Reference no: EM13160694
In the past decade, teens in America have disregarded their healthy state due to lack of eating habits and exercise. However, it is not just the teens' fault. Because of stress, depression, social pressure, and their grandparent's eating habits, it can be the key factors to teen obesity. However, schools can be the change in a teen's life by encouraging healthier eating habits.
If eating habits do not change, teens will become obese. Besides unhealthy eating habits, there are many factors that can cause obesity: lack of exercise, overeating, medications, genes, depression, stress, and problems with family and peers ("Obesity in Children and Teens" par. 1-3). Over the past decade, teen obesity has risen from 14.4% to 15.8% because of the activities and foods that teens put into their body (Collins Dana par. 4). For example, teens eat and spend over half their time watching TV, not eating enough fruits and vegetables, exercising, and drinking too much soda. These factors result in the 16-33% of children and teens that are obese ("Obesity in Children and Teens" par. 1-3). When teens become obese, they develop health problems self-esteem issues and have social issues at home and school. Also, teens want to eat more because it makes them happy from the release of dopamine, serotonin, leptin, and ghrelin (Lawrenson par. 6; M. Radwan par. 8).
Serotonin, leptin, ghrelin, and dopamine play a vital role in teens becoming obese. They release from the leptin-serotonin pathway, the hypothalamus, stomach, and intestines (S. Rowe and McNulty Walsh par. 1, 3; Mirkin par. 1; Streich par. 2; Martini and Bartholomew 276-277; Morse par. 13). The significance of the leptin-serotonin pathway is that leptin suppresses hunger, but a decrease of serotonin in the intestines will cause leptin levels to decline because your body will no longer know when it is full (Streich par. 2-6; Bouchez 1). An imbalance in serotonin will lead to depression. Also, serotonin will decrease when teens feel depressed and rise when teens eat food (Bouchez 1; Streich par. 2-6). As a result, teens will become obese and have a larger bone structure from their food intake (Streich par. 2-6). Likewise to the leptin-serotonin pathway, the hypothalamus is the CEO for making hormones (Martini and Bartholomew 276-277). The hypothalamus creates hormones in the body when needed. When teens eat food, dopamine and serotonin, the merry-maker hormones, releases from the hypothalamus and makes teens happy because of taste in food (S. Rowe and McNulty Walsh par. 1; Streich par. 6-7). Teens do not only eat food because of taste, but the "pleasure" it stimulates in a state of euphoria (McNulty Walsh and S. Rowe par. 1-2). Ghrelin, the hunger hormone, plays a prominent role in teens becoming obese because depending on its levels in the stomach it can make them eat more or less (Mirkin par. 2-4). Consequently, depression can contribute to an increase or decrease of hormone levels; however, depression can be onset from stress (American Medical Association 118; Domen; Bruno 1).
Everyone experiences stress but in different levels. Also, it is beneficial to have stress because it keeps teens "alert, motivated, and responsive to danger" (Bruno 1). However, teens experience stress on a different level because of school, sports, extra-curricular activities, family, and friends which can make them choose, what is more, salient. Also, stress is the psychological and sociological response to positive or negative situations in life (K. Hall-Flavin par. 2). Consequently, when teens are under stress, they may find it harder to eat healthily. Also, during times of particularly higher stress, teens may eat in an attempt to fulfill emotional needs sometimes or emotional eating (T. Creagan par. 1). All in all, the 90% of people who suffer from depression are people who did not treat their stress (Bruno 1; K. Hall-Flavin par. 1).
Depression, "the common cold of mental illness," can be the resultant of stress and affects about 20% of teens before adulthood, which can increase the likelihood that a teen can become obese ("Teenage Depression Statistics" par. 2; American Medical Association 5; Domen). Depression affects teens both on a hormonal and psychological level due to the imbalances in hormones and the disruption of teens' moods (American Medical Association 5, 60; Domen). The hypothalamus, corpus luteum, ovaries, and adrenal glands produce estrogen, serotonin, dopamine, and cortisol which can have an impact on depression ("Cortisol Imbalances May Cause Weight Gain, Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia" par. 1-3; Morse par. 3; Martini and Bartholomew 663).
Estrogen produces in the corpus luteum and ovaries of a female and causes depression because it increases levels of serotonin and decreases levels of acetylcholine and dopamine ("Cortisol Imbalances May Cause Weight Gain, Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia" par. 19, 21; Martini and Bartholomew 663). Estrogen oscillates the levels of serotonin, acetylcholine, and dopamine during a woman's menstrual cycle. However, some women have low levels of estrogen, which can also lead to depression; because of the hormones it affects (Morse par.18-24).
Unlike estrogen, dopamine and serotonin, the happy hormones, produces in the hypothalamus and controls depression because the decrease in serotonin and dopamine (S. Robinson 21-23; Bouchez 1). Consequently, teens might eat food to cope with their depression and make them happy again. When teens eat food, it releases a sensation of satisfaction or pleasure because dopamine and serotonin levels rise (Streich par. 1-3; Bouchez 1). Also, teens might continue to eat till obesity because dopamine is like an addiction hormone. Since dopamine is like an addiction to teens, they will keep eating to experience an ecstasy from serotonin and dopamine (McNulty Walsh and Rowe par. 1-4).
