25% of obese adolescents do not identify that they have it, according to an international study

An international survey presented to the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Maastricht, the Netherlands, warned that the 25% of the teenagers with this pathology does not identify who has it and what one in three parents he does not perceive it either. In addition, the work has shown that the 80% adolescents who have already consulted a health professional They had at least one comorbidity.

Obesity is a disease associated with the development of more than 60 potentially serious health problems and according to the organization World Atlas of Obesity by 2030, 22% of Argentinian children and adolescents will be obese.

Miriam Tonietti, pediatrician and president of the Argentine Society of Nutrition (SAN), analyzed these results and pointed out that “it is really very complex to treat any chronic disease such as obesity if the person affected does not recognize it or don’t get it.” at home the necessary support to begin the search for a treatment”.

“The first step is that people, in this case young people, recognize and accept that they have a chronic illness which requires adequate treatment to improve their health,” he added.

To arrive at these results, the researchers evaluated more than 5,000 boys and girls aged 12 to 17 who are living with obesity, more than 5,000 parents or caregivers and more than 2,000 health professionals. Entitled ACTION Teens, this cross-sectional and international study, promoted by the Novo Nordisk laboratory, aimed to identify perceptions, attitudes, behaviors and obstacles to effective obesity management.

Similarly, research has found that nearly two-thirds of teens see weight loss as their sole responsibility. However, Tonietti explained that “andIt is very important that they know that there are teams of experienced health professionals in the global approach to obesity that we can accompany them on this path”.

“It is essential that trained health teams have information on the perceptions and needs that obese children and young people experience, because it is in this light that we can program the approach, with each of the members, contributing his experience in order to be able to help them better”, underlined the expert.

In 2020, the Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, published a study which found that obese children are three times more likely to die in early life adult than those who do not have it. The work even found that three out of four children living with obesity today will continue to have it into adulthood, a point on which they agree with research from the University of Middlesex, The Burroughs, London, published in 2019.

In this vein, research has found that one in three parents fail to identify obesity in their child and nearly 50% believe it will resolve spontaneously, although there is no evidence medical or scientific support for this belief.

On this point, Tonietti warned: “It is necessary to continue to promote changes in the approach to obesity. This is a real challenge for public health that is still unresolved and impacts the lives of too many young people, who see their health and quality of life seriously affected”.

In addition, the expert pointed out that these data “reveal that adolescents want to improve their health and lose weight. Yet one in three don’t think it’s something they can talk about with their parents, and many are turning to social media for advice.

“The pressure these teens are under is high, with two in three believing losing weight is their responsibility and many of their parents or caregivers not finding the best way to support their children in daycare,” Tonietti added. ; while, Over the past 20 years, the global prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents has doubled from 1 in 10 to 1 in 5“This situation is extremely worrying.

“Sometimes we probably don’t find the strategies needed to help lead healthier lifestyles that allow us to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. It is a complex challenge that must be approached holistically from several spheres, but with the support of health professionals prepared to do so,” added the specialist.

The study, according to experts, also showed that healthcare professionals need more and better training; since the majority of physicians, 87% to be exact, revealed that they had not received significant training in how to treat obesity after medical school.

In this regard, Professor Jason Halford, lead author of Action teens and President of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, pointed out that “the impact of obesity on people (children, adolescents and adults) should not be underestimated.), in society and in health systems”.

“It is essential that governments and society recognize and treat obesity as a disease, so that more adolescents can get the corresponding support to receive the help they need to lead happy and healthy lives,” he said. he concluded.

It should be noted that Action Teens was an international survey that involved 5,275 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 who live with obesity. Additionally, it brought together 5,389 caregivers of obese adolescents and 2,323 medical professionals from 10 countries, including Australia, Colombia, Italy, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, l Spain, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Likewise, the work was designed to identify perceptions, attitudes, behaviors and possible barriers to effective obesity treatment.

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