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•Important of good food habits during adolescence age.
Adolescence is the stage between childhood and adulthood and comprises the teenage years from thirteen to nineteen. It is a period of rapid growth up to 45% of skeletal growth, 15to 25% of adult height and nearly 40% of bone mass development takes place. Sexual maturation too takes place during this period, accompanied by hormonal changes and wide swings in emotion. Adolescent growth starts at about 10-12 years in girls and a couple of years later in boys. It is not surprising then,that nutrition needs are greatest during this stage of life . Lack of proper nutrition can delay growth, affect health and also make a person to chronic disease later in life.
Faulty nutritional habits during adolescence can result in irreversible changes to the body. Girls are particularly at risk because in several countries like India they are subjected to gender discrimination and recieve a less nutritious diet compared to boys. Further, it is common for girls in india, especially in villages and those belonging to the lower strata of society, to get married at a tender age and bear children even before they complete twenty years of age. Malnutrition in these teenage mothers leads to higher risk of maternal morality and complications during delivery such as premature birth, stillbirth and low birth weight of the new born. A strong focus on improvement in nutritional and health status of adolescent girls and boys is , therefore, essential for a healthy society. Adolescence is the right time to inculcate good food and excercise habits which contribute to food health.
Nutritious food is essential for the sustenance of life. Each type of food gives us energy which can be measured in calories. Adolescence need about 2000-2500calories per day, depending on their weight, build, type of activities and work that they do. Boys need more calories than girls. Those doing intensive physical work need more calories than someone who does not. We should adopt a diet which provides all the essential nutrients in the required amounts, taking into account factors like age, gender and physical activity . This is called a balanced diet.
Lower consumption of required nutrients over a period of time leads to under -nutrition is called malnutrition. At the same time it should be realised that excessive consumption of nutrients too is unhealthy and leads to over-nutrition. It is a relatively new phenomenon in India and is jokingly referred to as a disease of affluence. Teenagers coming fro rich families, especially in urban areas, regularly consume 'fast foods' like burgers and pizzas which are over loaded with in healthy fats . They neglect to eat healthy food, do not get adequate excercise, put on a lot of weight and become obese. Obesity in turn brings with it a host of problems including increased risk of diseases like hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes and osteoporosis (thinning of bones).
