Adolescent Obesity
The adolescent years are a time when body image is crucial and peers can be painfully critical (Morrill, Leach, Shreeve, & Radebaugh, 1991). The presence of an eating disorder in this critical period can seriously harm an adolescent physically as well as mentally. Although the tendency to leave out obesity when thinking about eating disorders, the most prevalent eating disorder is overeating, or binge-eating. There has been a 75% relative increase in adolescent obesity over the past 3 decades and the numbers are still on the rise (Cameron, Killen, Hayward, & Taylor, 1999). With the exception of genetic inheritance, obese adolescents who constantly overeat could be due to a number of social implications. This paper aims to demonstrate that peers and family play a crucial role in the endless cycle of obesity, and they can either hinder or impede it. Also, a primary prevention strategy based on the social learning theory will be discussed and reviewed.Obesity has only recently been classified as an eating disorder. Previously the label 'obese' was simply for labeling sake, but clearly serious implications are involved with the mental and physical health of the individual and more needs to be done. Currently,
Contrary to popular belief, dieting may actually promote weight gain especially in adolescence because it tends to lead to binge eating and overeating to compensate for the constant feeling of hunger while dieting (Cameron et al. This will also give the overeaters the confidence to stand up to peers and family members increasing their own self-control. By using the learning model [which deals with reinforcement and modeling (Gullotta et al. Both group and individual activities should be implemented so one doesn't feel embarrassed about the group activity, especially when doing it for the first time. It has also been shown that this deficit in social interaction and dependency on parents has found overweight pupils to be at a disadvantage in both social and educational encounters. It is not the separate learning groups that is the most important, it is the way they integrate together to practice the same types of activities. Adolescence has been said to be the most crucial time because it is when the individual is the most self-focused, thinking that one must have an ideal body to fit in with peers. Hidden focuses of the program for overweight versus normal or underweight children is seen in appendix A-1. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 30, 447-453. When depressed, the moment of eating for obese subjects makes them feel "strong" and even "superior," thereby compensating for their rather weak and fragile personalities (Riva, 1996).
Common topics in this essay:
Peers Influences,
Program Assertiveness,
Uhl Lindel,
Expectations/Limitations Program,
North Americans,
Valtolina Marta,
Leaning Theory,
Children Role,
APPENDIX A-2,
Hayward Taylor,
et al,
obese adolescents,
et al 1999,
al 1999,
et al 1991,
al 1991,
morrill et,
gullotta et al,
morrill et al,
gullotta et,
assertiveness training,
riva 1996,
laessle et al,
al 2001,
marta 1998,
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