WWY Tse, PPY Mak

Abstract

In many cultures, eating is an important social and family occasion, a pleasurable experience and thus is an enjoyment in life. However, there are other facets of eating whereby it poses as a challenge to a wide sector of adolescents who exhibit weight-related concerns and behaviours. A significant proportion of them fall into the spectrum of disordered eating. At one extreme of the spectrum is morbid obesity and at the other, anorexia nervosa. Obesity has increased markedly in the past two decades in all developed countries and regions. The medical consequences of obesity are well studied. But obesity in adolescents is not mere overeating. Overeating in adolescents has been shown to be associated with a number of adverse behaviours and negative psychosocial experiences. In fact, it may be a clear sign alerting for intervention, intervention that crosses disciplines. This paper addresses the psychosocial risks of obese adolescents that youth workers and professionals need to be cognisant of. Intervention strategies with particular emphasis on prevention rationale and approaches that tap on intersectoral collaboration are discussed.

在許多文化中，吃是一種重要的社會與家庭的交誼，是一種令人愉悅的經歷與生活享受。然而，吃還有另外一面，它向年齡範圍跨度較大的青少年擺出了挑戰的姿勢，這些青少年出現了與體重相關聯的疾病及行為。有相當比例的這些疾病及行為是處於因吃致病譜系中。最突出的因吃致病譜系疾病是病態肥胖與其他疾病如神經性厭食。在過去的二十年裏，肥胖在所有發達國家和地區中顯著地增加。肥胖所致的醫學後果已被積極地研究。但青少年肥胖不僅僅是過食，青少年過食已被證實與許多有害行為及負性心理社會經歷相關。事實上，肥胖也許是一個清楚的需要跨學科的干預的預警指征。這篇文章論述了肥胖青少年的心理社會風險，這些是年輕工作者及專業人員需要認識到的。干預戰略配上特別強調的預防基本原理及方法在此討論。