The Obese Teen

The Obese Teen: The Neuroendocrine Connection

Obesity is an obvious and serious issue that has been on the rise in the United States within the past few decades. According to a recent article on obesity in adolescents by Laura D. Hoeman, MN, ARNP, obesity in children ages twelve to nineteen has skyrocketed from 5% in 1980 to 16% in 2002 and these numbers don't seem to be lowering any time soon. In a similar survey by Ogden and colleagues, it was reported that between 1980 and 2002, "obesity prevalence doubled in adults aged 20 years or older...and tripled in children aged 6 to 19 years."

Most overweight people face similar difficulties when attempting to lose weight, including ineffectiveness of diets, regained weight, and depression. When treating these patients it is important to consider the challenges that may be facing them, including depression, loneliness, etc. Obesity or overeating is not necessarily a sign of laziness or sloth, but rather may have psychological, physiologic, and genetic causes, making it a behavior that is extremely hard to deal with. When determining the cause of obesity in an individual, a physical and psychological assessment must be administered. This assessment mainly serves to detect any underlying conditions related to obesity such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, cardiovascular disorders, etc.

Often times in overweight individuals there is a disorder within the hypothalamus area of the brain. The ventromedial portion of the hypothalamus is known to be responsible for the feeling of satisfaction that one receives after eating. When there is something wrong in this area, the individual will not feel full or satisfied with what they consume and are likely to continue eating until that satisfaction is reached, causing obesity. To care for a patient and help improve this feeling of satisfaction, moderate-sized healthful meals are suggested that will leave the patient satisfied and allow them to cease eating at an appropriate time.

As mentioned before, obesity and diabetes have been closely linked and neuroendocrinology is a recently emerging medical field that has attempted to analyze this connection. By researching similar aspects of obesity and diabetes it has allowed scientists to determine just how much these two are really related. Insulin and leptin resistance are both common in obese individuals and type 2 diabetics.