Photodisc/ThinkstockBy DR. JENNIFER ASHTON, ABC News Senior Medical Contributor
Teens in the U.S. are big and getting bigger.
A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association examined over 40,000 children and adolescents and found an increase in the rates of obesity in Americans 12 to 19 years old. Furthermore, extreme obesity rose from about 2 percent in 1998 to 9 percent in the year 2013.
Obese children and young adults face a greater risk of high blood pressure and elevated sugar levels, and a social stigma with a lower quality of life.
Here’s what I learned while getting recently board-certified in obesity medicine: Treating obesity is not as simple as eating less and moving more. It really requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, including a safe diet and exercise program, and possible medication and surgery.
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