Flattering bodies, skinny models, diet pills, and pressure are all major factors for teens. Losing weight is on many teenagers’ minds, especially girls around this time of year. Knowing how to lose weight the healthy way is not how teens usually go about it. Teenagers want to look like the models in magazines and on television, but what most teens do not understand is that they do not really look like that! Those magazine photos are air brushed and photo shopped to look the way they appear.

  Getting fit the healthy way is the important thing to do. There are so many ways to get fit. "Eating healthy foods and drinking plenty of water is a good start to get on track of getting fit," said senior Jessica Miller. The five major steps to get fit are exercising, reducing the time that you sit in front of the television, eating five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, eating smaller portions of food, and eating breakfast every day. According to www.teenhealth.org, exercising daily can have many benefits for your body. It can help you feel more peaceful and happy by letting go stress and not dealing with problems.

  Obesity is one of the major issues teens face today, teens that are overweight can have health problems now and later on in life like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and sleep apnea, which is when a person stops breathing for a short time sleeping. The body mass index (BMI) is used to see how much body fat a person has. A person is considered obese if their BMI is thirty or greater. You can check your BMI at doctors’ offices or online.

  Remember, teens, be happy with the way you look and use the five steps to getting fit. "Exercising is one of the most important parts of keeping the body healthy. Get fit the healthy way and you will be happy with the way you lose it, and how well you keep it off," said senior Shayla Hermann.