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Teens have special nutritional needs. These years are a time of rapid physical
growth, especially in the long bones of the arms and legs, which add height and
body strength. A natural growth in appetite comes along with these changes. The
teen years also are a time to make food choices that set the habits of a lifetime.
Helping teens make good food choices
- Parents should model good eating habits.
- Try to eat meals as a family as often as possible. This also is a great time to
share news about school and friends. Try to avoid arguments during meal times.
- Include all food groups in meals (dairy, vegetables, fruits, meats and grains),
even when eating fast food.
- Never skip meals. Encourage a three-meals-a-day eating pattern.
- Choose healthy snacks that include servings from two food groups.
- Do not eat in front of the TV, while working at the computer or while playing
video games.
Creating a healthier teen
If your teen is overweight, start by developing healthier eating, activity and
communication habits.
- Short-term diets aimed at rapid weight loss are unhealthy and should be
avoided.
- Focus on decreasing high-fat, high-sugar foods, sweetened beverages and
portion sizes.
- Focus on physical activity to increase fitness, improve body tone and boost
self-esteem.
- Avoid negative comments about your teen’s weight.
- If your teen is eating for emotional reasons, such as stress, boredom, sadness or
loneliness, address these issues. Consider assistance from a counselor.
- Decrease watching TV, playing computer or video games and talking on the
phone. Instead, encourage more physical activities like walking or playing a
team game with friends.
- If your teen wants advice on attaining a healthier weight, have him or her talk
with a health care provider about how to improve lifestyle habits.
Understanding overweight
Overweight is extra stored energy. There are many things that contribute to being
overweight. Some of them include:
- Energy imbalance. This means your teen consumes more food than his or her
body needs.
- Genetics. If there are other members of your family who are overweight, there
is an increased chance of your teen being overweight.
- Lifestyle. Leading an inactive lifestyle and not being physically active on a
regular basis contributes to being overweight.
There are two major eating disorders, which may be combined: anorexia
nervosa (self-starvation) and bulimia (binge eating, followed by forced vomiting or
other purging methods).
Signs of an eating disorder
- Becoming very finicky about food or skipping meals.
- Refusing to eat certain foods, especially meat, desserts, milk or foods with fat.
- Becoming very thin, wearing baggy clothing, being cold even in warm weather
or ceasing menstruation.
- Battling over food. Mealtime becoming unpleasant.
- Exercising for several hours every day.
- Denying there is a problem.
See a doctor about any possible eating disorders. These are serious illnesses that
call for treatment by health care professionals.
Nutrition guide: school-aged children and teenagers
 Use MyPyramid.gov when preparing meals for school-age children, teenagers and
yourself.
MyPyramid.gov provides an outline
of what should be eaten daily. It
recommends a range of servings from
each of the five food groups. It also
recommends that fats, oils and sweets
be eaten sparingly.
The number of overweight children and
teens has dramatically increased over
the last 10 years. About 16 percent of
children and adolescents aged 6 to 19
years are considered to be overweight.
Being overweight puts teens at a higher
risk for premature death, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia,
cardiovascular disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, respiratory dysfunction, gout,
osteoarthritis and certain kinds of cancers. In order to reverse this trend, many
Americans need to eat and drink fewer calories, be more active and make wiser
food choices.
If your teen is overweight, your goal should be to reduce the rate of weight gain
while allowing healthy growth. Always consult a health care provider before
placing your child on a weight-loss diet, especially if your child has a chronic
disease and/or is on medication.
In 2003, 38 percent of students in grades 9 to 12 watched at least three hours of
television each day. Children and adolescents should have at least 60 minutes of
physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Resistance exercise,
such as weight training, using weight machines and resistance band workouts,
increases strength and endurance and maintains or increases muscle mass.
Weight-bearing exercise may help girls reduce the risk of osteoporosis by increasing
bone mass while bones are growing.
To maintain a healthy weight, balance calories from foods and beverages with
calories spent. To prevent or reduce gradual weight gain over time, make small
decreases in food and beverage calories and increase physical activity. For
example, eliminating one soda each day will make a noticeable difference over
time.
General guidelines for healthy eating habits
The following recommendations are based on a diet of 2,000 calories a day. The
Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends a 2,000 calorie diet for moderately
active girls ages 14 to 18 and a 2,400 to 2,800 calorie diet for moderately active
boys ages 14 to 18.
- Add more dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole
grains and low-fat milk and milk products.
- Eat less refined grains, fats (especially cholesterol, saturated and trans fats),
added sugars and calories.
- Fruit group: Eat four servings per day. One serving is equal to one-half cup of
frozen or canned fruit, one medium fruit, one-fourth cup of dried fruit or onehalf
cup of fruit juice.
- Vegetable group: Consume five servings per day. One serving is equal to onehalf
cup of cut-up raw or cooked vegetables, one cup raw leafy vegetables or
one-half cup of vegetable juice.
- Grain group: Eat six servings per day. One serving is equal to one slice of bread,
one cup of cereal or one-half cup of cooked rice, pasta or cereal.
- Meat and beans group: Eat five to six servings per day. A serving could include
one ounce of cooked lean meats, poultry or fish; one egg; one-fourth cup
cooked dry beans or tofu; one tablespoon of peanut butter or one-half ounce of
nuts or seeds.
- Dairy group: Include three servings per day. A serving is equal to one cup of
low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt, one-and-one-half ounces of low-fat or fat-free
natural cheese or two ounces of low-fat or fat-free processed cheese. Dairy
foods contain calcium, which is especially important during adolescence.
Studies show that drinking milk and eating other products containing calcium
affects the density of bones. Teens should not avoid milk or dairy foods because
of concerns about weight gain.
- Oils: Use less than six teaspoons per day. Oils include soft margarine, low-fat
mayonnaise, salad dressing and vegetable oil. Sources of healthy fats include
soybean, corn, canola and safflower oils; walnuts and flaxseed; and fish such as
salmon, trout and herring.
Nutrition information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
For additional information, see www.mypyramid.gov.
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