Teenage Obesity: The TV Isn't To Blame

Posted on Nov 11th 2009 11:00AM by Martha Edwards

Photo: Getty

Thanks to the popularity of things like Facebook, Playstation and TiVo, it's pretty obvious that teenagers today are getting less physical activity than they were a few decades ago. Or is it? Recent findings from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found that teenagers today are definitely heavier than they were 20 years ago, but they're still getting about the same amount of physical activity. Which means, then, that a lack of exercise isn't to blame for the staggering levels of obesity in young adults today.

Of course, if obesity isn't caused by a reduction of calories being burned off, the only other logical explanation is that it's caused by an increase in the calories being consumed -- we're getting just as much activity as we did before, but it's simply not enough to make up for all the extra food we're consuming. In fact, other experts argue that the surge in obesity levels in youngsters is caused by food alone -- exercise habits don't even factor into the equation.

Hey, nobody's saying that exercise isn't important -- it's definitely an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. But when it comes to obesity levels in teenagers, it seems the problem starts at the dinner table, not the couch.

Many people are also pointing fingers at school lunches -- students in Chicago can fill up on nachos five days a week.

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Tags: activity, childhood obesity, exercise, fast food, FastFood, fat, food, nutrition, obesity, school lunches, SchoolLunches, teenage obesity, TeenageObesity, teenagers, teens, weight

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Lisa Cain 11-11-2009 @ 11:31AM

It doesn't surprise me that is the amount that is consumed. Packaged snack calories are out of control 240 calories for a bag of chips!
Snack Snoop

It's True 11-11-2009 @ 12:25PM

I think the consumption of soda loaded with corn syrup plays a big part of the problem

u262f 11-11-2009 @ 2:34PM

Yes, with the miracles of modern technology, we managed to make our food carry more calories and less nutrition. We've bred our fruits and vegetables to carry more sugar, and therefore fewer nutrients. We've processed what little nutrients are left out of our foods to extend shelf life. We consume concentrated calories like energy drinks and power bars. Even if we don't eat any more than we used to, we've become very efficient at delivering the maximum number of calories per bite.

However, it's a bit short-sighted to only concentrate on weight. Exercise is essential for keeping the body working properly at whatever weight people are. If we address only the weight issue without looking at the blood test numbers, then, when we fix the obesity problem, we're going to be left with thin people dropping dead from heart attacks and strokes.