Fewer teenagers are considered obese, which is already leading experts to fret concerning the rise of childhood obesity considered an epidemic.
Researchers from the University of Luxembourg published a paper with data collected from greater than 40 countries, through which they found a big decrease within the variety of teenagers who overestimate their weight (actual weight is higher than perceived weight) and a rise within the variety of underestimated ones (they don’t weigh as much as they think). .
Experts said this transformation could reduce the effectiveness of public health weight reduction interventions targeting young people.
“It’s worrying that we’re seeing a trend where fewer teenagers see themselves as obese – as this might undermine ongoing efforts to tackle the rising levels of obesity on this age group,” said lead creator Anouk Geraets of the University of Luxembourg. Press release.
“Young individuals who underestimate their weight and subsequently don’t consider themselves obese may not feel the necessity to shed weight and consequently could also be making unhealthy lifestyle selections,” she added.
Researchers have speculated that the trends will be the results of a shift in body image ideals – indicating that a powerful and athletic body is the brand new ideal for each sexes – and that this may increasingly account for some changes in perceptions of weight.
The study, published Monday within the journal Obesity in children and adolescentsanalyzed 745,000 teenagers from 41 countries – including the US, Canada and a few countries in Europe – between 2002 and 2018. Specifically, the researchers used data collected at four-year intervals from teenagers aged 11, 13 and 15.
In line with CDCobesity was present in 19.7% of youngsters between the ages of two and 19, affecting roughly 14.7 million children and adolescents in the USA
Geraets said the study has clinical and health implications.
Nonetheless, Geraets noted that more research is required to know the drivers of those trends and develop effective public health interventions.
“A rise in correct weight perception and a decrease in overestimation can have a positive effect on unnecessary and unhealthy weight reduction behaviors amongst adolescents,” she noted, “while a rise in underestimation may indicate the necessity for interventions to bolster correct weight perception. “