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Introduction
Adolescence is a unique period of dynamic change which you may refer to as “Growing Up“. In this period not only will a boy or girl attain physiological maturity, but the adolescent also becomes increasingly independent and tries to be an adult. This period in an individual’s life lasts nearly a decade. It is a critical period since development of the individual occurs at the Physiological, Psychological and Social Levels.
Between the years 12 and 19 or what we term as teenage years, the adolescent grows to adult height and also matures sexually. You may be referring to any boy/girl between 12 to 19 years as a teenager. Scientists also call this period adolescence. What does the term “Adolescence” mean? Is it different from puberty?
Let Us Understand Both These Terms
Adolescence is the time period that begins with the onset of puberty. At the end of adolescence, the individual has functional reproductive organs and has attained final physical growth i.e., will not grow any further. Puberty or pubescence begins with the appearance of secondary sex characteristics. In girls, you can perceive this as development of the breast, beginning of the menstrual period. In boys, you will find development of the genitals, appearance of the facial hair. In both sexes, hair begins to grow in the under arms. Basically at the end of puberty sexual reproduction becomes possible. Adolescence follows puberty and ends with the completion of physical growth at maturity. Thus, at adolescence, a girl is capable of bearing a child. During the teenage years, you will find that the difference between sexes and between individuals of the same sex become more pronounced.
An important aspect to remember is that no other age group is as concerned about their bodies or is as sensitive and hurt by criticisms as is an adolescent. All these factors sometimes may lead to the adolescent having a distorted view of himself/herself. Our concern is that often he/she may not make appropriate food choices, thus compromising optimal growth. Bear in mind that if the growth of a teenager is not as good as it should be, it is going to affect his/her future health as an adult.
Physical Growth And Puberty
In this post our concern is to learn about nutritional requirements of the adolescent and to understand the problems of adolescence as they affect nutritional status. Observe children between 10 and 14 years of age in your neighborhood. You will see that these children grow very fast. Suddenly they have become very tall and put on some weight. They begin to look like adults. Growth proceeds very fast, in terms of both weight and height, and the growth spurt precedes menarche in girls and spermatogenesis in boys. Actually, you demarcate this more easily in girls because they start menstruating [Have Their Monthly Periods]. After this growth spurt, growth continues but at a diminished rate.
Remember that the velocity of physical growth in adolescence is second only to the rate of growth during infancy.
Up to 9 or 10 years you know that boys and girls increase in weight and height at the same rate although girls [Sometimes] may be slightly bigger and heavier.
Puberty begins about 2 to 2½ years earlier in girls than in boys. Thus temporarily, at the same age, you will see that girls are taller than boys and will have more muscle mass. After the growth spurt, i.e., approximately 9 to 12 months after the increase in height menarche occurs.
During this period, boys develop more muscle and their skeleton enlarges. At the end of adolescence, girls will have more fat and less muscle mass than boys.
In this age span, height may increase by as much as 18 to 39 cm in girls and 21 to 45 cm in boys. However the growth spurt may extend for 8 to 9 years in some children and only 5 years for others. You can see peak velocity [How Fast They Grow] around 14 years of age in boys. Girls will show peak increases at 12 to 13 years of age.
Nutrient Requirements And Allowances
Remember this period of growth is less predictable than at other ages, i.e., some teenagers may have their growth spurt at 11-12 years of age and others at 14 years. Remember that requirements will now be determined by sex. Even within the same sex, age, stage of puberty and growth rate are all important factors which will determine the nutritional requirements of adolescents. Recommended allowances of the Indian Council of Medical Research are based on Chronological age. Adolescence is divided into 2 age groups: 13 to 15 years and 16 to 18 years.
When you feed an adolescent, remember that food and nutrient needs are going to be proportionately higher during the growth spurt.
Not only must you include enough cereals and protein containing foods like dals or milk, meat/fish/egg but also leafy vegetables and other fruits and vegetables are very important. Include these foods because they provide minerals like calcium which is important for development of bones and iron for blood formation in addition to vitamins A and C.
During the adolescent growth spurt [For 18 To 24 Months], when the growth rate is at its maximum, the nutritional requirements of the teenager may be twice as much as during the rest of the adolescent period.
Nutrient requirements of course will parallel their growth. However energy requirements as you already know will depend upon the amount of activity the teenager is involved in.
During this period the need for all minerals increases but three of them are particularly important – Calcium [For Increased Skeletal Mass], Iron [For The Expansion Of Blood Volume] and Zinc [For The Development Of Sexual Organs And Generation Of New Skeletal And Muscular Tissue]. Calcium is required for skeletal development. Girls need more Iron than boys because of Iron losses in blood during menstruation. Like all other nutrients, vitamin intake is also essential for growth.
The best way you can determine whether the teenager is receiving sufficient nutrition is to see whether he/she is growing well, see whether he/she is eating a well balanced diet and whether he/she feels healthy and has stamina. If a teenager is constantly falling ill or feels tired continuously, you must worry. This is something that applies to people of any age group, does it not?
Remember that the teenager is still growing. Make sure that the teenager has a good breakfast before he/she goes to school.
Give them a good nutritious packed lunch. Good, attractive and tasty dishes made at home are more useful for a teenager’s body. Often teenagers may feel like eating in the canteen of the college or with friends in a hotel. Impress upon them about making correct food choices.
Factor Influencing Adolescents And Intake
Food intake of adolescents tends to vary more than those of younger children. Many of them may skip meals. This you will see more among girls who are figure conscious. Remember that this is also the age when the teenagers will be away from home for a long time during the day, in the company of friends either at school or for extra curricular activities. Thus, the family may not be able to influence the adolescents’ food choices as much as it would for a younger child. You may find that food habits change during this time, although the change may be temporary. It is only when the parents are too rigid and authoritarian that the adolescent may use the food as an excuse to rebel. In spite of all this, you must remember that the family still strongly influences the food habits of adolescents.
Adolescents want to be part of the group, to be liked by their peers. Also eating becomes an important form of recreation and socialization just as it does for you and other adults. Adolescents are also impressionable.
Media like television, radio, magazines, newspapers, etc., expose the adolescent to a wide variety of views. What is important to remember is that the sole purpose of advertisements is to entice, grab attention and persuade the customer to buy the products. Dietary aids, chocolates, snacks, soft drinks, etc. all become popular because the advertisements take advantage of the teenager’s need for self-esteem and their desire to be attractive and popular.
Often, therefore, you may find that a teenager misses breakfast and/or lunch and chooses foods which may provide a lot more calories than they do other nutrients.
Girls, especially, may reduce their food intake because they want to be slim. Very often their diet may not provide enough calcium, iron, vitamin C and vitamin A.
Problems Of Adolescence That Might Affect Nutritional Status
Obesity: One problem is that an unbalanced diet which consists of foods which give mainly calories may lead to obesity. If a teenager is overweight, he/she may be made fun of by his/her friends. Thus it may affect the psychological and social maturation of the adolescent. Not only that, but you know that obesity eventually will alter metabolic function and lead to elevation of blood pressure and of blood levels of triglycerides, glucose. etc., placing the person at a greater risk of having heart disease, when he becomes an adult.
Some adolescents, especially girls, resort to ‘Crash Diets‘ or Semi Starvation in order to lose weight. Obviously such diets will lead to inadequate intake of essential nutrients i.e., vitamins and minerals. Thus, many teenage girls may be anemic because on the one hand they need more iron and on the other they are not taking enough.
Sports: Those who participate in sports and athletics must meet their energy needs. Most of them, you may observe, will eat enough to fill their stomach. They may consume a particular food more, although there is no rational basis for it.
You must impress upon the teenager, the need for eating foods from all food groups. Remember, it is not too late to change faulty eating habits. Poor eating habits can affect one’s health for a lifetime.
Water intake should not be reduced. If the teenager drinks too little water, it will put stress on the cardiovascular system and may also lead to kidney problems.
Acne: Adolescents of both sexes, as you know, dread pimples and the problems of a poor complexion. In fact you will see that teenage acne is subject to many fads and fallacies regarding their causes and treatment. Very often teenagers may stop eating fried food or sweet foods, etc. because they think it causes acne. This, in itself, may not be a problem. But beware of their stopping other nutritious foods. Also they can eat a small amount of fried and sweet foods. It should do no harm.
The real cause is that the sebaceous glands which produce oil and lubricate the skin, are under hormonal control. In puberty, hormone production increases greatly, leading to acne. Remember, there is no rationale for recommending a specific diet or restricting certain foods to prevent or to cure acne. The best thing is to have a well balanced diet and combine it with good skin care.
Alcohol: Teenagers may take alcohol for fun in the company of friends. What they must take care of is that should not become an addiction. Alcohol is not a food. Moreover it adversely affects appetite and nutritional status of an addict.
Diabetes: Please be aware that diabetes among children or teenagers is quite rare. However, you may be acquainted with some adolescent who has juvenile diabetes. If a teenager is diabetic, you have to take great care so that while you provide enough nutrients for growth, you also keep the diabetes under control.
A diabetic adolescent must be given insulin and it is important that you provide him/her with a normal and nutritionally adequate diet. See that the diet is satisfying and flexible enough. If you have too rigid a schedule, the teenager will find it very hard to adhere to it. There are four important principles of diet planning you must advise a diabetic adolescent about:
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- Meals and snacks should be eaten at regular times.
- Foods high in sugar should not be eaten in large quantities.
- Limit the amount of cholesterol rich foods and saturated fats.
- Avoid Fasting.
Pregnancy: Very often especially among those families who are not financially well off, girls are married when they are in their teens. As a result many adolescent girls might become pregnant.
In Nutrition Through The Life Cycle – Pregnancy And Foetal Growth have been given all the information about nutritional needs during pregnancy. Ensure that a pregnant teenager has enough food for her own and her baby’s growth.
You may encounter adolescents who suffer from other health problems like asthma, atherosclerosis etc. For each of these conditions you must take adequate and appropriate care under a doctor’s guidance so that there will be no detrimental effects on his/her health on a long-term basis.
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Nutrition Through The Life Cycle – Pregnancy And Foetal Growth
Nutrition Through The Life Cycle – Infancy
Nutrition Through The Life Cycle – Preschool Age
Nutrition Through Life Cycle – The School Age
