OC HIGH: STUDENT NEWS AND VIEWS : INLINE : Weighty Concern
One in five American teens is overweight, the government reports, and experts are blaming everything from too much junk food and TV to lack of exercise and baggy, figure-concealing clothing.
Through the 1970s, the percentage of overweight children ages 12 to 19 held steady at about 15%, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. But that rate had jumped to 21% by 1991.
While baby fat can melt away as hormones shift into adolescent overdrive, many overweight teens end up struggling with their weight the rest of their lives.
The CDC encourages teens to exercise and eat sensibly rather than diet to help control weight.
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