Katie struggles every morning to find clothes that “hide” her body and she often cries when she looks at the mirror. She is teased daily by her teenage peers at school and is nicknamed “fatty” because of her weight.
Michael is a first grader who is already wearing clothes four times the size for someone his age. His after school activities include watching cartoons, snacking on chips, and drinking several soft drinks.
These two vignettes are examples of obesity among children and adolescents, which is increasingly becoming a problem among America’s youth. Obesity is currently the most prevalent nutritional disease among youth in the United State and recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control cite one-fourth of children and adolescents over the age of 12 as obese. Furthermore, within every age and gender group roughly 10 percent of
youth are overweight.
Obese children and adolescents are at significant risk for health complications that can lead to morbidity. The following are some health complications associated with childhood and adolescent obesity:
hypertension
Type 2 diabetes
sleep apnea
asthma
cardiovascular disease
Moreover, obese children and adolescents are also at greater risk of becoming obese adults, which can lead to more serious health consequences like stroke, poor female reproductive health, and certain types of cancer.
In addition to physical health consequences, obesity can lead to serious psychological consequences in children and adolescents such as poor self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. The poor body image often associated with obesity may lead to lower self-esteem among adolescents and young adults which in turn may lead to depression or anxiety disorders.
Fast food, soft drinks, high-fat snacks in vending machines, a decrease in the amount of time spent in physical activities such as sports and playing outside, and an increase in the number of hours spent in front of the television are all contributing factors to the obesity epidemic affecting America’s youth. But there are psychological components to consider as well. Just as many adult individuals use food as a way to cope with stress, anger, depression, loss, or worry, children and adolescents are increasingly using food in the same manner. Next week’s column will talk about strategies for healthy weight loss
for parent’s concerned about the affect of obesity on children and adolescents and will also provide further insight into physical, mental, and emotional impact of obesity on America’s youth.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 2004
Hi.
I’m an experienced Clinical Practitioner, Administrator, Professional Writer, and Lecturer.
