Obesity teenagers

Obesity teenagers

 

 Headlines such as, "Obese teens face a health time bomb," have graced the pages of UK newspapers over the last few years. With increasing numbers of adults and teens facing growing waistlines, it brings with it worrying health issues.

 

 According to statistics, nearly one in five 15 year olds is obese and one in five 13 to 16 year olds are overweight. Obesity seems to be a growing problem in today's society, with the main causes considered to be a poor diet, eating too many fatty, sugary and calorie-laden foods and a lack of exercise.

 

 It's not healthy for anyone to be obese, not least teenagers. Obesity can cause problems, both in the present and future, including a risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes (which used to only affect people in their middle ages, but now affects youngsters too), heart disease and cancer.

 

 Even something as simple as drinking one can of sugary drink each day can have a profound effect on teens weight. A study published in the International Journal of Paediatric Obesity, which looked at the weight of 103 teens, found that drinking a single 330ml can of sugary drink could lead teens to put on 1lb in weight every three to four weeks. This equates to up to a stone in extra weight over a whole year. I'm concerned by this matter and want to explore further into how teens can be influenced into drinking this product.

To tackle obesity, teens should be helped to be aware of their diet and exercise habits. Eating healthily and making simple changes, such as eating grilled food instead of fried or cutting out cakes and biscuits, can make all the difference.

Unfortunately advertising can lead to this obesity problem, as many kids are influenced by the marketing campaigns and therefore are persuaded to eat fast food.