Adolescent Obesity: Diet Quality, Psychosocial Health, and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors—Ruiz 2019

Obesity is a chronic disease having biological, social, health literacy, and environmental components. Obesity rates in children and adolescents have risen in the previous 30 years. Youth from impoverished homes likely to be obese. Teens typically don't eat enough of specific food types and nutrients, which may increase their obesity risk. Obesity disproportionately affects teens (ages 12-19), therefore its harmful consequences may be more pronounced during this key era. Hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and inflammation are frequent in obese adolescents. Obese adolescents may have higher stress, depressive symptoms, and lower resilience. Multicomponent school- and community-based treatments are recommended to decrease and prevent teenage obesity. These treatments enhance health knowledge and self-efficacy, which may lead to sustainable behavior change.

Ruiz, L. D., Zuelch, M. L., Dimitratos, S. M., & Scherr, R. E. (2019). Adolescent Obesity: Diet Quality, Psychosocial Health, and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors. Nutrients, 12(1), 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010043