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contributing factors of depression in adolescents
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Recommended: contributing factors of depression in adolescents
Obesity causing depression on adolescents is an important topic because depressive symptoms are the beginning phase to depression. These young adults who are clinically obese feel like outsiders and do not feel like they belong in society’s norm. They suffer from daily teasing and put-downs and from other kids because of what they physically look like. Their weight causes them to be rejected from others as well as themselves. Having this happen day after day will lead to a feeling of hopelessness and gradually leading to the early stages of depression. This is a serious turning point because once one becomes depressed they tend to lose their sense of self efficacy. Then which latently leads one to hurt their body even more through eating disorders or other negative effects caused by depression such as bulimia, anorexia or suicidal attempts. Women feel more pressure from societal influences to be thin than men due to the social media. During adolescence, girls experience the increasing pressure to be physically attractive and this demands a physique slimmer than normal. Also the pressures to be thin increases for girls when their bodies hit pubertal development due to the increase of body fat in some areas. Unlike pubertal changes in girls, changes in boys tend to be valued by society. Pubertal changes in girls are often undervalued by society and by girls themselves. Obesity is a common problem in today’s society. Adolescents who suffer from obesity may experience medical concerns such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, heart disease or even diabetes. An obese adolescent may experience criticism from peers while finding it difficult to participate to engage in social activities. Considering this fact, one can understand why psycholog...
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...eter J. J. Sauer, Albertine J. Oldehinkel, and Ronald P. Stolk
Association Between Depressive Symptoms in Childhood and Adolescence and Overweight in Later Life: Review of the Recent Literature. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, Oct 2008; 162: 981 - 988.
Goodman, E., Slap, G.B. , & Huand (2003). The Public Health Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Adolescent Depression and Obesity. American Journal of Public Health, 93(11) 1844-1850.
Maria, M. (2003). Children.s Depresion Inventory. Multi-Health Systems Inc.
Phillippas, N., & Clifford, W., (2005) Childhood obesity: etiology, prevention, and
Treatment. Nutrition in Clinical Care. 8, 77-88.
Wardle, J., Williamson, S., Johnson, F., & Edward, C., (2006). Depression in adolescent
Obesity: cultural moderators of the association between obesity and depressive Symptoms. International Journal of Obesity, 30, 634-643
In Andre Dubus’ The Fat Girl, Louise is a young adolescent with detrimental eating habits and broken self-esteem. Her lack of self-confidence stems from her atrocious emotional habitat. Louise receives constant criticism from her mother regarding her weight. Her mother states “If you are fat the boys won’t like you.” That kind of ridicule being said by a mother to her 9 year old daughter creates an atmosphere of self-hatred and self-loathing. It is not only her familial environment that contributes so greatly to Louise’s destructive behavior. She has few friends and the one’s she does have agree she needs to change. The society in which she lives also is a contributing factor; the society is laden with stigmas positioned on appearance. That manner of daily ridicule only introverts Louise even more, causing her secretive, binge eating to deteriorate. In research conducted by Ursula Polli-Potts PhD, Links between Psychological Symptoms and Disordered Eating behaviors in Obese Youths, she explains the correlation between psychological, emotional factors and eating disorders in overweight adolescents. Potts states, “The association between binge eating symptoms and eating in response to feelings of distress and sadness with depression/anxiety symptoms corresponds with the results of other studies.” Potts and her colleagues took overweight adolescents and placed them into control and variable groups to ensure correct data. The outcome of their research was that there is a direct correlation with emotional binge eating and psychological factors. Although more extensive research needs to be implemented, Potts and associates were pleased with the results of the case studies.
Mayhew-Russell, Shelly., Mcvay, Gail., Bardick, Angela., Ireland, Alana. “Mental Health, Wellnes, and Childhood Overweight/Obesity.” Journal of Obesity. 2012: 9. Retrieved April 23, 2014. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22778915)
Ross, C. E. (1999). Overweight and depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 35(1), 63-79.
...an, P., Egerter, S., & Williams, D. R. (2011). The social determinants of health: coming
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduce life expectancy and/or increased health problems. Obesity has been a health problem ever since infectious disease had began in the first half of the 20th Century. The person with obesity is not the only person who is affected by their disease. In the case of childhood obesity, It can affect the parents because they might be the cause of the child’s issues. It can also lead to many different health problems such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory problems, and it can also even lead to death. Obesity has affected the world in many ways: task forces have been formed to address the issue, people are suffering from health problems due to obesity, and others suffer psychological and social issues.
In order to take a sociological viewpoint into account when one examines obesity, first it is important to understand how obesity is recognized in current society. According to today’s news articles and magazines and advertisements and other mass media about health and healthy life, one can easily realize that a great number of people have an eagerness to be healthy. Also, one can assume through these mass media about health that everyone wants to be attractive, and they are even prone to transform their own behaviors to gain attractiveness. This is because most people live a life where social interaction is frequently required and must engage themselves into social interaction every day of their life. Therefore, based on these ideas and proofs throughout this mass media, obesity is regarded as one of the characteristics that is disgraceful and undesirable in society.
