Nutrition

Today’s topic in our adolescent corner is about Nutrition and the health of young people. The following data is truly eye opening and worth mentioning to every parent and teenager:

• Research suggests that not having breakfast can affect children’s intellectual performance.
• The percentage of young people who eat breakfast decreases with age; while 92% of children ages 6–11 eat breakfast, only 77% of adolescents ages 12–19 eat breakfast.
• Hunger and food insufficiency in children are associated with poor behavioral and academic functioning.
• The prevalence of overweight children aged 6-11 years has more than doubled in the past 20 years and among adolescents aged 12-19 it has more than tripled.
• Overweight children and adolescents are more likely to become overweight or obese adults; one study showed that children who became obese by age 8 were more severely obese as adults.
• Conditions of overweight and obesity, influenced by poor diet and inactivity, are significantly associated with an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, joint problems, and poor health
• Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult onset diabetes, has become increasingly prevalent among children and adolescents as rates of overweight and obesity rise.
• A CDC study estimated that one in three American children born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.
• Early indicators of atherosclerosis, the most common cause of heart disease, begin as early as childhood and adolescence.
• Atherosclerosis is related to high blood cholesterol levels, which are associated with poor dietary habits.

This data was adapted from the CDC (Center of Disease Control and Prevention) website

Please contact our office and make an appointment if you have concerns or question regarding your adolescent’s nutritional health.