Nutritional Needs vs. Real Life
The "perfect" diet most likely does not exist, yet many people of all ages could benefit by improving their food choices. And, for teenagers (and children), an inadequate diet can lead to difficulty in achieving optimal growth and development and can contribute to lifelong health-related problems.
"Ideally, the teen years are a time of growth that is fueled by good nutrition. Ironically, the nutrients that teens often lack are the most important ones for this period," noted Sheah Rarback, R.D., spokesperson for The American Dietetic Association. According to Ms. Rarback, calcium, iron and zinc are of particular concern in the teen diet. "Teens who don't get enough calcium are putting their bones at risk later in life," she added. "In addition, both boys and girls need more iron during the teen years to support increasing muscle mass and a larger blood supply-and girls need to be aware that they lose iron with their monthly period." Ms. Rarback also noted evidence indicating that many teens have low consumption of zinc, which is important for optimal development and sexual maturation during the rapid growth period of adolescence.
So, where do teens' diets fall short? As in the adult population, teens generally have little variety in their diets, eat high amounts of fat and tend to take in fewer nutrient-dense foods. Also, fruit and vegetable consumption is lagging among teens. According to the 1997 National Risk Behavior Survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), just over 29 percent of students surveyed had eaten the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables during the day preceding the survey.
