How Should Adolescents Approach Weight Loss?

How Should Adolescents Approach Weight Loss?

According to a report by researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School, obese adolescents' success in weight loss hinges on engaging in moderate to intense physical activities and limiting sedentary behaviors like watching television. This study encompasses aspects such as dietary intake, physical activity levels, and education to enhance awareness of dieting among overweight teenagers. The research has demonstrated that overweight adolescents aged 16 to 18 who successfully shed pounds participate significantly more in moderate to intense physical activity compared to those maintaining or gaining weight. Girls who managed to lose weight engaged in an average of 7.6 hours of exercise per week, while boys engaged in an average of 11.6 hours per week. As a result, those who successfully lost weight experienced an average weight reduction of 14% for females and 12% for males within a year. These weight reductions approach the recommended targets for medical weight loss in adults.

There is a common misconception among adolescent girls attempting to lose weight, often leading them to mimic the weight loss methods of other overweight girls. For instance, excessive dieting poses a hidden risk to the normal growth and development of young individuals. When it comes to weight loss for overweight girls, an individualized approach is crucial—each person's needs differ, and imitation and comparison with others should be avoided.

Research indicates that a high-fiber diet can restrict the accumulation of body fat. This may be due to the gel-forming properties of certain foods in the digestive tract, which create barriers affecting the interaction between lipids and digestive enzymes and the intestinal wall. This, in turn, promotes lipid excretion and reduces absorption. Dietary fiber can also absorb bile acids, promoting their excretion and lowering the efficiency of lipid micro-aggregation. Fiber-rich foods can accelerate the passage of fats through the stomach and intestines, reducing the time food spends in the intestines. Furthermore, fiber can delay the absorption of sugars.

Foods rich in dietary fiber include brown rice, wheat bran, oats, corn, apples, bamboo shoots, celery, legumes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and bananas. Take sweet potatoes, for example—their texture is smooth, yet they are abundant in fiber, equivalent to ten times that of rice or wheat. When fiber enters the intestines, it swells upon contact with water, stimulating bowel movement and being subsequently expelled with feces.