Weight Loss for Teens - should our kids be dieting?

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Understanding teen weight loss is important to promote a lifetime pattern of healthy living and to ensure that growing bodies are maintaining good physical health. But it's also a sensitive issue; the teenage years are often hard enough without having to deal with the emotional stress and social pressures of being overweight.

However, teen weight loss is a topic that needs to be addressed, as over 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese and the problem isn't limited to adults. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 16 percent of children aged 6-19 are overweight and the numbers are rising.

Teenage weight problems are attributed to a number of factors:

• Lifestyles have grown more sedentary as a range of indoor entertainment is available to fill free time; TV, TiVo, DVDs, MP3s, computer and video games have become the social standard, replacing the evening pick-up games of soccer and football from the past.

• Teenagers are notorious for making bad nutritional choices, preferring to indulge a sweet tooth whenever possible and ignoring fruit and vegetables in favor of pizza, snacks and fast food.

• Public and private schools cater to the teenage palate, filling their cafeterias with burgers, fries and vending machines in the attempt to turn a profit. In fact, some lawmakers are even investigating passing legislation banning the sale of junk food in schools in favor of vegetables, fruit and milk.

• Sugary, high-calorie soft drink consumption has increased among teens. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the average female between the ages of 13 and 18 drinks two cans a day, males drink three and 10 percent of teenagers drink over five cans every day. It's not hard to understand why; the National Soft Drink Association reports that soda is sold in 60 percent of all public and private middle schools and high schools nationwide.

• Parents are setting bad examples of healthy living; how do they expect their children to learn about nutrition and fitness when they serve high-calorie, high-fat dishes or grab fast food for dinner? It's rare that children will leap up from watching TV to go for a jog if their parents don't set an active precedent.

Society and changing lifestyles are making weight gain easier than ever, but the earlier teen weight loss is addressed, the better the chances of fostering healthy eating habits and fitness awareness through the following years. There are a number of resources available for teens interested in learning more about, and pursuing, weight loss:

• Talk to your physician, a trusted teacher of a school counselor.
• There are camps designed to help you lose weight and have fun while doing it; check out www.kidscamps.com
• You can find weight loss information specially designed for teens online at www.overweight-teen-solutions.com.
• Dr. Phil, the talk show host with his own diet, offers teens advice at www.drphil.com

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