Health Considerations for Teenagers and Adults

Healthy Eating Starts With Teenagers

Adolescence is a time of rapid growth and the main dietary need is for energy which is evident due to an increased in appetite. It goes without saying that the foods contributing to dietary energy should be conform to the healthy eating principles.

Many teenagers, however, don’t seems to be aware of the importance of following a healthy diet and the average consumption of sugars and fat among this group is high while their consumption of starchy carbohydrates and fiber is low. In the short term this may not do them any harm, but continuing to eat too much sugar and far and too little carbohydrates and fiber will become a problem  once they become young adults.  The key nutrient for teenagers are iron and calcium so it’s important to make sure they are getting enough by consuming plenty of lean red meat or, if vegetarian, milk and dairy products everyday. Teenagers need to be encouraged to choose a variety of food and develop healthy eating habits

Health Considerations for Teenagers

1. Drink about 8 glasses of water or fluid a day
2. Eat a healthy breakfast
3. Do regular exercise, which is important for overall fitness and cardiovascular health
4. Avoid alcohol as much as possible.

Staying Fit As Adults

This happens from time to time –  last year’s clothes feels tighter and the number on the weighing scale goes higher. The lack of discipline munching away on tidbits, countless nights spent on partying and drinking, long hours at a work and no time to work out, and forgotten New Year’s resolutions have taken their toll.

As age creeps, we face an inevitable drop in metabolism coupled with inattention to nutrition and physical activity, with each passing year, many adults gain weight.

It turns out that age-related weight gain is largely due to a huge decrease in calories burned. While lower intensities of physical activity play a big role, age-related decline in metabolic rate is also to blame in the decreased energy expenditure.

A study on total energy expenditure reveals that the sum of calories burned from the basal metabolic rate (BMR) confirmed what most people have suspected – energy expenditure decreases with age.

Basal metabolic rate, which accounts for about 50 to 70 percent of total energy expenditure, decreases about 1-2 percent per decade. This means that after a person passes 20 years old, the daily energy expenditure decreases about 150 calories per decade. This decline is due to steady increase in fat mass and gradual decrease in muscle mass. Some studies have also found that, even when controlling for fat-free mass, BMR is five percent lower in older compared with younger adults. The decline seems to be most rapid after 40 years old in men and 50 years old in women.

In summary, our ability to burn calories everyday decreases with age – this reality is widely accepted. The age-related decline in energy expenditure is largely due to decreased metabolic rate which is a direct result of increased fat mass and decreased lean mass coupled with lower levels of physical activity.

Heath Considerations for Adults

1. Choose snack based on vegetables, fruits, cereal, low fat milk rather than potato chips, biscuits and pastries.
2. Choose lean meat and avoid meat with excessive fats- trim them away
3. Use less fats in your cooking – grill, boil, steam as an alternative
4. When using fats choose vegetable oil which is high in mono-unsaturated fat such as olive oil
5. Eat less processed meat like sausages and luncheon meat
6. Avoid taking food with too much sugar.