OBESITY

Obesity in Teenagers

Obesity in Teenagers

Q1 Discuss the relevant causes of obesity in teenagers in relation to the nutrient supply and demand?

Obesity

A medical state in which an excess body fat is accumulated to that level, which can create relentless health complications in the life of an individual that can even lead to reduced life expectancy, is commonly known as Obesity. According to various studies it was diagnosed that obesity is a state in which an individual's BMI (Body Mass Index) exceeds 30 Kg/m2 (Ogden et.al, 2007, p.2087).

Factors that cause Obesity in Teenagers

Factors that contribute to obesity can be complex, ranging from poor nutritional and behavioural habits to genetics and cultural. In absolute terms, obesity occurs when more calories are consumed than burned. Studies indicate that there is 50% chance of a child being obese if one parent is obese and it increases to 80% if both parents are obese. Obesity is one of the most easily diagnosed medical conditions and it is not easy to treat as an individual has developed a lifestyle that is not easy to cure. More than 300,000 deaths are occurred each year mainly due to obesity and the annual cost of society that is spent on obesity is getting higher steadily (Angrisani et.al, 2005, p.877).

The overweight children are more likely to become overweight adults until and unless they are not forced to maintain and adopt a life style that is healthy for them. Adolescent and childhood obesity is linked to an increased risk of emotional and psychological issues. The teenagers with imbalanced weight issues tend to have much lower self esteem and therefore they are found having less interaction with the peers, which results in some serious disorders such as anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression. All these issues can be very harmful for teenagers and it can affect their life (Young et.al, 2000, p.365).

one of the most important issues that have not yet been addressed yet is this that the countries which are having ample resources or which are known as developed countries are having more than enough food availability, which is helping obesity to grow. the developed countries are having more people with obesity as compared to under-developed and developing countries and this is mainly due to the availability of food as well as the quality of food that the people of developing and under-developing countries are having is poor than the quality of food that is available in developed countries such as UK, USA etc. the people living in Under-developed countries and developing countries have lower per capita income therefore, they are unable to get more and quality food as compared to developed countries (Smith et.al, 2005, p.37).

These are some of the major reasons that are supporting an increase in obesity. The teenagers of developed countries are getting more obese mainly due to increased disposable income of their parents. An increased use of products rich in fatty acids or saturated fats is making teenagers of developed countries more obese as compared to ...