Global risks of obesity in adolescent and teenage populations

Abstract

Symptoms of chronic cardiometabolic disease such as hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and inflammation, as well as type 2 diabetes, are becoming more common in obese adolescents. Physical inactivity, lack of sufficient physical activity among young students, the availability of sugar-containing products, sugary drinks and fast food, the high cost of healthy eating, aggressive advertising of unhealthy foods, economic difficulties, the influence of the social environment are factors in the growth of BMI and obesity among students. University students are characterized by the lack of a balanced diet, with habits such as snacking as the main meal, consumption of drinks with artificial sugar, fruit juices, and rare breakfast. Students have high consumption of unhealthy foods that contribute to weight gain and obesity: jerky, smoked sausages, hot dogs, white bread and baked goods, butter, fried foods and energy drinks, alcohol, especially by male vocational school students. Vending machines installed on student campuses provide quick access to unhealthy, sugary foods and drinks, contributing to poor nutritional status and obesity in students.