Teen obesity is a health problem in Maine. Instead of going outside to play, many teens sit down on the couch playing video games. According to Palo Alto Medical Foundation, 15 percent of children and teens from the ages of 6-19 are overweight, and another 15 percent of children and teens from the ages of 6-19 are at risk of becoming overweight.

Teens who are overweight are at risk of health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, having a stroke, and some forms of cancer. A lot of teens who are overweight look at themselves and think there’s nothing they can do so, they don’t even try to change the way they look.

If parents are overweight their children will have a greater chance of becoming overweight. Parents have a strong influence in what their children do and eat.

I feel that schools should acknowledge the fact that kids are overweight. I think once a week, for an hour, a health professional should come in and teach kids the importance of being healthy and active. I also think that kids should know that if they do start a diet they can still have a few occasional goodies but having too much can harm their body.

Maine is headed in the right direction by cutting out unhealthy food in schools but they still have to make a little more effort because most of a teen’s day is spent in school.

Audrey Bennett