You are what you eat is hard for teenagers to keep in mind. Adolescents (teen-agers) in America are faced daily with many choices that affect their health for the present and for a lifetime. Even though they are very body-conscious and seek independence, many teens live for the moment. The opinions of parents become less important than those of peers and others. Teens think of themselves as invincible. That is, they do not see the risk factors affecting them now or in years to come. Adults who work with teen-agers or parents of teen-agers can help teens make the connection that lifestyle choices made now can become lifelong habits, which can result in a healthy lifestyle forever.
What You Will Learn:
- Special nutrition needs of teen-agers as they pertain to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
- How teens can take responsibility for which foods they eat and how much they eat.
- How teens can take responsibility for what and how much exercise they do.
- Breakfast ideas for teens.
- Snack and party ideas for teens.
- How teens can set goals for dietary improvements.
Understanding the Nutritional Needs and Growth of Teens
American teen-agers eat out more, have greater access to ready-to-eat food and meals that require reheating or minimal preparation and have less physical activity than ever before. Teen-agers from economically disadvantaged homes have more nutrition-related problems than do more affluent teens, especially vitamin A and folate and iron. Growth spurt and the onset of menstruation during adolescence are associated with iron deficiency. There is a high prevalence of folacin deficiency in girls ages 10-19. The association of folate deficiency and neural tube defects should be a concern for girls entering the childbearing age. For more information on the relationship of folic acid on birth defects, link to the Center for Disease Control. Click on Programs and Activities, then click on Spina Bifida and Other Neural Tube Defects. Read the information to learn more about the importance of folic acid in preventing birth defects. More than 20% of 12 to 19-year-old adolescents are currently obese, and adolescent obesity seems to be on the rise. Conversely, there is an overemphasis on being thin for girls and muscular for boys. Obese adolescents enter the job market at lower salaries and tend to have higher incidences of low self-esteem and depression.
In 1997, students in grades 9 to12 in Louisiana answered a Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) conducted by the Louisiana Department of Education. The survey noted that:
- 26% described themselves as slightly or very overweight, and 40% of the students were trying to lose weight.
- 30% reported that within the past 30 days they had dieted and 50% had exercised for weight control.
- During the prior month, 7% of the students reported that they had induced vomiting or used laxatives to either lose weight or keep from gaining weight.
- On the day before the survey, over half of the students (52%) reported that they had eaten fruit, 27% had eaten green salad and 43% had consumed cooked vegetables one or more times.
- On the preceding day of the survey, more than half of the students had eaten high-fat food items. Almost two-thirds of the students had eaten two or fewer high-fat food items the day before the survey was taken. High-fat food items were described as hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, french fries, potato chips, cookies, doughnuts, pie and cake.
- 60% of the students in Louisiana reported that they had participated in an aerobic activity three or more times in the seven days preceding the survey.
Despite teen-agers' familiarity with nutrition information, many don't consume enough of some foods, including fruits and vegetables. Many girls need to eat more calcium-rich foods. Additionally, most teens need to eat foods that are lower in fat and sugars.
Adolescent Nutrition
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans apply to teen-agers with a few additions. The energy needs of adolescents vary greatly on an individual basis. All adolescents should eat the minimum number of servings from each food group daily. Lower-fat foods and those with little sugar are wise food choices for all teens. Some very active teens may need to eat extra servings from the major food groups and possibly a few servings from the extra food group that contain some fat and sugar. Teens need three servings of foods from the milk group and other good sources of dietary calcium such as canned fish with soft bones (tuna, for example), legumes, broccoli and calcium-enriched grain products, calcium-fortified foods and beverages, lime-processed tortillas, seeds and nuts.
Click here for How Much Should You Eat?
Click here for What's a Serving Anyway?
What is a serving? Here are some visual cues to help determine a serving size. Measuring cups and scales can be useful, but the following serving size visual cues can help:
Deck of cards = three ounces of meat
Ping pong ball = one ounce of hard cheese
Baseball = one medium fruit or one cup of lettuce or cereal
12 ounce can of soda = two servings of juice or one and one-half serving of milk
Do teens need extra protein to build muscles? No. Two to three servings a day (five to seven ounces) from the meat group provide enough protein for the growing years.
The seventh dietary guideline for teens is to promote an alcohol-free and drug-free lifestyle. Alcohol provides calories only, with no other significant amount of nutrients. Teen-agers who are interested in healthy food choices should stay away from alcoholic beverages. Alcohol provides seven calories per gram. Carbohydrates and protein provide four calories per gram. Fat provides nine calories per gram.
Healthy Weight
Early adolescence (ages 11-14) marks a period of rapid change in physical and emotional maturation. Chronological age may not match social and physical development. Teens make many of their own food choices and decisions about physical activity and health. Girls' growth spurts often occur before those of boys. Individual growth patterns are similar to those of their relatives. Teens often grow taller before developing an adult shape. Weight and other measures do not necessarily indicate the amount of body fat of an individual. Bigger, more muscular kids aren't necessarily overweight; and tall, slim kids aren't always underweight.
All people, including teens, need to listen to their internal hunger cues. That is, do not let the amount of food on a plate determine how much should be eaten. Eating slowly can give a person time to recognize that he or she is full. School lunch menus are designed to provide one-third of the calories needed by the teen-ager needing the most calories. Teen-agers who need the most calories are tall, growing and very active. Smaller framed teens who are less active need fewer calories. Students should use the "offer vs. serve" option in the school lunch program to select the number and type of food items to eat. The same plan of action can be used when eating out.
Teen-agers should exercise regularly and manage weight rather than focus on weight loss. Acceptance of a healthy, rather than an ideal, body image is necessary. We have certain genetic traits that will affect the shapes of our bodies. Weight loss will be proportional. Low levels of physical activity lead to obesity.
Benefits of physical activity:
- Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints.
- Helps control weight, build lean muscle and reduce body fat.
- Prevents or delays the development of high blood pressure and helps reduce blood pressure in some teens with hypertension.
Every teen should accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Moderate physical activity is defined as a brisk walk at three to four miles per hour (mph). More physical activity can be helpful to a point. Increased physical activity will not result in short-term weight loss unless there is a reduction in the number of calories. However, increased physical activity is important to overall weight management. Fat teen-agers are more likely to become fat adul
ts. The later into adolescence that obesity persists, the greater the likelihood that an obese adolescent will become an obese adult.
Before, during and after exercising, teens should drink plenty of liquids to replenish the fluids lost. Water, one of the six basic nutrients, is the best fluid.
Teen-agers need to accept and respect differences in body shapes. Differences in growth rate and body structure make every person's weight and height unique. Much of a person's body shape and size is inherited.
Teens need about 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily, or 15 to 20 minutes of more intense physical activity at least three times a week. Physical activity must be continued throughout one's lifetime, rather than only for a day or a week. Older teens become less physically active than younger teens, especially girls.
Click here to see a physical activity pyramid and 10 ways to get physical.
Dieting to lose weight is not recommended for most adolescents, especially young adolescents. Yet, over half of all teens feel the need to diet to either lose weight or maintain weight. Teens who are concerned about their body weight should talk to their doctors or other health care professionals.
Eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia, may start with an ordinary weight loss diet. Talk to a school nurse, social worker or a medical professional if you are concerned about a student.
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