Obesity in teenagers: reasons, how a teenager can lose excess weight, diet

Why do boys and girls get fat?

This problem is becoming more and more threatening. Over the past 30 years, the number of children with excess body fat has quadrupled. This happens because the calorie content of the daily diet exceeds the body's needs. Most often it's a matter of overeating. There are other causes of obesity in teenage boys and girls (in the photo there are different degrees and types of the disease).

Among the most significant are:

• sedentary lifestyle;
• lack of daily routine;
• chronic lack of sleep;
• heredity;
• prolonged and uncontrolled use of medications and hormonal drugs;
• psychological distress;
• diseases of the endocrine system and metabolic disorders.

It should be noted that the last point is very rare. Although the diagnosis of the child’s condition should begin with him. Rule out hypothyroidism, diabetes insipidus, epilepsy, insulinoma, brain tumor and other pathologies that can affect metabolic processes and lead to intense weight gain.

Our additional services: Bioimpedance | Marutaka Massage | Pressotherapy | Ion-Detox

And when you are sure that the problem lies in the nutritional culture and the lack of sports in the life of a girl or boy, you can begin to correct the daily routine.

Psychologist's comment:

You should communicate with a teenager on the topic of losing weight delicately, regardless of the stage of obesity and the reasons that led to it. The child is very vulnerable to comments and criticism, and if psychological discomfort and stress arise, eating disorders will only progress, worsening the health and atmosphere within the family.

The participation of parents and doctors in the fate of the girl must be careful and respectful - this is a prerequisite for successful treatment. There are many cases where, after consulting a nutritionist or dietitian, the body mass index increased. A concerned mother brought an overweight son or daughter, a 14-16 year old teenager was given a nutritional consultation to lose weight in order to prevent obesity, and after a few months, instead of normalizing the BMI, the opposite happened - the condition developed into a real disease. This is due to increased stress factors. High school students are very critical of themselves even without our pressure. One awkward word is enough for a child to lose optimism and return to the usual solution to problems - eating.

It is not enough to simply give useful recommendations; it is necessary to earn the young man’s trust and convince him of the need to change his life, set a worthy example, and support him with a kind word.

Age characteristics

Prevention and treatment of obesity in adolescents begins with determining the extent of the problem. For a detailed analysis, gender, height and body weight should be taken into account.

Here is a simplified table that will help you quickly navigate. For girls the following numbers are relevant:

Boys develop a little slower, so their indicators are different:

There is also another popular method that will help you find out whether weight loss is necessary in adolescence - this is the determination of body mass index (BMI). The interpretation is different from that used for adults. This is due to the fact that the child’s body is in a growth phase, the ratio between tissues (fat, bone and muscle) varies.

Formula:

• height (meters) is squared (for example, 1.7x1.7 = 2.89);
• divide the weight (kilograms) by the resulting number (70/2.89=24.2);
• the BMI value (in our case 24) is deciphered taking into account age and gender.

For a 14-year-old boy this is a serious excess, and for a 17-year-old it is a slight excess of the norm. A special table will help you decipher the received data.

What is the danger: unhealthy manifestations of excess weight

You cannot do without a diet for weight loss in the case of teenage obesity in girls and boys, since the situation needs to be corrected as quickly as possible. Excess body weight is unsafe; it inevitably has a negative effect on the body. The following conditions are typical for overweight children:

• frequent headaches;

• pressure surges;
• shortness of breath with minor physical exertion;
• intense sweating;
• fast fatiguability;
• depressed mood;
• consolidation of eating disorders;
• the formation of a negative attitude towards one’s body and personality, mental disorders.

Fat deposits are not only an aesthetic problem, because they increase the risk of developing such serious diseases as:

• diabetes;
• osteoarthritis and other pathologies of the musculoskeletal system;
• heart failure, coronary disease, stroke;
• tumors;
• liver dysfunction;
• reproductive system disorder, infertility.

Nutritionist's comment:

To avoid eating disorders, it is recommended to reward your child with more than just delicious food. It is important to be able to enjoy nature, outdoor games, and communication with peers in reality, and not just in the virtual space. Parents should demonstrate by their example that sport is not torture of one’s own body, but a fun, pleasant break from everyday activities. To achieve a healthy psychological atmosphere during such a difficult period, it is worth consulting with specialists. Both parents and teenagers themselves often turn to nutritionists at Elena Morozova’s clinic. Everyone can receive psychological advice for building relationships and a competent weight loss program.

