How to Guide Your Teen Dieters

Some teenagers think of food as an enemy. But they may be surprised to learn that choosing the right food and getting ample exercise mean they can look better and feel terrific.

Studies have shown that dieting and worrying about weight are almost constant issues in the lives of many teen-age girls. And boys trying either to gain weight or sneak under a weight limit for sports also may indulge in bizarre eating patterns.

Although an occasional missed meal won't do any harm, the prolonged use of crash weight-loss diets lead to poor health, and for a few, such life-threatening disorders as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Anorexia nervosa, usually seen in teenage girls, results in severe weight loss brought on by voluntary starvation. Bulimia refers to repeated binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting. Anorexics have a skeleton-like appearance; bulimics are usually of normal weight.

Why does dieting get out of hand with teens?

Adolescents are searching for independence, self-identity and peer approval. The peer group - not Mom and Dad - defines what is socially acceptable, what is cool. Teens share ideas - often ineffective and sometimes dangerous - about how to conquer calories. They also get messages from society. Advertisers take advantage of adolescents' desire to be attractive, popular and sexually appealing. Female role models in particular are super-thin, setting an example that many girls can never achieve. But they try.

Many teens shun calories until they can't stand it anymore, then they binge, then they feel guilty and starve - until they can't stand it anymore and are so overwhelmingly hungry that they binge, and the cycle repeats itself.

When I was a teen I knew nothing about dieting. I saw myself getting flabby, and I thought I had to but I didn't know how to do it I just kept on trying the latest fad diet, feeling guilty over every calorie, always feeling sorry for myself and 'deprived.' And the worst part is, with all my crazy dieting I never lost any weight.

Teens should get in touch with their own personal reasons for fad dieting, overeating, not eating and not eating well.

Adolescence can be bewildering for both parents and the teenagers themselves. Rapid growth, the desire for independence, the influence of peers and preoccupation with appearance are just a few of the characteristics teens exhibit. All of these can affect nutrition. And while the adolescent thinks about now, parents are concerned about the future as well.

In addition to limiting calories, teens make poor choices when they snack or sit down to a meal. Nutrient needs are high, and calcium and iron are often missing from their diets in adequate amounts. For example, strong bones built from generous calcium intakes during adolescence can reduce the risk of osteoporosis in later years. But teenage girls tend to drink less milk- just when they should be drinking more.

Adolescents always seem to be in a hurry, making fast foods and other convenience items popular. This can cause excesses of sugar, fat, cholesterol and sodium. If these eating habits persist into adulthood, they could increase risk of heart disease and some types of cancer.But teens feel these are problems of old age that they will think about later - when they are 30, and their lives slow down. Teenagers feel they are invulnerable and will live forever.

If you are seeing the beginning of some not very smart dieting decisions by your teen, sometimes a word to the wise may be enough. Then again, maybe it isn't. Many parents assume this behavior is "just a phase" and that this will pass just like other aspects of teenage conduct.

If the dieting has progressed to the point where bulky clothes are worn to hide bones that stick out all over, or an odor of vomit can sometimes be noted around a teen, or if the teen immediately leaves the table to disappear into the bathroom after any meal or snack (especially if the knuckles are worn and red from possible induced vomiting), take immediate protective action. Take the child to a doctor or go to a hospital.

Fortunately, dieting doesn't go this far with most teens. But what can a parent do without preaching and

cajoling?

Don't ever mention a weight problem. Just do all the right things: Have healthy snacks handy. Keep the family involved in lots of activities. Don't plan all celebrations around food. Go for hikes and family swims. And don't be foolish about 'mealtimes'. For a teen, the hunger at 4 can be just as strong as any hunger that might be felt at a 'mealtime' such as 6.

Source:

Coping With Diet Fads by June Kozak Kane ( Jan 1990)