How Does Obesity Affect Teens

How Does Obesity Happen in Teenagers?

Teens are vulnerable to obesity in a numerous number of ways. Examples of some common factors include one’s environment, medication, and even advertisements that people see. One’s environment can cause obesity by causing bad sleep habits and their lifestyles. A sedentary lifestyle is defined as sitting throughout the day for more than 6 hours a day. If someone is constantly sitting in work, school, or other occupations that require them to sit down for extended periods of time, that leads to a lack of activity which greatly decreases the number of calories you burn during a day. If living a sedentary life but overeating causes increased weight gain leading to obesity. Bad sleep habits can lead to metabolic abnormalities which lead to weight gain such as slower metabolism, increased cravings, suppression of the hormones that tell you when you have had enough food, and after enough lack of sleep, insulin levels will drastically drop. Increased appetite and lack of the feeling of fullness increases the number of calories which leads to overeating and increased calorie consumption and obesity.

How Does Obesity Affect Teens' Future?

Throughout the life of someone that had obesity in their teenage years is full of medical and psychological issues and some so bad that can lead to an early death. In adult life you will have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, leading to heart disease which can be lethal, diabetes which is lethal, sleep apnea, and joint problems. Sleep apnea can cause lethal brain issues, caused from the lack of oxygen that should be going to the brain, which if doesn’t lead to death will cause permanent damage to the brain. Joint issues from obesity cause the joint to be more vulnerable to damage, such as osteoarthritis in the joints of the lower extremities of the body like the knees, hips, and ankles. Mainly the joints that have more weight placed on them get damaged the worst. Also, the cartilage in the joints wear down and eventually lead to the bone to wear down over time. High blood pressure and cholesterol are the main causes of most heart diseases that lead to death. Diabetes can cause the body to stop processing glucose and stop the production of insulin, the enzyme of the body that helps to make the metabolism work. To be without that is very dangerous.

 Mental Disorders That Cause Obesity?

Obesity is caused by certain mental health disorders, categorized as binge-eating disorders. Of binge-eating disorders, one of the most common is bulimia nervosa. Binge-eating disorders are more common in females of all ages. Binge-eating disorders can cause people to eat even when full, eat very fast during what is referred to as “binge episodes”, eating unusually large portions of food, eat alone to avoid embarrassment, feel embarrassed about eating, or eat till physically uncomfortable. Another form of binge eating disorders is causing yourself to stop eating or restrict yourself from eating food at all. Although it causes the opposite of obesity, it is still just as damaging to completely stop eating. Such diseases include anorexia nervosa and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). These diseases cause someone to either avoid food or fear gaining weight causing someone to not eat.