Most often, correcting a teenager’s diet and changing his lifestyle requires changes in the lifestyle of the entire family. Fat deposits are a consequence. The reasons most often lie in the food culture that dominates the home. Therefore, parents will have to think not so much about how to strictly control the child’s menu, but also take time to rethink their habits.

Ideal leg muscles for girls at 13,14,15,16,17,18 years old

Ideal leg muscles are the dream of all girls from an early age, who always dream of having long, slender legs and doing nothing for it! As psychologists say, you need to follow your dream, and not wait for it! Therefore, it is important to know that if you want a big butt like a nut, pumped up thighs with muscles, then sitting at home on an armchair and lying on the sofa at home are not methods of pumping up muscles, but methods of developing laziness that will only make you a fat teenager with thick legs.

How to lose weight correctly

Diets and fasting are not suitable for long-term weight loss and maintaining results. It doesn’t matter what type of obesity develops in a teenager—female or male—it won’t be possible to treat it with additional stress. Strict restrictions harm the body at any age, and even more so during the growth phase.

Let's list the negative consequences of mono-diets:

• the level of cortisol increases - a hormone that is intensively produced in stressful situations - it negatively affects the speed of metabolic processes;
• deficiency of essential nutrients that are needed for normal physical and mental activity;
• the ability to concentrate decreases, and school performance may suffer as a result;
• there is a risk of developing pathologies in the endocrine and reproductive systems.

Diets bring results, but short-term. As a result, in a couple of weeks you will be able to lose 5-6 kilograms, but in the next few weeks they will come back and also bring “friends”. Because during the period of hunger, a changeover to an “energy saving mode” occurs, which means that reserves will be stored whenever possible. In addition, the condition of the skin, hair and nails will worsen.

Nutritionist's comment:

Weight loss in adolescents should occur slowly so that the body does not experience significant stress and adapts to changes in tissue and fluid volumes gradually. The optimal rate is 1-1.5 kg. in Week. The kilograms lost quickly come back at the same speed.

Where does the body get energy for active growth?

First of all, from protein foods

It is very important for a teenage body to get high-quality protein. Eating only chicken and avoiding fish is wrong! The diet must contain various protein products

Many children categorically refuse fish or stewed chicken. What do they taste like? Modern teenagers are more likely to choose a juicy hamburger or chicken from KFC. Of course it tastes much better. But what benefits does such food bring to the body? Nothing worthwhile - except huge amounts of processed trans fats. They are dangerous because the liver may stop coping with recycling and begin to store them in reserve. This is how even a physically active child begins to easily gain excess weight. Add here a large amount of hidden salt and a lack of vegetables - the result is obvious! The entry “” appears in the medical card.

The second most important source of energy in the diet of adolescents is carbohydrates. They saturate the body for a long time, allowing you to feel full for many hours. All carbohydrates are divided into fast and slow. The first include sugar and flour, as well as all products that include them. These are chocolate bars, sweets and other delights so beloved by teenagers.

Quickly absorbed into the blood, they instantly raise the sugar level to a critical level. In response to this, the synthesis of insulin is triggered - a special hormone that should deliver sugar molecules (glucose) to every cell of the body.

Unfortunately, teenagers do not like slow carbohydrates. These are porridges (mainly made from whole grains), pasta made from durum wheat. After eating a bowl of oatmeal or buckwheat porridge, a person will be full for several hours. Why is this happening? If you compare slow carbohydrates with a steam locomotive, you will notice that they consist of several small cars. When the “train” gets into the liver, it is slowly disassembled into separate “cars”. This does not happen very quickly, and after such a meal you do not feel hungry for a long time.

Unfortunately, the percentage of consumption of slow carbohydrates has decreased significantly. They give way to the fast ones. In economically developed countries, this has led to a significant increase in obesity and diabetes.

Fats are also very important for a teenage body (but not as much as for an adult)

It is important to take into account that the child should receive them from an early age.

See what Dr. Komarovsky thinks about losing weight at home in his program.

How to eat

You need to follow these recommendations:

• get enough sleep;
• breakfast;
• maintain a daily routine;
• give up sugar and trans fats (found in baked goods, cheap candies, and processed foods).

A growing body requires a lot of nutrients; in terms of calories, this is equivalent to 2500-2700 kcal. But not every food popular among children has high biological value. Therein lies the insidiousness of the situation.

A balanced diet for weight loss for a child aged 10-17 years has a proportion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates of 1:1:4. In addition, micro- and macroelements and vitamins are important.