Even though there are four main hormones in depression, the most salient is cortisol. The reason is that stress affects it (Cortisol Imbalances May Cause Weight Gain, Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia par. 1). Cortisol produces in the adrenal glands. In lower or higher quantities, it can lead to depression and weight gain because teens decide to eat food to cope with their stress or depression ("Cortisol Imbalances May Cause Weight Gain, Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia" par. 1-3). Also, teens will gain weight from higher or lower levels of cortisol because it regulates energy and the fat mobilization (A. Maglione-Garves, Kravitz, and Schneider par. 6). Subsequently, cortisol regulates energy in the body by selecting a substrate that needs to meet the physiological demands placed upon it. Then, cortisol mobilizes energy by taps into the body’s fat stores and moves it from one location to another, or delivers it to hungry tissues. Under stressful conditions, cortisol can provide energy through gluconeogenesis the process that converts amino acids into glucose molecules in the liver because tissue cortisol concentrations control enzymes that convert inactive cortisone to active cortisol (A. Maglione-Garves, Kravitz, and Schneider par. 7). Thus, higher levels of active cortisol in fat cells surrounding the stomach may lead to obesity due to higher amounts of cortisol produced in the tissue. Also, studies have demonstrated that cortisol injections associate with increasing appetite, cravings for sugar, and weight gain because it directly influences food consumption by binding receptors in the brain (A. Maglione-Garves, Kravitz, and Schneider par. 8). This can stimulate an individual to eat food that is high in fats or sugar. Plus, cortisol indirectly influences appetite by regulating other chemicals that release during stress such as CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone), leptin, and neuropeptide-Y (NPY). Higher levels of NPY and CRH and lower levels of leptin are shown to stimulate appetite in stressed or depressed individuals. Chronic stress from high levels of hormone imbalances can contribute to several harmful physiological events. Also, high-levels of cortisol cause fat stores and access circulating to fatuously to be relocated within the stomach, which left unchecked can develop or worsen an obese situation. Different from the hormonal effects, the psychological part of depression is due to many factors. For example, problems in a family or with friends, genes, stress, tragic events in life, depression in the family, or a teen's character can cause depression (American Medical Association 77-79, 83-85, 89-92). These examples can lead to depression because they are traumatic to teens or they have a higher probability or becoming depressed. As a result, teens can have a change in eating habits as a symptom, which can lead to obesity (American Medical Association 37).
Similar to causes of obesity in psychology, the sociology of teen eating habits is due to what type friends' teens have. For example, teens like to hang out with people who are like them in personality and stature. Consequently, teens that are bigger and have bigger friends tend to consume an average of 300-600 more calories than eating with leaner friends (Abedin par. 2-3). Also, your sex plays a crucial role in how many calories a teen will eat. Thus, women who eat with other women eat with content but shy away when there are men because they want to maintain a girly physique and look dainty (Abedin par. 8). Not only do teens respond to relationships but the appearance, smell, taste, environment, and variety of food. Teens will tend to eat more food that looks appetizing, tastes good, smells good, have a variety in choices, and is a warm, friendly environment to come too (Time Photos; L. Fibkins 122). Plus, teens who are not food-secure tend to eat more food than teens who are food-secure (Widome, Hannan Peter, Haines, Story, Neumark-Sztainer 828-828). Teens that are food-insecure tend to eat food that tastes delicious because they do not know the food in a foreign country. Plus, foreign food is not comforting food to any foreign student.
By looking into the psychological and sociological causes of obesity in teens related to their eating habits, a school's principal and vice-principal can lead students towards a better and healthier lifestyle than without change. However, change starts with school because teens spend at least 37-39 hours a week in school or 22-23% (Swanbrow par. 1, 6). Schools can gear teens towards a healthier lifestyle by updating menus and cafeteria, a cooking club, and a wellness council (L. Fibkins 105-107).
If schools decide to create an updated menu and cafeteria, the environment should be warm, friendly, and inviting because nobody do not want to eat in an environment that is dark, outdated, and uninviting. When schools update their menus, they should have an attractive buffet that offers fresh fruits and vegetables, natural juice products, cheese, grains, and milk products. Also, there should be a bar, so students can satisfy their fast-food taste with nutritious pasta, burgers, and bread. Plus, there should be menu choices for people who are food-insecure, so they do not eat only fast-food.
Similar to creating a new school menu, schools can create a cooking club that is under the supervision of a dietician, health coordinator, and culinary instructor. The purpose of the cooking club is to educate members and students about eating and living a healthier lifestyle. Consequently, along their instructors and dieticians students will create a healthy and appealing menu for classmates to sample. Plus, students will send out weekly emails that give out health, dietary tips, and nutritional advice to students and faculty. Finally, the cooking club can be autarkic because it can make money in the morning, after school, and school events.
Unlike the previous solutions, a school can create a wellness council which is similar to a student council, but a wellness council takes leadership for the healthful state of the school and oversees the food service system. Also, they help to plan a school lunch menu alongside dieticians and school lunch workers, and they will work during lunch time as part of their service. Since the wellness council works in a changing environment, they understand the problems in the food and environment and what needs to be changed.
If students do not change their eating habits, they will develop obesity and health problems; however, it is not entirely their fault. Teens have poor eating habits in the 21st century due to their grandparents. Subsequently, by implementing these solutions into a school's foundation, a school can change a student's psychological and sociological perspective on eating.