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.

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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.

How to lose weight quickly for a 14 year old teenager

You should first figure out what is the reason for gaining excess weight. After all, if you eliminate the root of the problem, the need to lose weight will not arise. The reason for the deposition of excess fat may be:

Lose weight for a 14 year old teenager

• poor nutrition;
• decreased mobility;
• heredity.

A huge number of fast foods and pizzerias directly affect the figures of children. Overeating such high-calorie and unhealthy foods does not bring anything good. Not only does this lead to obesity, but it is also harmful to health. It is very difficult to explain this to boys and girls, since even many adults do not understand this. The result of such a chaotic diet is a set of extra pounds. To prevent this, you should carefully review your food preferences and take a step towards healthy eating.

Note! The help and guidance of parents in such a situation will come in handy. The best argument would be for the whole family to switch to proper food. Then the child will assess the situation and probably draw the right conclusions.

For teenagers, active childhood games are a thing of the past; more and more time is spent on social networks. And this is a sedentary lifestyle. Young people are now almost not interested in live communication; all their free time is spent not walking, but on the computer and phone. Whatever one may say, this is the modern reality, and nothing can be done about it.

Children need to be explained that this lifestyle can lead to many diseases. And the most impressive example for a child will be the one demonstrated by the parents. Family walks and picnics in the fresh air will help distract a teenager from online addiction. In nature, you can play outdoor games that will be interesting not only to the child, but also to his parents. In winter, sledding and going to the skating rink are great options.

Pay attention! Heredity also plays a very important role. If there are people in the family who are prone to obesity, then the child will most likely also gain weight quickly.

But here it’s more about the usual diet of the whole family. If everyone eats junk food, then the child will do the same. It is better to fight the problem of excess weight with the whole family.

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.

What should a 13 year old girl do to lose weight?

This is the age when a girl goes through the first stages of growing up. She looks in the mirror more and more often, and if it seems to her that her figure is far from ideal, then she chooses the only way out, as it seems to her - a diet.

But just at this age, any diet is contraindicated. Explain to the girl that the body grows and develops, which means it needs a lot of calories.

Limiting calories in food can lead not only to poor health, but also to health problems.

And if you want your 13-year-old daughter to lose weight, then there can only be one answer: physical activity, proper nutrition and no diets! You can dance, walk the dog, swim, ride a bike, in a word, do everything that is much more interesting and enjoyable than sitting hungry and sad near an empty plate. You just need to choose for the girl the activity that she likes most.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

Causes of childhood obesity

Excess weight is a problem not only for adults, but also for teenagers. Before starting to lose weight, it is important to identify the reasons why the girl is overweight. It is important to address the root cause in order to lose weight. Childhood obesity can be caused by various factors:

• inactive lifestyle;
• unbalanced diet;
• metabolic disease;
• heredity or characteristics of the body;
• developmental disorders;
• imitation of adults;
• gastrointestinal diseases.

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.

What to do

There are no solutions to combat this problem, because each case is individual. If you suspect that weight gain is caused by hormonal imbalance, you should definitely consult a doctor. If it's all about a sedentary lifestyle, then it's worth encouraging activity, outdoor activities and active meetings with friends, rather than prohibiting them or limiting them with a "stay at home" approach.

Try to find a peaceful approach with your child, and this way you will help him become the best version of himself .
In the end, it is not our weight that determines our worth, but only what kind of people we really are. leave a comment