There are a number of products that can be called gastronomic garbage. This is food that contains so-called empty calories in large quantities. By eating them, a young man exceeds his daily caloric intake by lunchtime, but at the same time does not satisfy his nutritional needs. The result is disastrous: an excess of calories with a constant feeling of hunger - because the body is trying to compensate for the lack of nutrients.

Prohibited list

Excess weight in adolescents (girls and boys) is caused by the following foods:

• bakery products, especially sweet ones;
• snacks - they are made from wheat and corn flour, seasoned with large amounts of hydrogenated oil and flavor enhancers;
• semi-finished products - sausages, sausages, store-breaded cutlets;
• confectionery products based on dough and fat - sweets, cakes, halva, ice cream, chocolate;
• sauces with a high content of lipids or starch - mayonnaise, ketchup;
• fast food and chips;
• sweet soda, tea and coffee.

The above does not bring benefits to the body; on the contrary, it overloads the gastrointestinal tract and negatively affects blood vessels and skin. Such food contains practically no vitamins and minerals; it does not give energy; on the contrary, it provokes drowsiness, which does not contribute to the consumption of energy consumed.

What can you eat

We will give advice to include the following products in the healthy diet of teenagers for weight loss:

• lean meat in any processing (except for frying in oil) - beef, turkey, chicken, lamb;
• Fish and seafood;
• eggs;
• whole grain bread, crispbread;
• dairy products - kefir, sour cream, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese, cheese;
• porridge - buckwheat, millet, rice;
• vegetables (you should limit your potato consumption);
• berries, fruits and dried fruits;
• tea and coffee, freshly squeezed juices without sugar.

If the “black list” contains many foods that the child loves, change the diet gradually. You shouldn’t suddenly and forcibly change your eating habits; this takes time. Think about how to motivate a teenage girl to lose weight and lose weight without administrative measures.

Nutritionist's comment:

If you want something sweet, don’t refuse it, but choose healthy sweets. At the first stage, exclude fatty and floury confectionery products - you can leave marshmallows, marshmallows and dark chocolate. But you can eat them only in the first half of the day until 12.00 and in small quantities. By giving up sugar, a teenager will not lose anything; on the contrary, he will be able to enjoy the taste of fruits and berries more.

Approximate diet for a teenage girl

Examples of diets will vary depending on the age needs of the body.

13-14 years old

An approximate menu for this age is as follows:

• breakfast: buckwheat porridge with water, a piece of boiled chicken breast, a glass of tea or milk;
• snack: muesli bar and tea;
• lunch: low-fat fish, baked in the oven, vegetable salad with cabbage, carrots and olive oil;
• afternoon snack: vegetable juice salad (pumpkin, tomato), sandwich with butter and cheese;
• dinner: boiled chicken breast, vegetable stew (without potatoes), kefir or tea with milk.

15-16 years old

At an older age (15-17 years), it is easier for teenage girls to give up habitual unhealthy foods, and they are more active in their studies, which affects their diet when trying to lose weight:

• breakfast: two toasts with cheese, boiled lean meat (veal, turkey), fresh tomatoes with herbs, tea;
• snack: nuts and dried fruits (but not seeds);
• lunch: lean borscht or chicken breast, soft-boiled egg, baked potatoes, vegetable salad with olive oil;
• afternoon snack: fruit yogurt or fermented baked milk;
• dinner: baked chicken fillet with herbs and tomatoes (no cheese), lettuce, green tea.

Physical activity

Sport is important for boys and girls, because it is not only a way to expend energy, but also self-realization. Any direction will do - the main thing is to attend training at least 3 times a week. Volleyball, football, dancing, hand-to-hand combat, shaping and even yoga or Pilates - after all, static exercises also bring a lot of benefits.

Look at our Clients' Acknowledgments and Success Stories - View

A healthy menu and regular exercise are very effective for losing weight in teenagers, as they solve the following problems:

• metabolism accelerates;
• coordination of movements and posture improves;
• the proportion of muscle mass that consumes energy even at rest increases;
• self-confidence grows.

If for some reason you can’t go to the gym, you can go for morning jogging, rollerblading, or just walk a lot. Start with simple sets of exercises, increase the load gradually, in proportion to your physical fitness. If you get down to business with excessive enthusiasm, you can get injured or get sore, which will force you to interrupt your activities for a while.

Top 3 exercises for losing weight on thighs and thighs

Movement and sports must be present in children's lives . If it is not possible to go to the gym or the child categorically refuses to go there, it is necessary to select special exercises to perform at home.

