Being Overweight Increases The Risk Of Acne In Girls
Author: Dean Rouseberg
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Changes in the levels of insulin and other hormones due to being overweight in adolescence are likely to increase the risk of acne, experts say.
Girls at the end of puberty who are affected by being overweight or obese are twice as likely to suffer from acne as their peers without weight problems, according to a new Norwegian study.
Scientists do not find the same relationship in boys.
The study involved 3,600 young people between the ages of 18 and 19. Researchers are collecting information on the risk of developing acne, diet and other factors related to the lifestyle of the volunteers.
About one-tenth of girls and 15% of boys fall into the categories with a level of body mass index characteristic of overweight or obesity.
19 out of every 100 girls affected by overweight and obesity report having acne symptoms, compared with 13 out of every 100 girls with normal weight.
After investigating other factors, such as diet, smoking and mental health, researchers found that overweight and obese girls were twice as likely to develop acne.
According to statistics, between 10% and 20% of adolescents have moderate to severe acne. A number of studies show that emotional and social difficulties, especially during "sensitive" adolescence, contribute to the likelihood of developing a skin problem.
There are physiological factors associated with obesity that could explain the results of the Norwegian study, says Dr. Nanette Silverberg, a professor at Columbia University. For example, high blood pressure, insulin resistance and hormonal changes that often accompany obesity affect the development of acne, the expert added.
Changes in insulin and other hormones due to being overweight in adolescence are likely to increase the risk of acne, said Dr. John Halvorsen, a researcher at the University Hospital in Oslo, who led the study.
Research on the topic continues.
The results are published in the Archives of Dermatology .
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