Adult-onset health issues are appearing in teens, and a doctor explains why
What was once a health concern for middle-aged adults is now showing up in teenagers. Increasingly, doctors in Malaysia are treating teenagers for conditions once seen in people in their 40s or 50s—early signs of diabetes, high cholesterol, and even heart strain. Sedentary lifestyles, digital addiction, and poor dietary habits are converging to create what some are calling ‘Adolescent Sedentary Syndrome.’
Dr Sharifah Faradila, Consultant Physician in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology at Damansara Specialist Hospital 2, is seeing these trends unfold firsthand. In this interview, she shares what she believes is driving these trends and how parents, schools, and healthcare providers can help teens stay healthier.
1Twenty80: You’ve observed teenagers showing ‘adult-like’ symptoms of diabetes and hormonal disorders. Could you share a case that really struck you, and why it was alarming?
Dr Sharifah Faradila: A case that really struck me involves a 15-year-old boy whose BMI is very elevated — around 40kg/m². He has diabetes and dyslipidaemia as well. Although he doesn’t have any organ damage at this point, he currently requires insulin to bring his glucose levels down. He is already experiencing complications related to his obesity, including diabetes, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea, and likely recurring infections due to his poorly controlled sugars and elevated BMI.
At the moment, being a teenager, he does not take his medication consistently. His sugars remain high, and he also doesn’t manage his diet well or engage in physical activity. Most of the time, he plays games at home, sleeps late, and wakes up late. Then he goes to school, comes home, and the cycle repeats. With his sedentary lifestyle and existing comorbidities, he is at risk of significant health problems in the future if these habits don’t change.
1Twenty80: When you see younger patients like this, do you usually speak with the parents as well?
Dr Sharifah Faradila: Yes, I have met his parents once. They don’t usually come to the hospital during his visits, but I did meet them that one time. They said they have tried to make him understand that he needs to change, but he still does not listen. Actually, his siblings are also very overweight, obese, so I think it just runs in the family.
1Twenty80: Are you seeing these issues appear at a younger age now compared to, say, 10 years ago?
Dr Sharifah Faradila: Yes. Previously, most of the time, we would assume that diabetes occurs at around 40 to 60 years old. But nowadays, I am seeing diabetes as young as 15 years old, like the case I mentioned earlier. This is because of the sedentary lifestyle and the increasing prevalence of obesity.
1Twenty80: What habits are the biggest red flags you see among teenagers today?
Dr Sharifah Faradila: Sedentary lifestyle. They don’t adhere to regular exercise. They just stay at home, sit on the couch and either watch television or play video games. Nowadays, kids don’t go out and play anymore. They just stay indoors and play games, and they also don’t adhere to good dietary habits.
I think the adults are partly to blame because they learn from what the adults give them from a young age. So if they have not been exposed to good dietary content early on, then they will continue to not eat the right things as they grow up.
1Twenty80: Some parents may think screen time is harmless compared to junk food. From a medical perspective, how does excessive screen use affect metabolic health?
Dr Sharifah Faradila: As they don’t move, they don’t sweat, and everything they consume is not getting burned. There will be an increase in input, but much less output. When that happens, a large proportion is going to be deposited—especially for us Asians, over the middle part of the body (what we call visceral fat).
An increase in visceral fat will lead to insulin resistance, and insulin resistance will lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
1Twenty80: Could you explain the hormonal changes during adolescence that make obesity in teens more complex than just sedentary lifestyle?
Dr Sharifah Faradila: During adolescence, they are still growing and trying to understand themselves and the world around them. So if they are not taught from a young age about healthy habits—like the importance of exercise and good dietary practices—they will look to other sources. Most of the time, they follow what they see on screens or from their peers, and these may not always be correct. Nowadays, they spend more time on devices than talking to actual people, so their behaviour is very influenced by what they watch.
I don’t think the hormonal changes themselves are the main issue. It is more about how they perceive things based on what they were taught early on. By the time they become teenagers, they are less likely to listen. That’s why good habits need to be instilled from a very young age. This foundation will help them grow into healthier teenagers. Parents play a major role in this, and schools do as well.
1Twenty80: From your perspective, what role should healthcare providers and policymakers play in tackling this issue?
Dr Sharifah Faradila: I think healthcare providers should speak out more. Many of us don’t do that because we’re busy in the hospital, but we need to be more present in the community instead of waiting for people to come to us—because by the time they come, they’re already sick. We should go out, talk more, and be a bit more IT-friendly or social-media-friendly. A lot of us aren’t Gen Z, so we’re not very familiar with these things, but we still need to give more information to the public. Teenagers today pay more attention to what they see on screen than what they hear face-to-face, so reaching them through these platforms is important. Community education and outreach would make a big difference.
As for policymakers, I think some of the steps taken so far are good—like increasing the tax on sugar. They should also cut down on advertisements that promote unhealthy food, unhealthy habits, or even unsafe supplemental food products. Many advertisements claim that they are good when they may not actually be safe. So having healthier messaging and more programmes that promote health, such as running events or health education talks, would help as well. But starting with the sugar tax is a good move.
1Twenty80: What’s your message to teens themselves, who may not yet see the long-term consequences of their current habits?
Dr Sharifah Faradila: It’s not hard to change. It just takes small steps. Start small, and over time they will build into bigger ones. Eat healthily, exercise regularly, and keep your body moving. Don’t just sit in one place and spend all your time on screen. Talk to people and go outside.
