Describe the importance of iron and calcium intake during adolescence

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The need for iron increases during adolescence for both females and males, but for different reasons. Iron needs increase for females as they start to lose blood through menstruation and for males as their lean body mass develops. Hence the RDA increases at age 14 for both males and females. For females, the RDA remains high into late adulthood. For males, the RDA returns to preadolescent values in early adulthood.
In addition, iron needs increase when the adolescent growth spurt begins, whether that occurs before or after age 14. Therefore, boys in a growth spurt need an additional 2.9 milligrams of iron per day above the RDA for their age; girls need an additional 1.1 milligrams per day.
Furthermore, iron recommendations for girls before age 14 do not reflect the iron losses of menstruation. The average age of menarche (first menstruation) in the United States is 12.5 years. Therefore, for girls younger than the age of 14 who have started to menstruate, an additional 2.5 milligrams of iron per day is recommended. Thus the RDA for iron depends not only on age and gender but also on whether the individual is in a growth spurt or has begun to menstruate.
Iron intakes often fail to keep pace with increasing needs, especially for females, who typically consume fewer iron-rich foods such as meat and fewer total kcalories than males. Not surprisingly, iron deficiency is most prevalent among adolescent girls. Iron-deficient children and teens score lower on standardized tests than those who are not iron deficient.
Adolescence is a crucial time for bone development, and the requirement for calcium reaches its peak during these years. Unfortunately, many adolescents, especially females, have calcium intakes below recommendations. Low calcium intakes during times of active growth, especially if paired with physical inactivity, can compromise the development of peak bone mass, which is considered the best protection against adolescent fractures and adult osteoporosis. Increasing milk and milk products in the diet to meet calcium recommendations greatly increases bone density. Once again, however, teenage girls are most vulnerable because their milk—and therefore their calcium—intakes begin to decline at the time when their calcium needs are greatest. Furthermore, women have much greater bone losses than men in later life. In addition to dietary calcium, physical activity causes bones to grow stronger. Because some high schools do not require students to participate in physical education classes, however, many adolescents are not as physically active as healthy bones demand.