Teen Health Issues Due to Couch Potato Syndrome

For some reason when kids grow into their adolescent years and become teenagers, everything has to be done later in the day or not even at all. It seems like everything is a struggle to survive and live right? Teen health issues due to inactivity can range from just plain laziness to outright obesity. When kids become inactive in their physical, mental, and social lives, parents have plenty of reason to worry.

Why teens get lazy

The biggest reason that teens get into a lazy routine physically and mentally is mostly due to the summer time idleness. Most educators will claim that they have to teach half of what the students should already know and remember from the previous years because teens are left sitting in front of the television or playing the Wii on hot summer days. Some parents say “yeah, but that’s what the summer’s for, relaxing.” There is however a difference between relaxing and letting our bodies become physically and mentally lazy. Let’s take a look at a few issues that come up due to teen inactivity.

Teens will often do as their parents do.

Laziness

I realize that this covers a broad range of things, but as parents allow teens to just sit at home and do nothing, they can become lazy. The dangers of becoming lazy are that it can affect every part of their life; academic, social, physical, and mental. Grades begin to slip; they no longer want to spend time out with friends, and exercising isn’t even considered. This can lead to a number of different issues.

Obesity

Believe it or not, obesity is becoming a bigger problem than it should among teens and is just one of the issues that come up when teens are lazy and inactive. Obesity is defined as an excessive accumulation of body fat which generally leads to being almost twenty percent heavier than their ideal body weight. It is common during the adolescent age and should be taken very seriously if it becomes a problem. Obesity comes with a whole range of problems all on its own if not dealt with right away. It can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. As teens become less active they are weakening their physical health and well being and actually shortening their life span. It’s important to keep your teen involved in various activities; don’t over do it, but make sure they’re busy and involved with extra- curricular activities or some other type of activity when not attending school. Sitting at home watching television or playing on the computer doesn’t do anything for their physical or mental health.

Depression

Another side effect of inactivity during the teen years is depression. It plays right along with obesity. As teens become more and more inactive, their bodies start to function at a lower level; they gain weight and their self confidence goes down the tube. This type of behavior can lead to depression, and many teens find themselves wondering what’s wrong with themselves. Why don’t they like who they are anymore? Depression, if left untreated, can lead to several other disorders which can lead down a nasty road of sorrow and rehab.

What can you do?

As a parent, you can help your teen be more active and become involved in other activities. It might even help if you become more involved yourself. If you expect your teen to take an interest in exercise then maybe you should think about taking an interest also. Get a gym membership together or take some classes. If you want them involved in some extracurricular activities then you might have to get involved with the community yourself. Teens aren’t stupid, and they won’t do anything if they don’t see you trying your hand at it first. If you want to change, then you might have to take the first step. If you don’t you could be sentencing yourself with a life full of teen health issues due to inactivity.