How to motivate teens to eat healthy
Breaking bad habits
A teen's eating habits often change significantly during their high school years as they experience more responsibilities, like part-time jobs; and new freedoms, like dating and getting a driver's license. These can influence personal decisions about when, where and what teens eat.
Adolescents' food choices are often influenced by social pressures to achieve cultural ideals of thinness, demonstrate athletic prowess, gain peer acceptance, or assert independence from parental authority.
Help your child determine why he or she eats too much - some teens eat when bored, frustrated, worried or depressed.
In 1999, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation recognized obesity as an emerging issue and initiated ongoing consumer research targeting "tweens" (children between the ages of 9 and 12) and their parents, with the goals of better understanding attitudes, perceptions and behaviors about health.
Being healthy is for nerds (not)
The research found that kids and parents both relate obesity to food more than to physical activity. In addition, kids relate weight to performance and appearance, but not to health. Kids are not sure what "being fit" means and don't sustain interest in concepts like "nutrition," "physical activity," or "healthy eating." To kids, "healthy" brings to mind somewhat negative images of being required to eat fruits and vegetables or being deprived of their favorite foods. Being healthy equals "rules."
In addition, kids want "small victories" to sustain their interest and build self-esteem and ideas for physical activity beyond organized sports. They want ongoing parental guidance and emotional support.
Parents take off blinders
Research with parents found they do not see overweight as a health issue for their kids-they believe their child will outgrow the problem. They also fear that bringing attention to the problem will cause eating disorders. Parents feel they lack the information and skills to address the issue with their kids.
It helps to tell your child why he or she should care about health, giving reasons like feeling good, looking good, getting stronger and doing well in school or sports.
For older children, parents also should explain that healthy eating and being active now may help prevent diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke, and some forms of cancer when you are older. Even small changes will make a difference.
What teens eat
Teens tend to consume too few servings of food groups supplying iron, calcium, vitamin A and beta-carotene to ensure adequate intake of these nutrients. Many students did not eat fruits and vegetables.
Nutritionists also are reporting an increase in the number of teens they counsel who have become vegetarians. In addition to iron and calcium, such diets are at risk of being deficient in protein, calcium and zinc. Thus, it's important that both vegetarian teens and their parents seek dietary advice from a registered dietician. Call 414-326-1745 or 262-512-2880 to find a registered dietitian.
