No easy way to lower teen obesity rate

By Allen Mask, M.D., Health Team physician

Nearly 14 million children and teens in this country are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the last 30 years, research shows that teen obesity risen while the percentage of teens trying to lose weight has declined.

That may be due in part to a growing acceptance of different body sizes, says psychologist Dr. Leslie Heinberg of the Cleveland Clinic.

"That's a good thing," she said. "Where the flip side of that may be is that there could be less motivation to make changes when changes are needed, when people are having deleterious health effects because of their weight."