Obesity clinics are almost devoid of cases requesting treatment for obesity in adolescents. This is due to the significant increase in numbers in recent years. The incidence of obesity problems among this group in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reached about a third of children and adolescents, which indicates the presence of a real problem that requires awareness and serious attention to it. Follow this article with us to learn about the symptoms of obesity, its causes, its harms, and the approved treatment methods.
Symptoms of obesity in adolescents
Before we learn about the treatment of obesity in teenagers, we must first make sure that the teenager actually suffers from it, and this is what we discover through a medical examination and knowledge of the symptoms of obesity in teenagers, such as:
- Weight gain greater than normal, especially in the waist circumference.
- Shortness of breath during any simple activity such as walking and climbing the stairs.
- Always appearing weak, lazy, and lethargic with an inability to concentrate.
- Severe sleep disorders such as snoring and sleep apnea due to obesity.
- Excessive sweating, even during the simplest activities and in moderate climates, not just in the summer months.
- Constant complaints of joint pain, especially knee and back pain, due to weight pressure on the joints.
What are the causes of obesity in teenagers?
Learn with us, dear reader, about 7 of the most important causes of obesity in adolescents, which greatly assist doctors in diagnosing the condition and determining treatment:
1.Genetic factors
There are genetic factors that affect the appearance of obesity among children and adolescents in the same family. Some families have hereditary genes for obesity and the body’s predisposition to storing fat.
2. Wrong eating habits and quality
Many teenage boys and girls depend on fast food, fried foods, and soft drinks in their daily lives, which is a major cause of obesity, because they are rich in calories and saturated fats that accumulate in the body, in addition to wrong habits such as eating fatty meals at night, and neglecting breakfast, which regulates appetite throughout the day.
3. Lack of physical activity
Of course, lack of physical activity directly affects weight, especially with incorrect nutrition, and in adulthood, teenagers depend on sitting in front of screens and phones for long hours, while eating at night in front of the screen and lack of movement, which affects the burning rate.
4. Infection with diseases
Some diseases may cause obesity in adolescents, such as thyroid disorders, or insulin resistance, which slow down the patient’s burning rate and cause rapid weight gain.
5. Hormonal disorders
During puberty, adolescents suffer from major hormonal changes and disorders, especially girls. These changes may lead to increased appetite and fluid retention in the body, causing obesity in adolescents.
6. Psychological pressures and tension
There are some cases that are greatly affected by the psychological state and mood and resort to overeating of all kinds to reduce stress, which is a bad and very harmful habit because it causes rapid obesity in teenagers.
7. Lack of sleep hours
Lack of sleep is also one of the important reasons that may one day force you to seek treatment for obesity in teenagers. Studies have shown that the body not getting 8 hours of sleep a day causes hormonal disturbances that affect satiety and hunger, which makes the person feel constantly hungry, and with continuous eating and not burning, calories are stored in the form of fat.
Learn about: 10 of the most prominent harms of obesity On the body and how to prevent it
Harmful effects of obesity in adolescents
Among the most important harms of obesity in adolescents, especially with neglect of treatment and diagnosis of the causes that lead to it, are the following:
- Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes result from the effect of fat on the body's cells.
- High cholesterol and blood pressure at an early age increase the risk of heart disease.
- Feeling constant pain in the joints and bones, especially the knee joint and lower back, due to weight and excess pressure.
- قلة وضعف اللياقة البدنية مما يؤثر على القيام بالأنشطة والوظائف اليومية مما يؤدي إلى الكسل والضعف.
- A serious breathing problem, exposure to sleep apnea, and annoying snoring, which affects the quality of sleep.
- Teenage girls are exposed to serious hormonal disorders due to obesity, such as delayed menstruation and cysts.
- Exposure to skin diseases due to weight gain and the appearance of folds between the skin, which leads to skin darkening and infections.
- A serious psychological impact on the teenager due to his inability to wear the clothes he likes, the inability to do any activity, his exposure to bullying from those around him, and the loss of self-confidence over time.
What are the ways to treat obesity in teenagers?
Efforts are united between doctors and families who have a teenage obesity patient to successfully begin methods of treating obesity in teenagers and achieve a good result that radically changes the teenager’s life.
1. Establish a strict diet under medical supervision
After diagnosing the condition and knowing the basic causes of obesity, doctors usually begin to make an integrated plan that includes a strict diet program to gradually reduce weight and includes:
- Complete reliance on natural eating and avoiding processed meat and fast food.
- Avoid sugars and soft drinks completely and replace them with fresh fruits and nuts.
- Drink up to 2 liters of water daily to help the body digest and constantly cleanse it of toxins.
- Establish a daily schedule for food and appointments and adhere to it, and a punishment is determined in the event of non-compliance.
