Fighting Teenage Obesity

Teenage obesity is fast becoming an epidemic. Even a couple of decades ago, the level of teenage obesity was not as high as it is now. So what is the reason behind such a huge increase in the number of obese teens? Junk food intake is obviously the primary cause. Nowadays, teenagers prefer to gorge on junk foods over eating healthy meals. Leading an inactive lifestyle is the secondary cause behind teenage obesity. Instead of playing outdoor sports, you would find most teenagers glued to either video games or the idiot box.

Forget about parents, even doctors are worried about the increasing number of over teenagers. Obesity is often linked to harmful diseases such as heart attacks, high blood pressure, hypertension, high blood sugar, etc. Previously, heart attacks used to afflict middle-aged adults; nowadays it is not surprising to find teens and young adults becoming susceptible to heart attacks, and obesity is the primary reason behind it.

It is time that we forget about high-caloric pizzas, soft drinks, colas, sodas, sweets, burgers, beer, alcohol, etc., and focus on low-caloric organic and natural foods. Obesity not only makes you physically weak and unhealthy, but also affects your mental health. Depression, which is affecting so many teens today, is often a direct side-effect of obesity.

Now, we all know that reduction in food intake is one of the best ways to combat obesity. However, you cannot ask a teen to eat less since adolescence is the period of growth for the body and as such, it needs plenty of nutrition during this time, even more than an adult. However, you can certainly ask your teenage kid to make the right food choices and lead an active life. Here are a few tips:

a) There are basically two types of calories out there: simple and complex. Simple calories are available in junk and sugary foods (cakes, biscuits, soda, pizza, etc.) while complex calories are available in natural fruits such as orange, apple. You should develop a taste for complex calories and avoid simple calories.

It is not that you would never be able to taste junk foods. Eating junk foods once in a while is okay, but eating them regularly means inviting trouble for yourself.

b) Your present sedentary lifestyle has to go. Realize that you can never remain fit if you don’t ever move your body. Participate in outdoor sports, workout in the gym; engage in swimming or dancing, etc. Do anything that MOVES your body. DO NOT sit on the couch for 24 hours because that couch is going to be your deathbed.

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