The number of obese US teens suggests that obesity has become an epidemic in this age group, federal health officials report. Adolescent obesity is on the increase in the US and is a major epidemic. Currently, 22% of the US adult population has a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 and 3% have a BMI greater than 40 -- about 100 pounds overweight. No such estimates exist for child and adolescent populations, but studies suggest that the trend is paralleled in this group. The CDC attributes these findings mainly to lack of physical activity and an increase in television viewing among US children and teens. Additional reasons could be the increased use of microwave ovens, which displace parents from having control over what their children eat, increased consumption of fast-food, skipped meals, and increased intake of soft drinks, which account for 8% of the average child's caloric intake. The number of new food products being introduced annually, about 12,000, is also a possible factor. Of all the ways of tackling this problem, TV reduction appears to be the most effective measure in reducing weight gain in this population.

COMMENT:

Some interesting speculations as to the cause of the increase in obesity of which I was not aware. It seems the elimination of TV and microwave ovens would go a long way towards helping control this problem.

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