Eating Problems to Watch Out for

Parents can’t monitor everything their teens eat, but it is worth looking out for a few key behaviors.

Meal skipping

One out of every four adolescents skips breakfast; this habit can influence intellectual performance and overall diet quality. Says 15-year-old Samantha B. from Waltham, MA, “I didn’t eat breakfast for a long time because I wasn’t hungry in the morning, but I would snack all night long. I started eating breakfast before school last year and now I don’t snack at night very much.” Teens need regular meals and snacks and shouldn’t go more than three to four hours without eating.

Constant dieting or preoccupation with weight loss

Most parents probably wish their teens ate a little healthier, but, as with most things, healthy eating or staying slim can be taken to an extreme. A preoccupation with weight loss can get in the way of school work or social activities and can have detrimental effects on a teen’s self image. Extreme dieting should be strongly discouraged.

Frequent fast food

There is no such thing as a “bad” food—only an unhealthy balance of foods. If your teen’s diet is mostly made up of burgers, fries, and pizza, the balance is way off. When fast food is more than an occasional treat, even a healthy balance of food at other meals may not be able to offset the sugar, salt, and trans-fat load from the fast food meals.

Drinking soda and juice

Sugary drinks are associated with health problems, such as obesity and diabetes, during the teen years and later in life. “I thought juice was healthy because it’s made from fruit,” says 16-year-old Kayla G. from Waterford, MI. One cup of juice or soda has the equivalent of seven teaspoons of sugar in it. A 20-ounce bottle has the equivalent of 17 teaspoons. David Ludwig, a pediatrician and endocrinologist at Children’s Hospital, Boston, Associate Professor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and author of Ending the Food Fight agrees. “Eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages. This is a no brainer, many kids can get rid of hundreds of empty calories a day this way. Substitute water, flavored waters, teas, 100% fruit juice (1 cup per day max) and milk (1 or 2%).”

Unusual weight loss or gain

Weight gain during the teen years is healthy and necessary, although slow weight loss in overweight teens that make dietary or exercise changes may be desirable. Unexpected weight changes, however, are a red flag. There are many causes of unusual weight loss or gain such as depression, eating disorders, and thyroid disease.

It’s Never Too Late for a Nutrition Tune-Up

Effective strategies for improving nutrition don’t involve telling your teen what to eat or not to eat—subtle approaches are more likely to have a positive influence.

• Make family meals a priority

“Have a family dinner together as often as possible,” recommends David Ludwig, MD,PhD. “This is your chance to ensure the nutritional quality of at least one meal each day, and at the same time model healthy eating.” Certainly the benefit of healthy meals goes well beyond nutrition. A study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health in 2006 found that teens who eat family dinners frequently are less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as substance abuse, sexual activity, violence, and binge eating/purging.

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