Obesity has risen over the past decade for American teenagers, but a new study suggests that other leading indicators of diseases such as diabetes have actually declined, likely due to improved eating habits.
A study published in Pediatrics, the medical journal of the American Academy of Pediatricians, found that the severity of cases of Childhood Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) steadily decreased between 1999 and 2012. MetS is a diagnosis given to a person who has at least three of five medical conditions: high belly fat, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides and low HDL levels.
While the frequency of MetS did not significantly change, fewer teens were diagnosed with particularly severe cases of it. That is largely attributable to higher overall levels of HDL — often dubbed "good cholesterol"— and lower levels of triglycerides.
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The study, which was based on over 5,000 teens between the ages of 12-19, also found that overall calorie consumption decreased during the period examined. And kids appear to be consuming fewer carbohydrates and more unsaturated fat.
Researchers also reported that physical activity didn't budge during the 13-year period, so it looks like our eating habits are likely responsible for any positive developments in our health. Although physical fitness has long been the focus of weight-loss initiatives, research indicates that diet plays a far greater role in determining weight.
The idea that unsaturated fat might be a thing to be embraced, rather than avoided, has become much more accepted from medical experts and the public alike over the past 15 years. Increasingly, experts are pointing the finger at sugar and refined carbohydrates as the cause of obesity. However, there is plenty of debate on the issue, just as there is debate over whether saturated fats — long assumed to be the worst of the worst — really are.
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