Obesity is one of the biggest problems teens now face. Bad    eating habits among teenagers have created an obesity crisis    in the U.S which is growing out of control. One in every four    men and one in every three women are obese. The U.S.    Department of Health has stated that by 2010, 6.6 million    men and 6 million women will be obese. Obesity in young    people is growing at a rapid rate.

   * 14 % of young boys are overweight
   * 17 % of young girls are overweight
   * 19 % of young boys are obese
   * 18 % of young girls are obese

   What is obesity? Obesity is having a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 and above. This    is determined by multiplying your height by itself and then dividing it by your weight.    Obesity is mostly due to bad eating habits and no exercise.

   Surgery!

   Some teenagers are even resorting to surgery as a counter attack. Dr. Bruce    Applebaum states that "if they come into our office and think it’s an easy fix we    re-educate them and let them know it’s not an easy way out...". Surgeries can go    from mild to critical. Some of them are:

   Gastric banding: This is when they band a small portion of your stomach separating    it from the rest of your stomach so that it holds less food and you get full faster.

   Gastric bypass: A permanent surgery that makes the stomach smaller and allows    food to bypass part of the small intestine. You will feel full more quickly than when    your stomach was its original size, which reduces the amount of food you eat.

   
   Gastric balloon insertion: a balloon is placed in your stomach so you get a feeling of    fullness.

   Physical and Psychological Factors

Number of times you eat at a fast food place 

   Obesity brings with is    multiple negative physical    and psychological problems.    Some of the illnesses that    result from obesity are:

   Elevated cholesterol and    triglycerides: This gives    teens a greater chance of    heart attack and stroke.

   Abdominal hernias: Hernias    are formed in the stomach    area.

   Fatty liver disease: The liver    is damaged because of    insulin resistance; this illness is also found in alcoholic patients.

   High blood pressure:  around 70% of obese patients suffer from high blood pressure

   (Type I diabetes) The pancreas cannot produce sufficient amounts of insulin. All    people with type I diabetes must take insulin, either by injection or an insulin pump.

   (Type II diabetes)Type II diabetes is much more common than Type I. In this form,    the pancreas either does not produce enough insulin or the body does not make    proper use of it, resulting in "insulin resistance". Type II diabetes in the beginning    can sometimes be managed with exercise and a healthy diet; however, individuals    may also need to take additional diabetes pills and/or insulin. More teenages are    diagnosed with type II diabetes. The reason that you must take insulin is because    the insulin helps regulate the blood's glucose levels. That is why people with    diabetes must test their blood sugar level regularly.

   Obese teens face many psychological problems growing up. Many children are    ostracized in public schools; they are subjected to bullying, taunting, name calling    and sometimes it can even get physical. Many adults who were taunted for being    obese as a child now have lower learning abilities and a low marriage percentage    rate. Some teens go through isolation, anxiety, become very emotional, and have    low self-esteem. Some even go through depression and often have suicidal    thoughts. Others may turn to bulimia.

 

 

                        Take a look and see if your city made the "Fat List"

** The 25 Fattest Cities in the U.S.A.

 

                               Rank (2008)       City                Rank in 2004

1	Houston	2
2	Philadelphia	7
3	Detroit	1
4	Memphis, Tenn.	20
5	Chicago	5
6	Dallas	3
7	New Orleans	22
8	New York	21
9	Las Vegas	16
10	San Antonio	4
11	El Paso , Texas	24
12	Phoenix	18
13	Indianapolis	17
14	Fort Worth, Texas	6
15	Mesa, Ariz.	12
16	Columbus, Ohio	10
17	Wichita, Kan.	16*
18	Kansas City, Mo	14
19	Miami	15
20	Long Beach, Calif.	23*
21	Oklahoma City	13
22	Tulsa, Okla.	19
23	Atlanta	11
24	Charlotte, N.C.	22*
25	Baltimore	23

 *Ranking in the top 25 fittest cities in 2004

Out of 10,016 cities in the U.S.A.

**This is detemined by the air quality, number of parks, and number of fast food places per street.

 

     The Solution

   Get on a diet and exercise more often. This is easier said than done, but just do it.    You can park farther away than your destination and walk the rest of the way there.    Take the stairs when you get to school or work, instead of the elevator. Turn off the    televion for a while and take a walk or go work in the garden. Exercise doesn't have    to be hard and boring. You can do it with your friends or colleagues. Just get out    there and do it.