Tell Your Teen That Being Fit Doesn't Mean Being Skinny.

“Mom, I want to be like Angelina Jolly.” Don’t you hear similar lines from your teen girl?

Most of the parents approach me complaining about their child’s poor eating habits and tendency to skip meals for getting a physique like a Hollywood star. The result is fierceful as it leads to malnutrition giving birth to deadly diseases.

Additionally, the image of Barbie holds the tightest position in the teenagers' mind as they find the doll’s body shape to be the ideal one and wish to reduce the waistline like it even in the cost of their health. The ideology of a perfect physical configuration gives rise to many misconceptions as the adolescents depend too much on their peers and their suggestions rather than finding out the science behind it.

The peer pressure of being beautiful and fit keeps the girls away from nutritious food. The slimming capsules are giving extraordinary sell over the counters since last few years. Being a fitness instructor, I have encounter lot of youngsters between 13 to 20 years coming to my fitness classes asking for the supplementary diet that will keep their bellies full without adding body weight.

Academically, we are aware of the concept of HDL (High-Density lipoprotein), LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) Cholesterol, Triglycerides, etc. But, the youngsters neglect the bioscience and go the opposite way to be slim.

Does “slim” means “fit”?

Not necessarily. Being only slim and trim doesn’t indicate the sign of good health. If being skinny means healthy, then all the diseased and poor people who don’t get proper square meals would have been certified as the fittest humans.

The reputed Mayo Clinic’s scientists have found out after comparing multiple health markers including the weight, and the body mass index numbers of over thousand adults that most of them with normal BMIs and weights are in fact had the high rate of metabolic and heart issues along with high body-fat percentages. The slim adults were diagnosed with diabetes, coronary disease and many chronic illnesses than the people with more weight.

What is NWO or Normal Weight Obesity?

The term may seem new to you, but it is one of the latest terminologies added to the biology chapter in America. “Fat Phobia” is the newest curse of the young generation. It is a familiar scene that the teens are damaging the tissues and blood vessels because unnecessary fat is being accumulated in the internal organs and the belly leading to low-level inflammation. Seeing the belly tyres, the boys and girls are stopping enriching them with balanced nutrition. Lack of ideal exercise and food is generating the metabolic rust.

Adolescence is a period of rapid hormonal changes. Puberty starts and the person steps into the world of adulthood. It creates confusion as some gain weight rapidly, some lose weight, and few stay normal. The BMI or Body Mass Index should be within the acceptable limits for both the age and the height.

Recommending few essentials for all the teens:

You can check your weight and keep your body fit by:

• Exercising daily for about 30 minutes to the minimum

• Not skipping breakfast as it is the most important meal of the whole day

• Checking if the body fat is going more than 10%

• Aborting alcohol and smoking

• Gorging on wholesome cereals and food

• Avoiding junk food, fast food, packaged and sugary items

• Sleeping for at least 6-8 hours daily

• Encouraging positive mindset

The following suggestions are for the obese teens:

• Keep tracking your body fat at regular intervals in the recognized doctor’s clinic.

• You can measure your body fat at home via a measuring tape. Wrap it around your waist. Check whether the number reaches over 35 inches for girls and 40 inches for boys. If it is within the given number, then you are healthy with average weight. If it goes beyond it, then you have NWO.

• Get the blood test done periodically. The potential warning signs of NWO involve low HDL coupled with elevated blood sugar, blood pressure, and triglycerides.

• Target the visceral fat.

• Add mono-unsaturated fats to your diet.

• Do strength training and other interval exercises to maintain the ideal weight along with building lean body mass.

Shun certain things from your life:

• White bread

• White rice

• Refined carbohydrates

• Pasta

The final verdict is to be trim and robust and not fat and weak. Stop following the absurd things shown on the television and fashion magazines. Embrace a healthy and smart life.