Causes of Adolescent Obesity

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In an attempt to determine what factors lie at the heart of adolescent obesity Sztainer, Story, Hannan and Croll (2002) surveyed a sample population of 4,746 Minnesota urban youths (aged 11-18 years) to determine the effects of diet on obesity rates. Their obesity research paper concluded that in the sample population a direct correlation between obesity and diet could be drawn:

• 12.5% of the girls had body mass index values greater than the 95% (target = 5%)
• 16.6% of the boys had body mass index values greater than the 95% (target = 5%).
• Only 29.5% of the girls were meeting the daily recommended intakes of calcium (target = 75%)
• 42.5% of the boys were meeting the daily recommended intakes of calcium (target = 75%)

Adolescent Obesity

Further attempting to assess the root causes of childhood obesity Myles, Berman, Heo, et al., (2001) report that, in their study of 10 obese children, reducing television viewing time in lieu of physical activity (pedaling) dramatically reduced total body fat and percent leg fat over a twelve week period. According to these researchers, multivariate analysis confirms a direct relationship between obesity, television viewing and lack of physical activity.

Weight Gain

Examining how physical activity in pre-adolescent boys and girls helps prevent weight gain Goran, Gower, Nagy and Johnson (1998) studied 11 boys and 11 girls to determine how energy expenditure rates changed over a period of five years. What they found is that in girls energy expenditure from ages 5 to 6 increased steadily. However from ages 6 through 9 energy expenditure significantly decreased due to a 50% decrease in physical activity. In boys energy expenditure remained the same through the period of 5 to 9 years. In short, lack of physical activity reduces energy expenditure and causes weight gain.