title: Contributing factors of obesity among stressed adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many adolescents suffer from common mental disorders such as stress, which affects health through the psychosocial process, eating behavior, food choices and physical activity. During adolescence, dietary patterns are formed and can affect the occurrence of diseases in later life. This is a review of the results in the pertinent literature, from 1989 until November 2013, concerning stress and the contributing factors that lead to obesity among adolescents. The aim of this review is to identify obesity among stressed adolescents as well as the contributing factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive design was used for both quantitative and qualitative studies while, in addition, psychological theories were used for the qualitative studies. The articles were screened to ensure their quality and included in this review accordingly. Ten articles were included in the review comprising cross-sectional, cohort, review and meta-analysis. Interviews and questionnaires were used for data collection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The literature provided obvious information focusing on emotional stress and obesity for both boys and girls. This review revealed that stress results in overweight and obesity among adolescents through changes in lifestyle including decreased physical activity and increased food intake. Gender and economic status are the main components that affect obesity in stressed adolescents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity is a consequence of stress among adolescents and is exacerbated by the wrong eating attitude. Developing proper food choices among adolescents can help prevent obesity and other complications in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Ph.D Student, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tajik
authors.affiliation: Associated Professor, Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nor Afiah Mohd
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Zulkefli
authors.affiliation: MPH, Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Anisah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baharom
authors.affiliation: Ph.D, Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Halimatus Sakdiah
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Minhat
authors.affiliation: MD, MMED (PH), Public Health Medicine Specialist, Professor of Public Health, Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Latiffah Abd
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Latiff
keywords: Adolescent; Body Mass Index; Eating; Obesity; Stress