Often one hears a teenager saying, ‘I am fat. I am too skinny. I would be happy if I were taller, shorter, had curly hair, straight hair, a smaller nose, stronger muscles, longer legs……’ The wish list goes on and on. This is the age when one is confused, either due to peer pressure or because of one’s own curiosity ‘to know all and do all.’ And as the body changes, so does the body image. Many people have trouble adjusting to the change and this can affect their self-esteem. Self-esteem is all about how much people value themselves, the pride they feel in themselves and their sense of self-worth. Self-esteem is important because feeling good about yourself can affect how you act. A person who has high self-esteem will make friends easily, is more in control of his or her behavior and will enjoy life more. Body image is about how a person feels about his or her own physical appearance. For people in their early teens, body image can be closely linked to self-esteem because as children develop into teens, they care a great deal about how others see them. Needless to mention, a person takes to short-cuts and quick repair methods in order to fit into society’s definition of ‘a smart looking teen.’ Most of this involves a drastic change in eating patterns and leads to adopting diets which lack in the essential nutrients thus taking a toll on their overall health and well-being. Once the purpose of their action is defeated, the teenager loses hope and does not have any faith in even good and sound advise! Here comes the role of the parents in building the concept of good health and well being in children.

Teen age is the time when one is confused, either due to peer pressure or because of one’s own curiosity ‘to know all and do all’

Adolescence seems to be synonymous with erratic eating habits, as the typical teenager’s life fills up with friends, sports and homework. Yet, adolescence is also a time of rapid growth and development that makes healthy eating habits even more important. Therefore, it is important that teenagers are encouraged to make food choices that are healthy. When all their peers eat fast food for lunch, you cannot expect your child to munch on green leaves and raw vegetables! This would be the most unrealistic approach and would only invite resistance. What works best with teenagers is to teach them how to make better choices whether they are eating at home, school or in restaurants. Improving eating habits among teens is crucially important for two reasons: building strong bones and preventing obesity.

What’s “Junky” about the Junk Foods?

1. The foundation of a lifetime of strong bones is built during the teen and young adult years, until about age thirty. This represents their peak bone mass – the strongest their bones will ever be. Yet, research indicates that teenagers are not getting nearly enough calcium to build strong bones and this can lead to osteoporosis later in life. 2. Maintaining normal weight is critically important since obesity often leads to diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure – conditions that were once common mostly in adults. For adults as well as children, the best way to treat and prevent these problems is to adopt a combination of healthy diet and exercise. In addition, positive eating patterns adapted during the teen years are likely to last a lifetime. Many snacks, such as potato chips, fast-food cheeseburgers and fries, have high levels of fat, sugar or salt – ingredients that are best limited to a small portion of your diet. Healthy eating does not mean that you cannot have your favorite food, but the ‘Dietary Guidelines’ advises you to be selective and limit the total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium you eat. Our main source of saturated fat comes from animal products and hydrogenated vegetable oils, with tropical oils – coconut and palm – providing smaller amounts. Only animal fat provides cholesterol. Sodium comes mostly from salt added to food during processing, home preparation or at the table. Fats are our most concentrated source of energy. It is common knowledge now that eating too much fat, especially saturated fat and cholesterol, increases blood cholesterol levels and therefore increases your risk of heart disease. Too much fat may also lead to overweight and increase risk of some cancers.

IS THIS FATTY? I DON’T THINK SO… LET ME EAT

What is the excitement about fiber?

“Raw vegetables and fruits are an excellent source of fiber as are whole grains”

Whole-grain breads and cereals, dried beans and peas, vegetables and fruits contain various types of dietary fiber essential for proper bowel function. Eating plenty of these fiber-rich foods reduces your risk of cancer and heart disease. The benefit from a high-fiber diet may be related to the foods themselves and not to the fiber alone. For this reason, it is best to get fiber from foods rather than from the fiber supplements you purchase in a store.

Tips for Parents

1). Teach teenagers that eating ‘healthier’ does not mean giving up their favorite food altogether. For many teenagers, it means cutting down on portion size and adding foods with nutritional value to their diet – having a smaller bag of chips along with an apple or switching from higher fat chips to bland mixed sprouts, etc.

2). Acknowledge that teenagers will eat fast food, yet encourage buying the smallest portion sizes available or sharing a super-sized meal with a friend. Also, encourage teenagers to make beverage choices that are nutritious, such as milk or unsweetened fresh fruit juices rather than always selecting sodas.

3). Model good behavior – eat well, exhibit a healthy attitude toward food, display a good body image and lead an active life yourself!

4). Encourage nutrition label reading. Emphasize on key teen nutrients that may be in short supply – such as calcium and iron. Starting the day with a bowl of cereal with milk is a great way for teens to get more calcium.

5). Remind teenagers to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Skipping meals does not help with weight loss and it might keep them from getting all the nutrients they need.

6). Encourage teenagers to choose an activity they enjoy and to exercise for at least 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week.

Parents are a role-model for chidlren. Live the life you want your children to adapt. So health of your children is in your hands. Sometimes it may be hard to believe that teenagers will grow up into individuals who will make good decisions about their nutrition and activity choices; however, your nutrition education efforts will go a long way toward helping them achieve that.

A good start is to encourage the child to eat a variety of foods, as suggested in the Dietary Guidelines for that age group. The idea is to get the nutrients the body needs, by choosing a variety of foods from each of these groups: 1). Vegetables 2). Fruits 3). Breads, cereals, rice, pasta 4). Milk, yogurt, cheese