The rise in obesity rates during adolescence may be due to a substantial fall of calories burned during the rapid growth phase of puberty, finds a new study by the University of Exeter Medical School in the United Kingdom.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 20 percent of adolescents age 12-19 years are obese in the United States. Obese teenagers are more likely to have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for the development of diabetes.
Adolescents who are obese are also at a greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, social and psychological problems, and they are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
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| During puberty, the number of calories girls and boys burn while at rest plummets. |
Source: MedicalNewsToday
