Adolescence is the link between childhood and adulthood. This is the age when physical and hormonal changes take place, causing stress to the body. Nature has designed a human being such that one has a ravenous appetite during adolescence to meet the demands of the growing body. As the child grows, he/she has to study more and participate in more activities, thus requiring more energy. Therefore, the nutritional requirements of an adolescent become different as they grow towards adulthood. 

At this age, children also start becoming fussy about food. They like to go out and eat with friends, thus influencing one another in the choice of food. The net result is that, mostly, they tend to fill their bellies with junk food with no nutritional value.

There are also other issues which hamper the intake of good nutritional food in adolescents. One is the desire to have a pencil-thin figure like that of their favourite model or film star, which leaves many adolescents to avoid eating right and take on crash dieting. This problem is more common with young girls.

In boys, the craze for muscle building may influence food choice. In all this, they are more influenced by peer group advice. These food fads prevent taking nutritional food.

Under peer pressure, an adolescent may start taking alcohol or drugs. This can negatively impact the overall health and nutritional status. Little do these youngsters realise that proper nutrition taken at this stage of life strengthens the body, not only at this time, but for life.

Deficiency of necessary calories and nutrients can cause behavioural changes in adolescents. Undue agitation or depression in them is, at times, due to malnutrition.

Iron requirement is increased at this stage due to increased body mass and size. Girls start menstruation. If iron is not taken in adequate amounts, they tend to develop chronic anaemia.

Maximum bone density is obtained in this stage of life, for which there is increased demand of calcium. Good optimum bone density achieved in adolescence prevents osteoporosis and pathological fractures in old age.

Lack of adequate intake of calcium and physical inactivity prevent the bones to become strong. These individuals start suffering from aches and pains in the joints from an early age and become prone to softening of bones later in life.

Insufficient intake of green leafy vegetables tends to cause anaemia due to folic acid deficiency. It also causes the bowels to become sluggish. This forms the basis for digestive troubles and constipation among young adults.

Lack of adequate physical activity augments the problem.

Childhood and adolescence obesity is yet another issue for concern. Due to increasing facilities for electronic entertainment, youngsters spend more leisure time with computers and i-phones. The amount of physical activity is much less as compared to their potential. Due to high consumption of junk food, there is intake of empty calories which results in obesity.

To get rid of this obesity, many adolescents resort to crash dieting, which is not healthy and deprives them of essential nutrients.

To remain healthy at this stage and throughout life, adolescents have to pay attention to nutrition. Fast foods should be reduced and replaced by nutritious food. This can never be substituted by nutritional supplements because many micro-nutrients present in food cannot be procured by any other means. Alcohol should be avoided. Sodas can be replaced by fresh fruit juices.

Adolescents should be taught about the value of good nutrition in schools because in this age they are more amenable to outsiders than their parents. Media can also help in addressing this problem by highlighting the harmful effects of junk food and promoting use of healthy food. Adolescents are the future of any society and thus to keep them healthy should be concern for all.

Dr. Rachna Pande is a Specialist in internal medicine-Ruhengeri Hospital

E-mail rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk