How can adults who parent or counsel busy adolescents help them to eat well?

Answer 1

During adolescence, food habits change for the worse, and adolescents often miss out on nutrients they need. Few teens choose sufficient whole grains, for example, which help support adequate nutrient intakes and reduce chronic disease risk. Teens may begin to skip breakfast; choose less milk, fruits, juices, and vegetables; and consume more soft drinks each day. Skipping breakfast and consuming an unhealthy diet low in milk, fruits, and vegetables and high in sugar-sweetened beverages may bear a relationship to weight gain and higher BMI values. Ideally, the adult becomes a gatekeeper, controlling the type and availability of food in the teenager's environment. In reality, in many households today, all the adults work outside the home, and teens perform many of the gatekeeper's roles, such as shopping for groceries or choosing fast foods or prepared foods. The gatekeeper can help the teenager choose wisely by delivering nutrition information at "teachable moments.". Teens prone to weight gain will often open their ears to news about calories in fast foods. Athletic teens may best attend to information about meal timing and sports performance. Still others are fascinated to learn of the skin's need for vitamins. The gatekeeper must set a good example, keep lines of communication open, and stand by with plenty of nourishing food and reliable nutrition information, but the rest is up to the teens themselves. Ultimately, they make the choices.