When most people try to lose weight, they watch one number: the scale. But not all weight loss is...
Teens and Emotional Eating
By: Scottsdale Weight Loss Center
Published: June 15, 2011
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For many people who are overweight, the problem of overeating and lack of exercise can be traced back to their childhood or teen years. Often when starting out on a medical weight loss plan it becomes important to address stressors and psychological issues that may cause overeating and make it difficult to lose weight.
When tackling the issues of childhood and teen obesity, some might think that overeating and comfort eating is only in response to major stressors, but often it is a learned behavior that has developed over the child’s lifetime that causes the behavior. Day to day stress at school and with peers can lead a child to eat to alleviate the bad feelings. Emotional eating is often also due to boredom.
While negative stressors often trigger emotional eating, children will also turn to food when they are feeling great. Parties and holiday celebrations are always associated with large amounts of great tasting food. Treats as rewards in response to good test scores and reports cards will also associate food with good feelings. Due to rewards such as these, food often begins to be seen as a comfort in good times as well as the bad.
It is important to know that emotional eating in both teens and adults is a disorder. This mentality needs to be addressed psychologically to assure that a medical weight loss plan is effective and the child’s ability to lose weight is not inhibited by deep set feelings and learned behaviors.
Whatever the cause of the emotional eating and overeating may be, when a teen sets out on a medical weight loss journey they need the emotional and mental support of parents and professionals to help address the issues that trigger the eating. When the issues are addressed the ability to lose weight will increase and so will the teenager’s self-esteem.
Nick
Nick's Story
"I wish I would have come here first. We spend all our time reacting to the next great weight loss tip or program. It might work for a while, but does not last and we end up yo-yoing from one fad to the next – as we gain more weight." Read More
Gina
Lost 44.5 lbs
"I had no trouble adhering to the meals and they really helped catapult my progress! The classes were so beneficial to me because they helped change my thinking about how I viewed health, nutrition, and fitness.
I will always have my relationship with Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. They truly helped me change my life forever." Read More
Lauren
Lost 60 lbs
"Dr. Ziltzer and everyone who I have come in contact with at the Scottsdale Weight Loss office have been so encouraging and I look forward to seeing them each week. It is now a year and 2 months later since I started. I am down 60 lbs., which is the average amount a 9-year-old weighs, it is crazy to think I lost a whole person! I feel amazing, I hit my goal weight in November 2021 just before Thanksgiving. Nothing on my body hurts anymore..." Read More
Chuck
Lost 66 lbs
"The best thing I did was call the Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. I have a lot more energy, I'm not hungry, and it feels great.
You can take it from me that this is a program that produces results. The staff is always positive, supportive, and never judgmental.
Your visits always result in positive reinforcement, no matter if you had a good week or a bad week." Read More
Emily
Lost 101 lbs
"Here I am at the lowest I have been since high school weighing in at 155lbs. I have lost 101 lbs, BMI of 39 when I started, to 21.6, and of course at body fat % of 47.1 to 26.5%. I told myself by my 30th birthday I wanted to be confident in the way I look and I owe it all to SWLC. The entire staff is so welcoming and they are rooting for you just as much as you are rooting for yourself...." Read More
Reviews
Meet Our Team
Robert Ziltzer, MD, FACP, FAAP, FOMA
Obesity Medicine Certified Physician
Diana Bone, FNP-C
Specializing in Obesity Medicine
Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, MFOMA
Obesity Medicine Certified Physician
Kristen Ash, FNP-C, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Alicia Earley, FNP-C
Family Nurse Practitioner
