In the past teenagers have frequently been the focus of attention because of their seemingly boundless energy but nowadays they are appearing in the public spotlight because they are no longer as energetic as their parent's or grandparent's generation. Nowadays more and more young people are leading a very sedentary lifestyle and, as a result, obesity amongst teenagers is becoming commonplace. Indeed, it is becoming so common today that doctors are starting to voice their concerns very loudly and finally parents, schools and even politicians are starting to sit up and take notice.
Today there are more teenagers suffering from obesity than at any time in the country's history and many doctors are openly talking about this problem as being of epidemic proportions. It is frightening to think that the section of our population which we normally think of as being the fittest, most active and slimmest is now turning into a section of the population which is being viewed as the laziest and most obese. There is no doubt that this is a real problem which we do not need statistics to verify anymore and which we can see all around us.
The real problem though is that the growing trend towards obesity amongst teenagers in America today is going to be far from easy to reverse.
Most people would agree that there are two basic causes for today's teen obesity. The first is the simple fact that teenagers spend far too much time watching television, sitting in front of computers or playing the myriad of computerized games available these days and far too little time outside running around and getting some sort of exercise. The second reason for this problem is diet. The days of home cooking and family meals have virtually disappeared in many households and children are living on a diet of fast food which simply was not available a generation or two ago.
However, while the cause of teenage obesity is clear and there is very little disagreement about it, parents, educators and doctors do not seem to be able to come up with a satisfactory or agreed solution.
This is clearly a problem which must be addressed along a broad front and we need to start with education for both teenagers themselves and those people responsible for their upbringing and welfare. Changes need to be made to both eating habits and lifestyle and these changes will never come about unless the teenagers themselves understand that they have a serious problem and gain the desire to do something about it. Parents, educators and doctors can put the framework in place to solve the problem but, if the kids themselves do not have the desire to work within it then it will simply fail.
Having brought the kids on board then the ball lies firmly in the court of the parents, schools, medical professionals and politicians who need to devise programs to get teenagers out of the house and away from the television and computer and into the fresh air to participate in activities which they will find constructive and enjoyable but which will, at the same time, give them the exercise they need.
This is not an easy problem to solve but unless we combine forces to tackle it now we are likely to end up with a problem which is not simply difficult but actually impossible to solve.
Today there are more teenagers suffering from obesity than at any time in the country's history and many doctors are openly talking about this problem as being of epidemic proportions. It is frightening to think that the section of our population which we normally think of as being the fittest, most active and slimmest is now turning into a section of the population which is being viewed as the laziest and most obese. There is no doubt that this is a real problem which we do not need statistics to verify anymore and which we can see all around us.
The real problem though is that the growing trend towards obesity amongst teenagers in America today is going to be far from easy to reverse.
Most people would agree that there are two basic causes for today's teen obesity. The first is the simple fact that teenagers spend far too much time watching television, sitting in front of computers or playing the myriad of computerized games available these days and far too little time outside running around and getting some sort of exercise. The second reason for this problem is diet. The days of home cooking and family meals have virtually disappeared in many households and children are living on a diet of fast food which simply was not available a generation or two ago.
However, while the cause of teenage obesity is clear and there is very little disagreement about it, parents, educators and doctors do not seem to be able to come up with a satisfactory or agreed solution.
This is clearly a problem which must be addressed along a broad front and we need to start with education for both teenagers themselves and those people responsible for their upbringing and welfare. Changes need to be made to both eating habits and lifestyle and these changes will never come about unless the teenagers themselves understand that they have a serious problem and gain the desire to do something about it. Parents, educators and doctors can put the framework in place to solve the problem but, if the kids themselves do not have the desire to work within it then it will simply fail.
Having brought the kids on board then the ball lies firmly in the court of the parents, schools, medical professionals and politicians who need to devise programs to get teenagers out of the house and away from the television and computer and into the fresh air to participate in activities which they will find constructive and enjoyable but which will, at the same time, give them the exercise they need.
This is not an easy problem to solve but unless we combine forces to tackle it now we are likely to end up with a problem which is not simply difficult but actually impossible to solve.
GastricBypassFacts.info provides a large number of obesity articles and includes specific advice on the problem of obesity in teens and one solution if it is not brought under control.
Comments :
0 comments to “Doctors Are Openly Expressing Their Concern About Obesity in Teenagers”
Post a Comment