Adolescence is the rapid development stage of human beings as the transitional age between childhood and adulthood. Youth stage is at the age of 13 years and 19 years. The Adolescent stage is considered the time for disorientation and self-discovery. Disorientation is the stage in which the biological maturity makes notable changes to the body and precedes the psychological maturity. Biological maturity is the development of the body organs associated with the reproductive and hormonal development (World Health Organization, n.d). The adolescent also changes in the body orientation, especially the shape, height, and body mass. The significance in the biological maturity is significant and has health consequence but develops more consequently during the adulthood. Psychological maturity at the adolescent stage is the emotional challenges because of the sexual development has impacted their emotional maturity. Many teenagers being at the discovery stage make impulsive decision influenced by the peers and media (American Psychological Association, 2009)
Adolescence needs high food requirement in calcium, iron and adequate protein diet to support the growth because it is a stage of rapid growth both physically and emotionally. The total nutritional needs are higher at this stage than any time of the human lifecycle. However, teenagers eating habits always influenced by the peers and media which causes nutritional challenges associated with the stage. Teenagers during the adolescent stage have a common dietary challenge like unhealthy eating habits, under-nutrition and micronutrients deficiency. Many of the teens in America have an unhealthy dietary pattern that puts them at the risk of health development. The diets usually consist taking high-calorie snacks, meal skipping and irregular eating habits. Healthy snacks can be considered necessary because of the high energy requirement, but there is the concern to take high-calorie foods found in fast foods which should be discouraged during the life cycle. Females at this stage have self-image and body weight fears that can lead them to faulty diet eating practices like skipping meals. The life cycle is a stage of self-discovery, adolescents will be adaptive and curious to create preferences in life other than having healthy eating habits. Deficiency in micronutrients is also known to be a nutritional challenge caused by inadequate dietary intake (“Nutrition Issues in Adolescence," 2015). There is a high need for micronutrients like iron, calcium, and vitamins due to the need for maximum bone growth and strength. Deficiency in calcium rich foods can cause bone fracture and later can cause post-menopausal bone loss. Most of these nutritional challenges can be reversed by having a healthy meal and high intake of micronutrients during the development lifecycle.
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The dietary needs as recommended by nutritionist and doctors can help the development of the adolescents both physically and emotionally. First, adolescents require lots of calories to support rapid growth; males need 2500 – 2900 calories while females require 2200 calories. Proteins are necessary for physical growth and should account for about 15-20% of the total calories. Consumption of too much fat should be limited from eating junk food, and should only diet on more than 30% of calories from total fats and 10% of calories from saturated fat. It will reduce the risk of heart diseases and obesity. Bone development is half of skeletal growth in human development, therefore calcium, about 1300 grams, is needed accompanying by the intake of Vitamin D. Iron of about 8-15 grams per meal intake is necessary especially for females due to iron loss during the monthly cycles (George Mateljan Foundation, n.d).
Adolescents being associated with a rapid growth physically and emotionally should consider having a healthy diet that will enhance a healthy future. There is need to promote the principles of a healthy diet that will ensure the strong development of the body and provide to prevent the escalation of chronic diseases during the adulthood stage.
Reference
American Psychological Association (2009, October 7 th ). While Adolescents May Reason As Well As Adults, Their Emotional Maturity Lags. Author. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2009/10/teen-maturity.aspx
George Mateljan Foundation (n.d). Teenage. World's Healthiest Foods . Retrieved from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=specialneed&dbid=6
“Nutrition Issues in Adolescence” (2015, September 1 st ) Nestle Nutrition Institute . Retrieved from https://www.nestlenutritioninstitute.org/country/za/news/article/2015/09/01/nutrition-issues-in-adolescence
World Health Organization (n.d). Maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health. Author. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/adolescence/development/en/
