With the increasing trend in childhood obesity, more than 17% of youth are obese and half of these adolescents are trying to lose weight1. Finding ways to help teens lose weight in a healthy and sustainable manner, and not negatively impact their body image is key to decrease their health risks later in life. Media and public health officials have increased focus to help the younger generation become aware of the obesity epidemic. Creating an awareness of the current health issues with the youth is the first step, next is helping them understand the appropriate behaviors to correct the issue.
According to the CDC obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile of the sex-specific BMI-for-age growth charts. With 12.7 million 2—19 year olds fitting into this category, they have many potential health risks now and as adults2. Some risks of concern are: high blood pressure and cholesterol, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, breathing issues, joint problems, psychological stress, low self-esteem, and lower quality of life3. Creating guidelines for doctors, nurses, dietitians/nutritionists, and other health professionals will provide methods treat and prevent overweight and obese adolescents.
Increasing physical activity, decreasing the amount of junk food consumed and replacing it with whole foods are a few obvious solutions to decrease childhood obesity. However, the question is how do we get them motivated to make these changes? A large part in adolescent weight loss is family backing. Parent support and motivation will be a key in their children’s success and behavior. When a parent models healthy eating habits and increased activity level, their children will not feel removed and know they have someone working with them4. Weight loss programs can be emotional for teens, increasing the risk of eating disorders and be damaging to self-esteem. When parents remove their focus from their child’s weight and look more towards providing support, it can minimize the risk of emotional harm.
Research has found that teens that are motivated by specific factors, such as athletics, were more likely to engage in healthy weight loss behaviors. In comparison teens that participated in unsafe weight loss behaviors (such as skipping meals, purging, using laxatives) were motivated by what their peers were saying to them about their body weight1. When setting weight loss goals for adolescents, it’s important to have a goal to aim for that is not just focused on changing their weight. Setting a goal to run a mile, do a certain amount of push-ups in a minute, or to not get tired when they are out with their friends. These types of goals will keep them focused on staying healthy rather than going through extreme measures to fit in.
Weight loss for adolescents should be a permanent change, not a quick fix. Because obesity is a lifelong disease it requires maintainable changes4,5. The amount of calories needed varies by age and gender, but keeping their diet low in fat (20-25% of calories), high in complex carbohydrates (50-60% of calories) and sufficient in protein (25-30% of calories) will help support growth and health.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest children from the ages of 6-17 should get 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily. These activities should be made up of moderate- to vigorous- intensity aerobic activity 3 days a week, muscle-strengthening physical activity 3 days a week, and bone-strengthening physical activity 3 days a week. By staying active each day adolescents can maintain a healthy body composition6. Encouraging kids to
get up off the couch and moving by doing activities they enjoy will help them create sustainable exercise habits for life.
There is no single answer to decrease the obesity in children. However, by appropriately teaching the youth healthy ways to take care of their body and finding activities that they enjoy are some of the basic steps to keep them on track for a wholesome lifestyle. Involving the entire family in the changes can give them a sense of support and encouragement. Taking these small steps will help lead to a healthier generation of teens.
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