 million), a percentage that is triple of what the proportion was in 1980. The data also shows that there is a high risk of another 15 percent of these children and teens ages 6 to 19 that could be at risk of becoming overweight if something is not done.

The definition of obesity is defined as an excessive accumulation of body fat, which results in individuals being at least 20 percent heavier than their ideal body weight. The definition of being "Overweight" is considered to be any weight in excess of the ideal range. Obesity is a common eating disorder once associated with adults has now become a familiar term concerning children.

While the health problems than adults have are usually not associated with children that are overweight, studies have shown that overweight children are at a greater risk of becoming overweight adolescents and adults with unnecessary health problems that are associated with obesity. People of all ages that are dealing with obesity are at a higher risk for a number of health problems including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and some forms of cancer.

Obesity is a known cause of poor physical health and well-being, and can shorten one's life by many years. Obesity can also lead to unhappiness and social disabilities, both at home and in the work place, which may cause stress or result in mental illness. In May 2004 a study that was given showed that overweight children were more likely to be involved in bullying than children of a normal-weight, both as perpetrators and as victims of teasing, physical bullying and name-calling .

As a growing teen, many kids are faced by peer pressure and the need to development their own personal identity and body image, with a need to develop independence. Depending on your teens personality has a lot to do with how they handle social situations. Situations that are stressful can lead to eating disorders.

Today’s teens are considered to be among the most sedentary generation due to a lack of recreational facilities that are safe, and the reduction of physical activities in the school systems due to a lack of funding. Poor eating habits and the lack of exercise are two major contributors to obesity in America’s youth today.

As teenage obesity statistics show, unless something major is done, teens will continue to grow in size with increasing health problems that can be attributed to this disease. The need for healthier diets and more activities involving exercise is a must in order to give teens the help they need in order to beat the battle of the bulge.

Copyright 2007-2009 Janice J. Sterling - All Rights Reserved

That’s the end of this article, hope you found the read interesting and useful.

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