Psychological Issues for Teens

Relating to Being Overweight
For many overweight teens, their physical health
and well being are the least of their problems.
Much more relevant is the teasing and abuse they
receive from their peers at school and near where
they live. For many, it is not only what others
think of them that is upsetting, but it is what
they actually think of themselves. A good
percentage of teenagers (especially girls) are
clinically depressed because they are so
preoccupied with their weight. It does not help
that in every model or every actress you see, and
that people tend to aspire to be, are usually stick
thin.

There is evidence now amounting to just how much
pressure is being placed on obese teenagers. A
recent survey reveals that these kids rate the
quality of life they have as low as that of young
cancer patients while they are having chemotherapy.
There are other studies which have been carried out
that report increased rates of depression, low self
esteem and isolation from other members of their
age group, which can result in behavioral problems
in some. These teenagers are less likely to be
accepted into higher education (college) or to get
married, and are more likely to be part of the
lower socioeconomic groups.

What is worse is that many overweight teens will be
hard on themselves, and will often be mistreated by
others. A study carried out in 2001 by Latner and
Stunkard finds that this situation, rather than
improving, has steadily got worse.
Often, those teens who are overweight can suffer
from other problems such as cardiovascular,
orthopedic, gastrointestinal, respiratory,
hormonal, neurological and metabolic diseases
(diabetes). These can often manifest themselves
through psychological problems, and you may then
have to ask for assistance from a trained
professional in order to deal with them.
Today in the US, there are some weight loss
programs for kids which are residential, and
combine psychological therapy with behavior change
therapy in order to improve the teens self esteem
as well as their physical health.
So, during this book, we will look at ways in which
those teens, who wish to lose weight, can do so
safely.

The Report Of Weight Loss

Since the late 1990’s, there has been a dramatic
increase in obesity in Americans, regardless of
age, according to information collected and
analyzed by the National Center for Health
Statistics.

Almost 9 million (15%) children between the ages of
6 and 19 are overweight, and this number is still
growing according to information gathered between
1999 and 2000 (triple the number of 1980). The
information has also shown that another 15% of
children between the ages of 6 and 19 are at risk
of becoming overweight also.
Obesity is defined as having an excessive
accumulation of body fat which will result in the
person’s body being about 20% heavier than their
ideal body weight. So those people whose weight is
above what is considered their ideal range, are
defined as being overweight. Obesity is a common
eating disorder that is associated with teens.
Although teens may have fewer weight related health
issues than adults, those teens that are overweight
now are much more likely to be come overweight as
an adult. Teens who are overweight (in fact people
of all ages that are overweight) are at risk from a
number of different health issues, and these
include:

1. Heart Disease
2. Diabetes
3. High Blood Pressure
4. Strokes
5. Some forms of Cancer

Those teens who are obese may find that they are
not only physically unfit, but their well being is
usually very low as well. Many obese people will
also tend to have a shorter life expectancy than
those who are the right weight for their body size.
Plus, it can also lead to social disabilities and
unhappiness, which in turn may cause them stress
and in some cases, may make them mentally ill as
well.

A study that was carried and details which were
released in May 2004 suggested that overweight
children are more likely to be involved in bullying
than those children who are a normal weight. But
they can not only be the victims of bullying, they
may be the perpetrators as well.
The development of their own personal identity and
body image is an important goal for any teenager.
There are a number of causes for obesity which
center around an imbalance in the teens energy they
put into their bodies, (calories that they obtain
from the food they eat) and the energy they release
from their bodies (how good their metabolism is,
and how much physical activity they take part in).
Often teens when a teen is overweight, it is
because there is a problem with the nutritional
value of their diet, or it may be psychological,
familial or physiological, all of which we will
discuss a little bit more.

The Family

Often children and teens are more at risk of
becoming overweight if they have two overweight
parents. Although in some cases, this may be due
to a powerful genetic factor, or it may be because
they are modeling themselves after what they see
their parents eating. Also physical activities, if
any, they take part in, can indirectly affect the
teen.

In Activity

On average, an American child will spend several
hours each day watching television or on a
computer. Compare this to years ago, when this time
would have been spent doing some form of physical
activity instead. There are a large amount of
teens and children who are now overweight, as they
are expending little energy, and often eat high
calorie snacks while watching TV or playing on the
computer. Today in the US, about 1/3 of elementary
school children carry out some form of physical
education, and less than 1/5 take part in physical
activity programs after school.

Heredity

Recently, information has shown that heredity can
influence fatness in a child and teen. It was
found that children born to overweight mothers have
been found to be less active, and often gain more
weight by the age of 3 months compared to those
children born to mothers who are a normal weight,
which suggests a possible inborn drive to conserve
energy.
In this book, we will look at various ways in which
help can be provided to overweight teens, and how
they can lose weight successfully without them
resorting to fad diets etc.