A new study from the journal Demography shows that obese teenagers grow 18 percent less than teenagers with normal weight.

Swedish researchers based their data on brothers who enlisted in the Swedish National Service from 1984 to 1997.

They studied cognitive skills such as memory, attention, logic and reasoning and non-cognitive skills such as motivation, self-confidence, sociability and persistence of the enlisted soldiers

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Aside from that, they also looked at the tax records that could gauge the annual earnings of men aged 28 to 39 involved in the study.

Researchers found out that obese teenage boys grow 18 percent less in adulthood. They said this obesity penalty corresponds to almost three years of schooling.

This is equivalent to a university's bachelor degree, they said.

Researchers also found out that this pattern doesn't only occur in Sweden. It also occurs in the United Kingdom and the United States,

They also found that obese teenagers possess lower cognitive and non-cognitive skills that can be linked to low self-esteem and discrimination these teenagers get from their peers.

Researchers believe policies and programs for obesity should be made to reduce disparities in adolescent development caused by socio-economic inequalities.

They said their research showed the increase in teenage obesity has a long-lasting effect on the economic growth of the nation.

Researchers also said this gives importance to a policy for combating teenage obesity that can reduce healthcare expenditures in the future.

They said government intervention is needed because children and adolescents these days don't clearly see the importance of a healthy lifestyle.