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Eating behaviors, including unhealthy snacking or excessive snacking leading to excess calorie consumption, may contribute to obesity among adolescents. Socioeconomic status (SES) also significantly influences eating behaviors, and low SES is associated with increased risk for obesity. However, little is known regarding the relationship between snacking behavior and SES among adolescents and how this may contribute to obesity-related outcomes. The primary objective of this scoping review was to review the literature to assess and characterize the relationship between SES and snacking in adolescents. The secondary objective was to assess weight-related outcomes and their relation to snacking habits. Included articles were published between January 2000 and May 2019; written in English, Portuguese, or Spanish; and focused on adolescents (13-17 years). In total, 14 bibliographic databases were searched, and seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Preliminary evidence from the seven included studies suggests a weak but potential link between SES and snacking. Additionally, these dietary patterns seemed to differ by sex and income type of country. Finally, only three of the included studies addressed weight-related outcomes, but the overall available evidence suggests that snacking does not significantly affect weight-related outcomes. Due to the small number of included studies, results should be interpreted with caution.Nutrients 2020, 12, 167 2 of 18 childhood and adolescence, a shift in diet composition is observed to include higher rates of snack and soft drink consumption and lower intakes of fruits and vegetables [9]. Alongside increases in the prevalence of obesity [1,10], data from 1977 to 2014 show that snacking in adolescents has increased over the last four decades. It has also been shown that calories from salty snacks, desserts, sweets, and sugar-sweetened beverages continue to be a leading source of calories [11]. While fruit and vegetable intake has decreased, calories provided by these less healthy snacks has increased [12]. Thus, adverse eating behaviors resulting in excess calorie consumption, such as less healthy or frequent snacking, can potentially contribute to the rise of obesity during adolescence.SES is a strong determinant of an individual's weight, risk for obesity, and eating behaviors [13]. Individuals with lower SES are more likely to live in disordered and vulnerable neighborhood settings, which are associated with unhealthy food access and consumption [14]. Although rates of obesity have increased across all socioeconomic levels, adolescents who are from families with lower incomes are more likely than those from families with higher incomes to develop obesity [15]. SES, as defined by household income and/or parental education level for adolescents, has the potential to influence food choices [16]. Specifically, SES has been shown to have a strong influence on the consumption of certain food groups over others on a global scale [17][18][19][20], with those with lower SES positions te...

Objective: Effectiveness of behavioural obesity treatments in adolescents is modest. Thus, incorporating participant feedback may lead to improvement of intervention acceptability. This qualitative study's objective was to assess perceived barriers/facilitators to weight loss and healthy lifestyles among diverse adolescents with overweight/obesity (OW/OB). Methods: Adolescents ages 14-19 with BMI ≥ 85th percentile participated in focus groups and identified perceived barriers/facilitators to weight loss and healthy lifestyles. Results: Ten sex-stratified focus groups (n = 41; n = 13 males, n = 28 females) were conducted in 2018 and 2019. Females reported experiencing weight struggles, whereas males often stated no struggles with weight, despite all participants meeting criterion for OW/OB. Barriers included eating behaviours, family members and internal motivation, with additional barriers of physical activity, friends, time and support cited in females. Facilitators included parental, familial and peer support of healthy eating and exercise, modelling behaviours, internal motivation and organized sports. Two additional findings regarding adolescents' perceived barriers/facilitators include substantial overlap and sex differences of perceived barriers/facilitators. Conclusions: Adolescent males and females with OW/OB experience weight status differently, affecting their perceived barriers/facilitators to weight loss and healthy lifestyles. Tailoring weight management interventions to the unique needs of adolescent females versus adolescent males has the potential to improve intervention quality and effectiveness.

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