Youth Obesity and Its Effects

What does it mean for someone to be obese or overweight? What is it when someone eats over their limit? How do you know what your limit is? The health problems that stem from being overweight go way beyond than the ones we usually hear about like diabetes and heart disease. Being overweight can also affect a person’s joints, breathing, sleep, mood, and energy levels. So being overweight can impact a person’s entire quality of life.

When people eat more calories than they burn off, their bodies store the extra calories as fat. A couple of pounds of extra body fat are not a health risk for most people. But when it becomes a habit to eat more calories than being burn, more and more fat builds up in the body. Eventually, the body gets to a point where the amount of body fat can have a negative effect on a person’s health. We use the terms “overweight” or “obese” to describe when someone is at greatest risk of developing weight-related health problems after calculating one’s BMI. As you’ve probably heard, more people are overweight today than ever before. This health problem is affecting young people as well as adults: 1/3 of all kids between the ages of 2 and 19 are overweight or obese. So younger people are now developing health problems that used to affect only adults, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. Obesity affects both the body and mind. Not only can it make a person feel tired and uncomfortable, carrying the extra weight puts added stress on the body, especially the bones and joints.

Studies are showing that the health problems that affect overweight teens include:

• Blount’s disease. Excess weight on growing bones can lead to bone deformity of  the lower legs.
• Arthritis. Wear and tear on the joints from carrying extra weight can cause this painful joint problem at a young age.
• Slipped capital femoral epiphyses (SCFE). Obese children and teens are at greater risk for this painful hip problem. It requires immediate attention and surgery to prevent further damage      
• Asthma. Obesity is associated with breathing problems that can make it harder to keep  up with friends, play sports, or just walk from class to class.
• Sleep apnea. A serious problem where a person temporarily stops breathing during sleep. It interrupts sleep, it can also leave people feeling tired and affect their ability to concentrate.
• High blood pressure. When blood pressure is high, the heart must pump harder and the arteries must carry blood that’s moving under greater pressure. If the problem continues for a long time, the heart and arteries may no longer work as well as they   should.
• High cholesterol. Long before getting sick, obese teens may have abnormal blood lipid levels, including high cholesterol, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and high triglyceride levels.     
• Gallstones. An accumulation of bile that hardens in the gallbladder forms gallstones.
• Pseudotumor cerebri. This is a rare cause of severe headaches in obese teens and adults. There is no tumor, but pressure builds in the brain. In addition to headaches, symptoms may include vomiting, an unsteady way of walking, and vision problems that may become permanent if not treated.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Girls who are overweight may miss periods — or not get their periods at all — and may have elevated testosterone (the male hormone) levels in the blood. Although it is normal for girls to have some testosterone in their blood, too much can interfere with normal ovulation and may cause excess hair growth, worsening acne, and male-type baldness.
• Insulin resistance and diabetes. When there is excess body fat, insulin is less effective at getting glucose, the body’s main source of energy, into cells. More insulin becomes needed to maintain a normal blood sugar. For some overweightteens, insulin resistance may progress to diabetes (high blood sugar).
• Depression. People who are obese are more likely to be depressed and have lower self-esteem.

It is never too late to make changes that can effectively control weight and the health problems it causes. That can be started by making a plan to cut back on carbonated beverages, pass up on seconds, and get more exercise, even if it’s just 5-10 minutes a day. Build your way up to big changes by making a series of small ones. Overcoming any obstacle in life involves self-empowerment, and that starts with expression. So don’t be shy. Let’s make this fun, informative and engaging!

How about you? Think about what factors have conspired in your life to lead you to poor diet habits. What do you hope to find in a good nutritional blog?

Article by Jessy Hamawi, Club Fitness Nutritionist and Personal Trainer