Apple Valley, CA
760-242-1234

What is adolescent nutrition?

Adolescence extends from roughly the ages of 10 to 20, and marks the time when a young person becomes sexually and physically mature. Adolescence is a time of dramatic and rapid growth, at a rate that is exceeded only by the growth of early infancy. Extra calories and nutrients are needed to support this rapid growth. In fact, a voracious appetite is one of the early signs of adolescence. Adolescence also marks the time when a young person increasingly declares his or her independence from parental influence and control, especially regarding food choices. More meals are consumed with peers rather than with family members. During adolescence, a youngster is likely to begin buying his or her own food — often at fast-food restaurants frequented by other teenagers.

At this time, food often becomes a source of family conflict. Many adolescents declare themselves to be vegetarians. Others adopt strange, even bizarre eating habits. Serious eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa (self-starvation) and bulimia (food binging followed by purging), may appear during adolescence.

Adolescents, who often have only a sketchy idea of sound nutrition, seem particularly vulnerable to fad diets. For example, a teenage athlete may adopt a so-called "eat to win" diet that includes potentially harmful megadose vitamins or amino acid supplements.

An adolescent girl, worried about being overweight, may go on fad weight-loss diets, usually without consulting a doctor. Such diets can cause serious problems at any age, and more so during adolescence when extra nutrients are needed to support the accelerated growth and development.

Parents who realize the importance of sound nutrition during this vital time of growth and development are understandably concerned that their children are nutritionally shortchanging themselves. But parents quickly learn that "laying down the law" or demanding that their adolescent children eat certain foods is likely to foster abstinence and even poorer eating habits than before.

Why is adolescent nutrition important?

As noted earlier, adolescence marks the period when a child matures into an adult. Typically, during adolescence weight doubles and height increases by 25 percent. Muscle mass increases in boys and body fat increases in girls. These changes require extra calories and other nutrients.

Nutrition is important for proper sexual maturity, especially in girls. Total weight and body fat appear to be related to the onset of puberty in girls. For example, a markedly overweight girl is likely to enter puberty at an earlier age than her normal-weight peers; conversely, a very thin or underweight girl is more likely to have delayed puberty. Studies of young ballet dancers, gymnasts, and others who undergo rigorous physical training and, at the same time, maintain a low percentage of body fat show that they begin menstruating 2 to 3 years later than the average young woman.

There may be other long-term health consequences of poor adolescent nutrition. Increasingly, medical research indicates that heart disease, for example, begins early in life, and is closely related to nutrition and other life-style factors. Many foods favored by adolescents — French fries, hot dogs, hamburgers, pastries, potato chips, and other fast foods — are high in saturated fats and total calories. Such foods seem to raise blood cholesterol, which in turn increases the likelihood of heart attacks. Many snack and fast foods are also high in sodium, which may promote development of high blood

pressure in genetically susceptible young people.

Teenage obesity is increasingly common in the United States, due largely to a high-fat, high-calorie diet and sedentary life style. Excess weight increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and other orthopedic problems, and certain cancers. It also can lead to low self-esteem, eating disorders, and other psychological problems.