You can train in a day or two, but if you are looking for an answer to the question of how to remove thighs for a teenager in 3 days, then to achieve results even faster, it is advisable to exercise every day and use other methods of fighting fat, described below. The following set of simple exercises, when performed daily, will allow you to remove fat from your hips and legs in just a week.

Swing your legs back

A simple and effective exercise that involves working the outer, inner, back and front surfaces of the thighs, as well as the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus muscles.

more about 7 different types of hip swings here .

1. Take the starting position: kneel and rest your forearms on the floor;
2. Straighten your back and slightly bend your lower back , look ahead;
3. Inhaling, take one leg back, holding the position for a couple of seconds at the highest point;
4. Exhaling, return to the starting position.

But swinging to the side will help create a gap between the thighs.

For detailed techniques, watch the video:

It is recommended to do the exercise at an accelerated pace 20-30 times in 3-4 approaches for each leg.
You can make the exercise more difficult by changing your position and standing against a wall. Attention! Leg swings are a great option for teenagers who have knee problems and are unable to do lunges or squats. In this case, it is better to neglect the pose on all fours and perform the exercises standing or lying down.

Lunges forward

With such lunges, the load is distributed on the front of the thigh, buttocks, as well as the front and back of the thigh. At first glance, this is an easy exercise, but the wrong technique will have no effect and can lead to injury .

In our ranking of the TOP 10 exercises for the hips, “Lunges” take 2nd place.

1. Stand straight, legs joined or spread at a level of 5-8 cm;
2. The shoulders are turned, the back is slightly arched in the lower back, the chest is raised, the stomach is tucked, the knees are slightly bent, the gaze looks forward;
3. Inhaling, a long step is taken forward, and while holding the body in a vertical position, a squat is performed, transferring the center of gravity to the front leg;
4. As you exhale, push off with your front leg and return to the starting position.

This movement perfectly lifts the buttocks.

The position of the hands does not play a role in performing this exercise; they serve to maintain balance. Do 10 times in 3-4 approaches on each leg.

About 7 different types of “Lunges” for losing weight in your legs, see here.

Watch the video for more details:
Caution! It is necessary to lower yourself until the thigh of the involved leg is parallel to the floor. Touching the floor with your knee poses a threat to the knee joint.

Running in place with knees high

The exercise works well on all leg muscles: quadriceps, anterior and posterior thighs, as well as internal and external. In addition, it is an alternative to regular running and actively burns cellulite on the legs. The exercise is not difficult, but if you are overweight it can cause some difficulties.

1. Take the starting position: legs at shoulder level, back straight;
2. Raise one hand to your chest, lower the other along your leg;
3. Push off with the toe of one leg, bending it at the knee joint, and lift it to the waist line;
4. At the same time, change the positions of the hands: raise the opposite one, lower the raised one;
5. When the leg drops below knee level, push off with the other leg and change hands.

You can replace such running with the no less effective “Stepping onto the Platform”.

Learn more from the video:

Repeat the exercise for one minute. For beginners, it is better to run without using your hands.

Other proven lower body exercises

And, of course, we must not forget that there are many other movements that have shown high efficiency:

1. “Bicycle” and “Scissors” are considered especially effective for the butt muscles;
2. A variety of squats are a must for inclusion in your complex;
3. You can build up your muscles with static exercises by performing our “Circular” complex, which includes such an effective exercise as “Chair against the wall.”
4. At the end of your workout, do some stretching, such as Downward-Facing Dog and Upward Dog asanas;
5. “Walking on the buttocks” not only burns cellulite, but also has many beneficial properties for the pelvic area;
6. Well, of course, you can’t do without “Hyperextension” and “Deadlift”.

Dietary meals for weight loss for children - diet for a week

When developing weight loss methods for a teenager and offering healthy food, do not forget about the warm, respectful atmosphere in the family. With a reasonable approach, losing excess weight can become a period that will bring loved ones closer and change traditions for the better. To get recommendations on how to overcome such a problem, you should contact a specialist. Nutritionists at Elena Morozova’s clinic will tell you how to properly organize your daily routine, diet and physical activity so that your child loses weight effectively and without harm to health.

Is it possible for a teenage girl to lose weight in a week?

Any weight loss with restrictions per day/week is a direct path to problems with the body. The question here is not even that girls are starving to the last minute to fit into the desired dress, but that there is simply a lack of understanding of why this is necessary.

You can lose weight in a week correctly in two ways - by reducing a teenager’s diet by 10-15% or by increasing the intensity of sports activity. Weekly weight loss should not exceed 300 g.