This blog is my space for my own commentary about teens, health, and consumerism; it's in parallel to a project I have going to create an online teen health program. I figure it is best to keep my own thoughts and biases separate from the project, which has a cool team of people and teens to keep it on track.
I suppose it is timely to begin this week, when the US economy is in a bit of a tailspin, and along with lean times supposedly comes leaner waistlines. It will be interesting to see what our epidemiologists and social economists will report about this phase after looking at health and economic data 5 years down the line.
This is the 4th blog I've started and it's the one I'm going to stick with for 2 reasons: I'm immersed in eHealth prevention programming for teens related to nutrition, physical activity and body image, and I have two daughters rapidly approaching the tween/teen years - so I am going to be swept up with the teen tide no matter what.
It's a world of extremes.
Here's some sobering facts about our teens today -- and they are a bit all over the place, because so are adolescents in general:
- Over the past 25 years the prevalence of childhood obesity has quadrupled in the US. Processed and high caloric foods predominate meal choices for children. Many public schools have decreased or eliminate physical education and recess. Only 15% of kids walk or bike to school.
- Today, about 16% are overweight or obese. Another 9 million are at risk for becoming fat. Boys and girls of all ethnicities and race are affected.
- The health consequences include asthma, type II diabetes, hypertension and heart problems, orthopedic complications and sleep apnea. Overweight girls experience earlier onset of menstruation. The emotional consequences for teens include low self-esteem and depression.
- The health care costs associated with obesity threaten to cripple our health care system.
- While more kids play sports today than 30 years ago, competitive sports in youth start earlier. Pressure has increased on pre teens and teens to excel and play year round sports with no off- season.High school athletes account for an estimated 2 million injuries each year.
- More teens report attempting to diet and 70-80% are dissatisfied with their bodies.
- The prevalence in eating disorders has increased with 5-10 million girls/women and 1 million boys/men suffering from anorexic or bulimic disorders. The number of pro anorexic websites increased by 470% since 2006.
- The access to anabolic steroids to increase muscle mass among youth has skyrocketed.
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