Overweight teenagers notice higher chances of being overweight as an adult

As people age, the chance of weight gain increases. However, a new study explains obesity rates to be increasing drastically between the teenage and young adult years.

Being obese during childhood typically results in being obese as an adult. Experts explain the chances of adolescents returning to a normal, healthy weight by young adulthood is unlikely.

This study occurred from 1992 to 2003 and researchers analyzed 1,520 teens by height, weight, and body mass index (BMI), from age 14 to age 24.

By the time teenagers reached mid-adolescence, 20 percent were overweight, which increased to 33 percent by the time they were age 24. Of the overweight young adults, 40 percent were never overweight as a teenager.

Considering the teenagers who began this study obese, by adulthood over 60 percent remained obese, and none returned to a normal weight.

Experts question whether or not teens in this study were attempting to lose weight, and if they had responsible information to assist. However, this study appears to be the first to examine weight from teenage years to young adulthood.

Researchers stress the positive results from this study. Teenagers who were overweight for under one year, typically returned to a healthy weight in just a few years, especially young women.

At the conclusion of this study, only 30 percent of females remained overweight while 60 percent of males did. This shows how an increased awareness for exercise and healthy diet choices can be largely beneficial to decrease the obesity risks in teens.