Feeding Teens and Educating the Future

Teenagers are not fed; they eat, and they eat, and THEY EAT! For the first time in their lives, they assume responsibility for their own food intakes. Most teens, boys as well as girls, are obsessed with their body image (weight, complexion, clothes, hair, peer judgment and athletic performance). They are involved in day-to-day social activities with their peers. They feel the social pressures requiring them to make choices: to drink or not to drink, to smoke or not to smoke, and to develop their bodies to meet the standards presented by the media. How can their concerns be turned into a motivation for improving nutrition choices? During adolescence, there is an increased need for nutrients to support changes in the body composition and to support the increase in growth. Nutrient requirements during this growth spurt may be twice as high as during any other growth period.

ENERGY REQUIREMENTS

Adolescents require sufficient calories for growth as well as maintenance of body functions, and their energy needs depend on height, weight, rate of growth, and level of physical activity. However, on the average, male adolescents require 2,800 calories and female adolescents require 2,100 calories. The adolescent growth spurt begins in girls at ten or eleven and reaches its peak at twelve, being completed at about fifteen. In boys it begins at twelve or thirteen and peeks at fourteen, ending at about nineteen.

Although national surveys conducted in the United States have revealed no extreme clinical deficiencies among adolescents, low intakes of some vitamins and minerals do occur. The nutrients likely to be inadequate in the diets of teenagers are calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin A. Special attention is required (especially for girls) to include foods that are sources of these nutrients when fats, which provide a high caloric density, are reduced.

CALCIUM

A diet low in calcium intake during adolescence may result in poor bone development thus increasing the risk of osteoporosis later in life. The current recommended dietary allowance is 1300 mg for teenagers. The current trend of substituting soft drinks for milk may be contributing to low calcium intakes in adolescents.

IRON

The current RDA for iron is 15 mg/day for adolescent females and 12 mg/day for adolescent males. A diet low in iron could lead to iron-deficiency anemia. Foods that are rich in iron are poor in calcium and vice versa. Good sources of iron are lean, red meat, enriched breakfast cereal, fish and poultry. Vitamin C will increase the absorption of iron, therefore citrus juice consumed with a breakfast meal, such as cereal, will help increase iron intake from these foods.

VITAMIN A

Vitamin A plays a role in maintaining the health of epithelial cells. Good sources for Vitamin A include dark green and deep orange fruits and vegetables: collards, turnip greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, apricots, peaches, and cantaloupe.

ZINC

A zinc deficiency exists among individuals whose protein intakes are limited, such as vegetarians. Animal foods are good sources of zinc. Among plant foods, whole grains are richest in zinc. As a rule of thumb, a person who eats enough protein probably gets enough zinc; vegetarians should emphasize whole grains.

Low intakes of the above nutrients are not the only nutritional concerns of adolescents. Eating excess amounts of fat may increase a teenager's risk for heart disease, obesity and certain kind of cancers. In addition, too much sodium may contribute to high blood pressure in some individuals. In general adolescents need to comply with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

From Singapore to the U.S., Australia to France, official dietary guidelines advise people to consume plenty of fruits and vegetables, not to eat too much saturated fat, and limit salt, sugar, and alcohol. But one recommendation many countries offer their citizens is conspicuously absent from the U.S. Dietary Guidelines: enjoy food and make mealtimes pleasant occasions.

Teenagers are establishing their independence, coming and going as they choose and eating what and when they have time. They are consuming a lot of food away from home. Their nutrition knowledge is usually based on hearsay rather than reliable nutrition information. To help meet the nutritional needs of teens, low-fat food healthy food choices should be available at school, social functions and fast-food restaurants.

Characteristics of Adolescent Eating Patterns

• Adolescents usually skip breakfast.
• Adolescents consume about 21% of their total calories and about 20% of both total fat and saturated fat from snacks.
• Fast food restaurants capture 83% of restaurant visits by young people less than 18 years of age.
• Adolescents are more likely to order pizza, french fries, soft drinks, hamburgers, fried chicken, and ice cream.

Vending Machine Foods Consistent with Recommended Eating Patterns for Adolescents

• Peanut butter and low-fat crackers
• Cookies and crackers (low-fat)
• Fresh fruit
• Raisins and mixed dried fruit
• Granola bars made with unsaturated fat
• Snack mixes of cereal and dried fruit with a small amount of nuts and seeds
• 1% low fat or skim milk
• Fruit juice and vegetable juice; soda water with real fruit juice added
• Low-fat or non-fat yogurt
• Fat-free candy