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Teen obesity is on the rise in the United States today in almost epidemic proportions. In fact, according to a 2008 report released by the American Heart Association, the prevalence of overweight kids between the ages of 12 and 19 increased from 6.1 percent in the 1970s to nearly 18 percent between 2001 and 2004. Plus, nearly 17 percent of currently normal weight adolescents are at risk for becoming overweight.
Risk Factors
Obesity in kids is defined differently than in adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), weight classifications are based on age and sex specific BMI weight percentiles. According to the CDC's charts, overweight kids include those between the 85th and 94th BMI percentage for their age and sex, while obese kids include those at or above the 95th percentile for those in their age and sex group.
Overweight and obesity put teens at risk for diseases that were previously considered "adult onset" diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and sleep apnea. A Swedish study revealed in 2009 that kids who are obese at the age of 18 are at the same risk of premature death as a person who smokes half a pack of cigarettes a day.
"Compared with those who had a normal weight at age 18, those who had been overweight were about a third more likely to die early, whereas those who were obese were more than twice as likely to die prematurely," says the report.
Get Moving
The first step in helping an overweight or obese teen get healthier is a visit to the pediatrician. The doctor will be able to assess the child's current health situation to determine a safe level of exercise and to provide a good overview of positive nutrition habits. The pediatrician may also refer the child to a nutritionist as well.
Once you get medical advice and clearance to begin an exercise and healthy eating regimen, it's time to change the mind. Begin by setting some goals. Start with an overall goal and then set attainable mini-goals. For example, if you'd like to shed 20 pounds, you might aim to lose 1 or 2 pounds per week.
Then, find a type of exercise that you enjoy, or at least one you can tolerate. Teens should try to exercise at least 30 minutes per day, five days a week. However, if one is out of shape and overweight, any daily activity will help. Walking, for example, is an ideal beginning exercise. Start with a five minute stroll and work your way up to 30 minutes by adding one minute each day. Then, focus on adding speed (and distance) to your walk.
Swimming and other low-impact activities are also good ways to begin your fitness program. As you become more comfortable moving, consider adding strength training to your routine. This might include weight lifting or other resistance type exercises.
Eat Well
Teens should never be placed on the type of restrictive diets that many adults use to take off pounds. As adolescents, they're still growing and developing and require a certain amount of calories to make that happen.
According to the American Academy for Pediatrics, teen girls need between 1600 and 1800 calories per day, while boys need 1800 to 2200 depending on their activity level. This doesn't change for obese or overweight kids.
Using behavior modification and proper nutritional education can be the most effective way for teens to get control over their eating habits. Parents should model positive behaviors as well, including stocking the kitchen with whole-grain, natural foods. Limit foods that contain sugar and corn-syrup, and offer plenty of fresh fruits and veggies for snacking. Soda pop should be seriously limited or even eliminated altogether as it's full of empty calories and sodium, which can cause bloating.
Teens should be given the ability to make their own choices, of course, but parents can help them to do so by offering healthy options.
