Obesity among adolescents has risen significantly over the last decade. It’s currently dubbed a public health concern. An overweight teenager may find it particularly challenging to handle obesity. There is a different social atmosphere that they experience at this age.
The psychological effects of obesity in adolescence are profound if not intercepted. It’s essential to check adolescents’ BMI and assist in restoring their physical and mental health. On average, a 14-year-old obese BMI exceeds 27.98, while 15-year-olds regard their obese cutoff as over 28.30. 16-year olds consider weighing 170 pounds as obese as the average 16-year-old weighs between 110 to 160 lbs. Let’s dive deep into the impact it has on teenagers.
Effects of Teenage Obesity
Psychological Effects of Obesity in Adolescence
Obesity triggers adverse psychological effects in adolescence. An overweight teenager tends to experience heightened emotions. Teenagers are self-conscious of their appearance and compare themselves to superficial online features.
Obese adolescents may feel like they don’t belong when hanging out with their peers with different body shapes. Teenagers with obesity have lower self-esteem as compared to their average-weight counterparts. These psychological feelings make them unhappy with themselves, and they become distant and don’t interact with others.
Another psychological effect of obesity in adolescence is the increase in levels of depression among teenagers. Teenagers fixate on how their peers treat them, and when they receive adverse reactions, it can trigger how they react to this treatment.
Eating Disorders
The psychological effects of obesity in adolescence trickle down to detrimental eating disorders. It’s among the worst effects of teenage obesity. They attempt to lose weight and resort to unhealthy eating behaviors restricting their eating in the hope of attaining less weight. They may also resort to binge eating as a repulsive reaction to negative comments from their peers.
Sustained obesity may result in various conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and fatty liver.
The Role of Diet in Managing Obesity
Adolescents need sustainable dietary patterns to make transformations that manage their energy intake as they remain in control of their appetite while eating healthy.
The best diet for obese teenagers requires the right amount of phosphorus and calcium as they grow. You supplement a teenager’s diet by including:
- Suitable meats.
- Beans.
- Fruits.
- Vegetables.
Follow this up with some significant dietary changes. You can reduce sweetened beverages with too much sugar, like soda and energy drinks. Hydration is also necessary to promote healthy weight maintenance.
Too much sugar causes weight gain in teens and increases their risk of getting health conditions like type 2 diabetes. Foods with high sugar levels also affect their appetite due to low protein and fiber. Cutting down on foods high in added sugar can help them lose excess body weight.
A common misconception about the best diet for obese teenagers is completely avoiding fats. You don’t need to avoid fat as it’s necessary for a teenager’s developing body. Switch your fat to healthy options that assist with proper body development while maintaining your weight. These include:
- Seeds.
- Olive oil.
- Avocado.
- Nuts.
- Fatty Fish.
Spatz has also developed an adjustable gastric balloon system. The Spatz3 complements your dietary changes by transforming your weight towards a better attitude to food. You can down-adjust or up-adjust it to ensure you get the best results.
Preventing Obesity in Adolescence
Adolescents should be keen on their BMI and seek appropriate measures to mitigate obesity. An assessment of their physical health and family history assists in preventing obesity in adolescence.
They may look up to their role models and imitate their lifestyle habits. It’s essential to set a great example and encourage physical activities. Let them put that extra energy into use through exercises, swimming, and sports to stay in shape. These also assist in their general development and growth.
You don’t have to change everything suddenly, as it can be challenging for the teen to adapt. You can ease up your adolescent slowly into practices they find simple and focus on doing them daily.
Diet to solve teenagers obesity
Obesity among adolescents may come from various factors. These include a poor diet, lack of physical activities, medical complications, or family history. It directly affects the crucial physical, psychological, emotional, academic and social development in adolescence. They require the best diet and guidance to prevent the adverse effects of obesity among adolescents.
