Contemporary Issues Teenagers Face Today

Adolescence – Contemporary Issues and Resources
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September 12, 2022
Adolescence has always been one of the most challenging times in an individual’s life. The surge of emotions, the significant physical changes, and the emerging emotional relationships all contribute to the difficulties in adaptation in the human body. Accordingly, one of the most common difficulties faced by teenagers is the problem of obesity. As the succeeding sections will show, the problem of obesity is a highly complicated issue that includes various facets and requires an effective strategy. Thus, the following sections will focus on the problem in-depth and propose an effective intervention. 
Adolescence and Obesity
           Problem of obesity is a highly prevalent and complicated problem. In one study done by LeCroy et al. (2021), the authors noted a recent study showing that about 20% of American teenagers are considered obese. Additionally, these studies show a disparity between the obesity rates of different racial segments, with Hispanics and Blacks being the ones who are more likely to experience obesity. Accordingly, another set of studies conducted by Williams et al. (2018) shows that socio-economic status also poses a considerable risk factor for developing imbalanced BMI (particularly obesity). The authors of this research found out that adolescents who are part of the lower SES are more likely to be obese due to differences in access to healthy and nutritious foods, among others. 
Obesity and Stress
           Aside from the risk factors mentioned above, one of the most significant contributors must be resolved is the cycle of stress and unhealthy eating patterns. In many cases, adolescent obesity happens because of “comfort eating,” which is the adolescent’s response to both internal and external stressors. However, this only provides a temporary and longer-lasting problem both directly and indirectly—first, the immediate problems related to health issues and weight gain, among others. Second, the indirect problems may refer to resulting stressors caused by bullying and lack of self-esteem, among others (Starling, 2019). 
Assessment
           One of the primary assessment tools that could be used for diagnosing and assessing the status of adolescents with obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI scale allows the healthcare professional to determine the extent of the issue based on the patient’s weight relative to other factors like height and body build, among others. Accordingly, this would be the initial assessment that should be given to the adolescent to have a background of the case...