Many children who are obese are the targets of bullying from other children. Self-esteem can be greatly damaged from a disease that can be prevented. Having an obese or once obese person tell the stories of struggle, difficulties and how life is greatly impacted by not eating right and exercising could have a great influence on just how serious obesity is. In the academic journal, “Childhood obesity and Self-Esteem”, has found that there are social and emotional effects from childhood obesity. Other than just low self-esteem, obesity can lead to “Smoking and consuming alcohol” (Strauss 3) compared to children who are not obese. Preventing obesity could also decrease the rate of smoking and drinking in children underage. The more than one solution to how this can be done, for parents and students, for schools “Replacing vending machines containing unhealthy foods and drinks and replace with healthy items” (Green 4). This has been increasing in many schools and even colleges; Montgomery College has also taken the steps of changing the vending machine. Another resolution for schools is to “Provide quality daily physical education for all students. Be sure to select activities that are fun, challenging, and aerobic in nature” (Green
America’s obesity rates and depression rates continue to proportionally rise every year compared to the rest of the world (3). Is a Western Diet, which is a diet that mainl...
Wilkinson, R. G., & Marmot, M. G. (2003). Social determinants of health: The solid facts.
Within the past three decades, the childhood obesity rate has increased three-hundred percent (Crouse par. 3). This also means that ten percent of children worldwide are overweight or obese (“Childhood Obesity” par. 33). According to the Centers for Disease Control being overweight is defined as, “having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water or a combination of these factors.” On the other hand, they define obesity as having excess body fat (“Child Obesity Facts” par.1). A child is determined as overweight or obese when total body weight is more than twenty-five percent in boys and thirty-two percent in girls (Green ??). Childhood obesity is not just something that influences someone’s life as an adolescent, it causes health risks including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint problems, diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, liver disease, and gallstones (Torkos 42, Galea 62). A study of five to seventeen year olds showed that seventy percent of obese youth have a high risk of cardiovascular disease (“Child Obesity Facts” par. 2). These are diseases that we once associated with growing old, not growing up (Galea 62). Medical risks are not the only problems that childhood obesity can cause. Society has a strong bias against people or children who are overweight. People characterize them as ugly, lazy, and lacking willpower (Torkos 42). These stereotypes can cause an overweight child to have low self esteem which can lead to a much more serious problem, depression. The childhood obesity epidemic needs to be prevented, and the only way to do that is addressing the main causes. Childhood obesity has become a major problem in recent years due to lack of daily physical activity, inappropri...
This essay will discuss obesity in America and the statistical data found surrounding the subject. This is an interesting and personal topic and something very interesting to learn about. The essay will cover different vantage points of obesity including obesity’s relationship to poverty in the U.S., parents’ fight for more physical activity in schools to combat childhood obesity, statistical data about America’s obese population and even a spurious correlation between obesity and sleep duration in children.
Teenage Depression. Everywhere you look these two words appear together as one, in newspapers and magazines, as well as in scholarly reports. Teenage depression is one of today's "hot topics" this among other teenage mental health problems, has been brought to the forefront of public consciousness in recent years after several incidents involving school shootings (CQ 595). The environment that teens grow up in today is less supportive and more demanding than it was twenty years ago. Not only are the numbers of depressed teens rising, but children are also being diagnosed at younger and younger ages. Studies have found that, "There is an estimated 1.5-3 million American children and adolescents who suffer from depression, a condition unrecognized in children until about 20 years ago" (CQR 595). This increase in depression is due to social factors that teenagers have to deal with everyday. A recent study found that, "About five percent of teenagers have major depression at any one time. Depression can be very impairing, not only for the affected teen, but also for his or her family-and too often, if not addressed, depression can lead to substance abuse or more tragic events" (NAMI.org). Gender roles and other societal factors including the pressures on girls to look and act a certain way, the pressures on boys to suppress their emotions and put on a tough front and the pressures on both sexes to do well in school and succeed, all contribute to depression in teens today. Depression is a growing problem which crosses gender lines and one that needs to be dealt with with more than just medication.
obesity is also associated with complications of pregnancy, menstrual irregularities, hirsutism, stress incontinence, increased surgical risk, and increased mortality (win@info.niddk.nih.gov). Not only does obesity affect the body physically but also emotionally. “One of the most painful aspects of obesity is the emotional suffering it causes” (WebMD). Psychological disorders such as depression are developed as a result of obesity. Many people are unaware of all the ...
Obesity in childhood in adolescents has increased dramatically over the past century. Throughout the United States all 50 of them, boys and girls have gained a great amount of weight. There are immediate and long-term risks for children who are obese. Conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, steatohepatitis, depression, stigma and others. Cancer is also possible too. Children who become obese are caused by what’s within their genes, around them in their environment, or from behavior and habits. They tend to eat more of a large portion of high-fat foods and calories. The more they usually eat the less they want to get up an exercise. Physical activity is very important to children especially for how young they are because that is when they have the most energy at that time of their lives.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression can be defined as a state of mental instability which affects the human body, mood, thought pattern, and relationship with others. Statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health shows that about eleven percent of teenagers have depressive disorder by age eighteen. (National Institute of Mental Health). Teenage depression is one of the issues confronting teenagers in today’s society. Depression can occur at every age in the human life, but it is more common in teenagers.