In a follow-up survey, researchers in Australia determined that adult obesity may start in during the teenage years. In an article published in the eMJA - The Medical Journal of Australia, researchers concluded, "Obesity in childhood was strongly predictive of obesity in early adulthood, but most obese young adults were a healthy weight as children."

NetSweat.com comments: This is a noteworthy study given its size and the time span covered. Parents of teenagers should actively engage them in conversation about their dietary and exercise habits as emotional and social pressures can lead to bad food choices or worse, eating disorders.