Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Teenage Weight Loss, Dangers of Being Overweight

By Ricardo d Argence

Today nearly nine million teens under the age of 15 are obese, but since 1980 the number of obese teenagers has tripled. The rise in teen-age obesity is staggering. It is even more difficult for teens to be overweight due to health risks and social repercussions.

Accompanying the increase in obesity in children is an upsurge in type two diabetes diagnoses. The increased incidence of obesity has also caused an increase in this form of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can cause renal failure, blindness, and even death.

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which the sufferer quits breathing for short periods while sleeping. When a person is obese, there is little muscle tone around the airway and this can lead to sleep apnea. The resulting oxygen deficiencies can cause major medical problems, like brain damage, heart problems, and death.

Asthma may have an obesity link are the sudies that begun to show only recently. In cases of severe obesity the lungs cannot properly expand causing constriction of the airways. Also, its been suggested that the low grade systematic inflammation common in obese, this inflammation can affect smooth muscle tissue and cause more restriction of the airways.

It is noticeable that most of the teenagers of today are not after of their physical health but rather on something that could make them happy and fell comfortable. The overweight teen may have an awful experience at school. Other kids are cruel and say nasty things to them. It is a bad thing that overweight teenagers also suffer from mental issues due to their weight that is another concern enitrely.

A major contributor to obesity in teens is their eating habits. Teens are known for their preference for junk food. Many school districts are doing their part to combat this by taking out vending machines that contain candy, chips, and sodas. They have replaced them with juice, water, and healthy snacks.

The teenager should begin changing their diet at home to go one-step further. Instead for healthy home cooked meals, they are so in love with and opt to stop eating the high calorie fast food.

A great idea is to plan your diet choices to be slowly added to your regular diet. Three regular meals per day and two snacks. Throw away packaged foods in favor of home made. Placing a little amounts of food on your plate and eating them slowly -remember they do not have to clean the plate!- is referred as portion control. You should include several servings of fruits and vegetables to ensure that you are consuming a balanced and healthy diet. You should drink alot of water because somtimes when we think we are hungry we are actually thirsty, and alot of water is very healthy.

Today, teenagers get much less exercise. Most teenagers today lead sedentary lives due to increases in electronic forms of entertainment such as television, internet and video games. Be firm with limits on TV time, and remove it from the bedroom. Instead of goining for a walk is a family, or brought bikes to every one.

You can always think up some creative chores that will help them to get some exercise if nothing else works. No matter what it takes but your goal is to get them moving. - 16732

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