- Distributing meals into 5 small meals with fixed times, specifying moderate portions of types of food, such as a quarter of a grilled protein with half a plate of vegetables and a very small plate of starches, which is similar to a diet.
2. Controlling diseases that cause obesity
In the event of insulin resistance or thyroid disorders, the patient is referred to specialized clinics to begin effective treatment to control those diseases that cause hormonal disorders, which gradually reduces obesity with other types of treatment.
3. Drug treatment
In some cases of severe obesity, the doctor may have to administer medication that reduces appetite or helps burn body fat, but it is never recommended to take these medications without medical supervision and periodic follow-up so that they do not cause any harm to the children.
4. Psychological support for families and adolescents
Families sometimes feel disappointment and despair in the event of a delay in treatment or a failure of the adolescent to respond. Therefore, during the treatment journey, they need great psychological support through support sessions, in addition to conducting behavioral therapy sessions for the adolescent to make him aware of the harms of obesity and reduce the bad habits that he resorts to, such as sleeping little, staying up late at screens, and unconsciously eating fast.
5. Controlling stress and emotions
It is necessary to educate children about a positive way to control stress and emotions by opening the language of dialogue with family and friends without resorting to eating, while avoiding ridicule and bullying of the teenager so as not to expose him to psychological pressure and depression, which leads to the continuation of obesity.
6. Changing bad habits and modifying behavior
There are many bad habits that must end with the treatment of obesity in adolescents, the most important of which are:
- Reducing hours spent sitting in front of screens and electronic devices.
- Frequently going out with friends to eat fast food.
- Lack of activity and movement at home and outside.
- Refusal of useful and fresh foods.
The teenager's behavior is modified through CBT behavioral therapy sessions, which focus on the problem and provide alternative solutions that change the teenager's life. This is exactly what the doctors do at the Rafah Psychiatry Center affiliated with Al-Mousa Specialist Hospital. There is an elite group of the best psychiatrists in Al-Ahsa who are skilled at dealing with teenage years professionally.
7Exercise and fat burning exercises
The doctor recommends extending the period of physical activity for the teenager, and exercising gradually, especially fat-burning cardio exercises with light resistance exercises to strengthen the muscles, preferably under the supervision of a certified trainer in order to help the teenager adhere.
Book your consultation now at Pediatric Center At Al Mousa Specialist Hospital.
10 tips to prevent obesity in teenagers
The 10 best tips to prevent obesity in teenagers. We ask parents to memorize them and apply them carefully to protect our boys and girls from obesity and its serious harms. These tips include the following:
- Follow a balanced diet containing fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat proteins.
- Drink sufficient amounts of water daily instead of juices rich in sugars, as water improves the burning process.
- Divide daily meals into 5 snacks to facilitate digestion, burn fat, and avoid storing calories.
- Make sure to eat breakfast early every day because it regulates appetite and digestion and prevents feelings of hunger throughout the day.
- Sleep early and get a sufficient number of hours of sleep every day, at least 8 hours, to control appetite hormones.
- Do daily exercise or physical activity regularly, such as walking or riding a bike for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Reduce eating outside the home and prevent fast food and soft drinks because they destroy health and cause obesity.
- Preventing the use of electronic devices at night or during mealtime, and specifying a number of hours to encourage the child to move.
- Monitor your weight regularly with a nutritionist and specialized doctors, such as doctors in the obesity clinics at Al Mousa Specialist Hospital.
- The most important means of prevention are managing stress and anxiety and relying on entertainment in the event of a bad mood in order to prevent oneself from constantly resorting to food.
Frequently asked questions:
Below we answer the most common questions we receive about how to treat obesity in adolescents
How do I lose weight as a teenager?
As a teenager, focus on following a balanced diet based mainly on vegetables and proteins with a little sugar, and exercising regularly. You can contact the obesity clinic at Al Mousa Hospital to find out all the details.
What is the cause of weight gain in adolescence?
The cause of weight gain in adolescence is either hormonal changes, especially in girls, or psychological factors, or due to a wrong eating routine, such as relying on fast food and soft drinks with a lack of exercise.
When is weight loss dangerous for teenagers?
Weight loss is dangerous for teenagers when it is rapid without a clear medical or pathological reason, or when the teenager appears exhausted and fatigued along with loss of appetite and constant weakness.
What diseases does obesity cause in teenagers?
The most prominent diseases caused by obesity in adolescents are high blood pressure, insulin resistance with type 2 diabetes, joint diseases, breathing disorders during sleep, in addition to depression.
Contact us on Al Mousa Specialist Hospital numbers and book an appointment at the obesity clinics to start treating obesity in adolescents, and save your son from the serious damage that results from obesity, which affects his academic and social life as well. We are waiting for you through an integrated obesity treatment team and a center specialized in providing psychological support to the patient, which is the distinguished Rafah Center.
