Being overweight can cause problems at any stage of our lives but it can be even more difficult for teenagers who often have to face bullying and teasing from their peers. Studies have shown that there are a number of steps that can be taken to help teenagers lose weight and keep it off.
Help From Parents
Support from parents is crucial for teenagers who are trying to lose weight. Parents will have a great deal of influence over the food that teenagers eat and it would be very difficult for them to lose weight without help and support from their parents. Preparing balanced meals for teenagers to eat and home and giving them a healthy packed lunch can help to control the amount of calories that the teenagers consume which can lead to weight loss.
When teenagers have made the decision for themselves that they need to lose weight then this may not be something that they find it easy to share with their parents. They will probably have been feeling self-conscious for some time about their weight and discussing this subject with their parents may be difficult for them.
Parents will need to find a balance between giving their children healthy food options while still giving them the freedom to make their own choices. If teenagers feel that they are constantly being watched while they are eating then this can lead to them developing an unhealthy relationship with food. Parents may be able to get advice about helping their child lose weight from a healthcare professional.
Exercise Is Important
It is important for teenagers to exercise on a regular basis in order to help speed up their weight loss and to improve their overall health. They should get some physical activity at school as part of their normal lessons but for teenagers who are overweight, exercising in front of their peers can make them feel self-conscious and they may not participate as fully as they could do.
Parents have a role to play in helping their children exercise and there are a number of ways that this can be achieved. Leaving the car at home for short journeys is a good place to start as walking is exercise that does not require any special equipment and it is free. The distance of these walks could be increased as fitness levels increase. If the parents accompany their children on these walks then it can become time for the whole family to get together and increase their fitness levels at the same time. Limiting the amount of time that teenagers spend watching TV or playing video games can also encourage them to become more active.
Keeping the Weight Off
Adults sometimes have difficulty keeping the weight off when they have reached their target weight because they find it hard to stay motivated when they have no target to work towards. However, teenagers may not have this problem because the happiness that they feel when they have lost weight means that they do not want to go back to being overweight.
When teenagers get into the habit of exercising regularly then this is something they are likely to continue with for the rest of their lives. Exercising on a regular basis is important in maintaining a healthy weight and so when young people get into this habit early on it is something that will serve them well on an ongoing basis. Exercise becomes part of a new healthy lifestyle that they have adopted which also includes eating a balanced diet.
Conclusion
Weight is often an important issue for teenagers and for those that are overweight it can be a very difficult time. Making the decision to lose weight is often one that is not reached easily as many teenagers feel that nothing they do will have any effect on their weight. However, eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly will help teenagers to lose weight in the same way as it would for an adult. Having the support of their parents is an important factor in helping teenagers lose weight, especially with regards to supporting the healthy choices that they make in terms of food and encouraging them to exercise. Adopting a healthy lifestyle at a young age means that a person is more likely to carry on with this lifestyle for the rest of their lives which can precept them having problems with their weight again later in life.
