Healthy Eating for Teenagers
Recovering From Eating Disorders and Structured Meal Plans
Jan 27, 2009
Known as the "set point", teenagers without eating disorders will eat more or less as their body tells them; it is a peculiarity of ones' genes, an inherited trait. As long as normal eating is pursued, the set point will do its job. If normal eating patterns turn abnormal, over time the set point will fail to work, as the body's regulatory system tries to compensate for the increase or lack of food substances. [1].
Food Guide
Generally, three balanced meals a day with a couple of snacks is the guide with all food groups included:
- Grains (5-12 servings a day);
- Vegetables and fruits (5-10 servings a day);
- Dairy (3-4 servings a day); and,
- Meat and alternatives (2-3 servings a day). [2].
"There are six groups of nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, protein, water, vitamins and minerals. Each has its own function and all are needed to maintain good health." [3].
Healthy Eating Attitudes
For a child/teenager to develop healthy eating attitudes the role modeling behavior of parents is crucial. If parents' lifestyles embody severe dieting plans, and critical assessments of physical attributes, there is a greater risk that the children in the family may develop an unhealthy attitude towards eating ultimately giving permission for an eating disorder to develop. However, if the parents role model flexible eating patterns and place value on the internal person rather than the external person, the likelihood of an eating disorder to develop is decreased.
Solid parental role modeling for children gives them the guidelines they will internalize as they mature. Of course this is just one aspect of parental role modeling.
Teenage Girls and Boys
Girls' bodies throughout their teenage years will be adding on fat. It is necessary for health. Boys, will be increasing blood supply and muscle mass. Satisfying amounts of healthy foods are absolutely necessary during this time period for both genders.
This is an especially crucial time period for growing bone mass. Scrimping on needed calcium can result in developing osteoporosis (bone loss), later in life.
Structured Meals Recovering From Eating Disorder(s)
Teenagers recovering from an eating disorder, especially, if the condition has continued for a period of time, may have upset their own regulatory system. That is, their bodies may not tell them when they are hungry or satisfied from eating. Additionally, they may have forgotten what normal eating is. Since a teenager's eating patterns can be erratic to begin with, it will take structure to help a recovering teenager learn how to eat again.
This structure is relatively basic:
- Sticking to a timely structure, such as three meals and a couple of snacks a day;
- Eating at a set time with the family;
- Prohibit calorie counting;
- Prohibit scales;
- Prohibit diet products;
- Choose nutritious foods as well as enjoyable foods;
- Change attitudes, that is, not identifying foods as allowed and prohibited, but identifying eating behaviors as allowed and too restrictive;
- Increase food choices slowly, not all at once; and,
- Allow for set backs and slip ups.
Finally, for parents and teenagers, it is important to accept that, there is no one weight for all teenagers. Appropriate weight is determined by the size and shape of the body. If there are questions, probably best to make an appointment with the family physician.
Sources
[1,2,3].Deborah K. Katzman, M.D.,FRCP(C), Leora Pinhas, M.D., FRCP(C),Help fpr Eating Disorders A Parents' Guide to Symptoms, Causes and Treatments, Robert Rose, Inc., 120 Eglinton Ave. E., Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2., no date of publication. pgs. 184-186, 196.
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