With the alarming growth of obesity in our country we see the need to take control measures, as it is a disease that brings comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, orthopedic diseases, limiting the adolescent's quality of life, and participate of activities of his own age.
Our young people are increasingly vulnerable to weight gain, whether due to the restlessness they experience at this stage, the impatience to eat properly, and it is faster and more convenient to eat a beautiful fast food.
This phase is very unstable for young people, as they are exposed to values they were previously unaware of: parents with different attitudes from their own, new rules and a great thirst to confront the values learned, to test themselves at this new moment, where Although they are minors, they feel strong and determined to make new changes and pursue their own style.
In this context it is not even the situation to eat healthy, because the group of which it is part ends up being its strongest reference and always end up choosing the places that feel comfortable, with delicious? to be consumed. The share of overweight boys and boys aged 10-19 years increased from 3.7% (1974-75) to 21.7% (2008-09). weight went from 7.6% to 19.4%.
Thus, there are many resources aimed at treating obesity, but which alone have not been effective, so the multidisciplinary team is necessary for the teenager to be successful in treatment.
Psychology adds to the work of the nutritionist and also the physical educator, as it will favor the patient to be responsible for his weight loss process, learning to understand his history with obesity, seeking the balance of his emotions, changing behaviors, always focusing on the recovery of self-esteem, which will lead to the development of a proper relationship with food.
Developing self-esteem so that they can see themselves in this new body that is flourishing is very important, because feeling good is a search for which they are determined, and hitchhiking in this process, the visual counts a lot at this age.
With a thin eating behavior, the adolescent acquires various instruments, which aim to acquire a proper eating behavior and a balanced emotional state. It is crucial that each person becomes the author of their weight loss process, which makes them responsible and not passive subjects in this process that is so complex.
Thus, psychology comes to play an important ally to work on obesity, as it complements the work of other health professionals. The work focused on obesity comes to contribute effectively, so that people lose weight and stay lean, learning to deal with the new body image.
Teens Talk Healthy Weight - Texas Children's Adolescent Medicine Clinic (April 2024)
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