Nutrition

Nutritional Needs

•Calcium and iron are important ▫From toddlers to teenagers

•Special dietary needs for teenagers:▫This is a time of growth spurts

20% of adult height 50% of adult weight

Teenagers and Calcium

•Teenagers need calcium to build strong bones

•The osteoporosis connection…▫Why talk about this in a child & adolescent

health class??

Osteoporosis

•1 of every 2 American women will get osteoporosis after the age of 65.

•Why worry about teenagers?▫Less than half of teenagers get enough

calcium in their diet. For girls – about 15% get enough calcium.

The teenage years are the time to build strong bones

Soda consumption & Osteoporosis•Girls who drank soft drinks: 3x more

likely to have a bone fracture▫Physically active girls: 5x more likely to

have a bone fracture

▫Why? Phosphoric acid Less calcium consumption

Who is at risk?

•Those who do not get enough calcium

•Females•Those with high soft drink consumption

•Those who do not exercise

•Caucasians and Asians

•Family history•Smoking•Alcohol

Prevention

•Eating calcium-rich foods▫Dairy products, calcium-fortified orange

juice, leafy green vegetables, canned salmon or tuna

▫May need a calcium supplement•Weight-bearing exercises•Limit soft drink consumption•Don’t smoke

•Notice anything about this list?

“Selling” it to teenagers

•Make it beneficial in the short term▫May need to relate it to body image

“Calcium will help you grow taller” “Do you know those older people that are

stooped over?”

Eating Disorders

Teenagers & Eating Disorders• Girls 15 – 19 years old:

▫Account for 40% of new anorexia cases every year.

▫There has been a rise in anorexia among this age group every decade since 1930!

• Bulimia:▫The incidences of bulimia have tripled among

10-39 year-olds from 1988 to 1993

• Most of those with anorexia or bulimia do NOT receive adequate care.

Teenagers & Dieting

•Over ½ half of teenage girls and 1/3 of teen boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors. ▫ (Neumark-Sztainer, 2005)

▫These behaviors include: Skipping meals Fasting Smoking cigarettes to control weight Vomiting Taking laxatives

Anorexia Nervosa• Self-starvation

▫Essential nutrients are denied (no or little food) so the body slows down all normal processes to conserve energy.

• Health consequences▫Low blood pressure / heart rate▫Muscle loss / weakness▫Dehydration▫Fainting / fatigue▫Dry hair and skin

•90-95% are female so, 5-10% are male.•Similar characteristics:

▫Preoccupied with weight Males may have preoccupation with body

building, weight lifting or toning.▫Compulsive exercise▫Frequently weighing oneself▫Distorted body image

Bulimia Nervosa

•Typically a binge – purge method▫Binge – secret periods of quickly eating

high-calorie dense foods.▫Purge – more than the typical vomiting.

•80% are female•Health consequences:

▫Irregular heartbeat = heart failure = death.

▫Tooth decay▫Ulcers

Signs and Symptoms (Anorexia & Bulemia)• Weight loss• No or irregular

periods• Fatigue• Decreased

concentration• Stress fractures• Muscle injuries• Low heart rate/BP• Heart irregularities• May even have chest

pain

• Continued dieting • Preoccupation with

food/weight• Frequent trips to

bathroom during and after meals

• Using laxatives• Brittle nails/hair• Dental cavities• Sensitivity to cold

Prevention

•Look at your own beliefs, attitudes, behaviors about food, weight, body image, physical appearance and exercise.

•Open communication•Healthy modeling. (setting a good example)•Critical thinking•Exercise should equal feeling better not

looking better.•Don’t use food as a reward or punishment

More information

•“Dying to be thin” www.pbs.org▫Nova program