Teen Obesity

by sixteen.com

Teenage obesity is a serious condition that can cause type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension, heart disease, orthopedic problems, arthritis and sleep problems.

Obesity is a significant problem no matter who has the condition, but it is especially sad to see young kids and teenagers saddled with such a serious health problem so early in their lives. When a young person is obese they are setting themselves up for a life-long battle that many will eventually lose. Being obese in your teen years can impair not only your physical health, it can damage your mental well being as well. As teens with obesity age they become increasingly more at risk for developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease along with a slew of different and very serious medical problem.

Diabetes mellitus type 2 can be triggered by childhood or teenage obesity and a diagnosis can equal a lifespan that is 10 years shorter than average due to the fact that type 2 diabetes can trigger many other serious health issues including cardiovascular disease, stroke, lower limb amputations, blindness, kidney failure, cognitive dysfunction, dementia and various other significant conditions.

A shortened life expectancy has also been linked to high blood pressure, the most common type of heart disease caused by obesity in the teen years. High blood pressure is a form of hypertension and it means the heart must work harder to circulate the blood through the blood vessels and although the condition presents few early warning signs the chances of getting the condition are much greater for teens that are obese. When an obese teenager develops high blood pressure they are at a greater risk of having a stroke and developing myocardial infarction, aneurysms of the arteries, chronic kidney disease, and peripheral arterial disease too. Obviously, all of these serious medical conditions are dangerous and deadly and will significantly impact a teen’s quality of life.

Supporting the excess weight of an obese body can also cause a teenager to experience orthopedic bone problems too. One big orthopedic threat comes in the form of Blount’s disease, also known as tibia vara, a condition that causes abnormal growth of the tibia bones in the legs and over time Blount’s disease can progress to the point where it affects the ability to walk normally. Heavyweight obese teens can also develop a painful hip problem called slipped capital femoral epiphyses, another orthopedic condition thought to be due to having to carry excess heft around. The bone problems can also result in inflammation of the joints known commonly as arthritis, which is one of the main causes of disability in the United States today. Along with the joint pain, stiffness, and swelling associated with arthritis, teens suffering from obesity also face the mental depression that comes along with not being able to move normally.

The medical consequences of teen obesity are serious issues and they don’t stop at just diabetes, heart disease and bone problems. Teenage obesity also leaves young people at risk for a slew of other serious conditions including problems sleeping, asthma, gallstones, kidney disease, pancreatitis, gastrointestinal disorders, fatty liver, nerve damage, eye diseases, and various hormonal disorders as well. The mental issues are serious too, because overweight teens can easily develop chronic depression due to their appearance and inability to be physically active like teens of normal weight. If you are an overweight teen that is leaning toward gaining more weight, it is time to seek medical help right now before your weight gains turn into full-blown obesity.