More and more overweight adolescents

Overweight and obesity are gaining ground in adolescents. A DREES study (Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics), published on Wednesday, shows that between 2009 and 2017 the proportion of adolescents in overweight increased. The statistics service, under the supervision of the Ministry of Solidarity and Health, reports on this phenomenon in a survey carried out among a sample of pupils in third grade. They underwent a health examination and were questioned about their lifestyle.

In 2017, 18% of teenagers in third grade are overweight, of which more than a quarter, or 5.2%, are obese. Girls are the most affected with 20% of them considered overweight against 17% for boys. The difference by sex is less marked for obesity.

Between 2009 and 2017 the study points to an upward trend with a more marked increase in girls with a respective increase in overweight from 17% to 20% and obesity from 3.8% in 2009, to 5 , 4% in 2017).

Another observation is that, depending on the social background, overweight and obesity affect adolescents differently. Also excess weight is higher among adolescents from the less privileged social backgrounds: one in four adolescents is overweight among the children of workers, against one in nine among the children of executives, underlines the study. For obesity, the percentages are 7.5% and 2.7% respectively.

More overweight and obesity among workers’ children

How to explain these inequality ? The study confirms the significant impact of lifestyle habits on weight gain in adolescence and later in adulthood. the time spent in front of screens, the lack of physical activity and irregular meals are all known risk factors that weigh in the balance. The survey shows that adolescents from the least advantaged social backgrounds are the most affected by a lack of sport and a dietary imbalance. For example, twice as many children of workers skip breakfast as other workers. But not to take this meal would be the first factor in weight gain in adolescents, according to a Brazilian study. And concerning physical activity, children from the poorest families play a little less sport than those from the wealthiest families: 63% of the children of workers say they practice a sport (supervised) outside of the classes provided. within the school framework, against 84% of the children of executives.

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