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The Importance of Nutrition and Exercise

During Adolescence

Marika Graham

Arizona State University

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The Importance of Nutrition and Exercise During Adolescence

Now more than ever, adolescents have more access to knowledge on an array of

topics by the swiping of a finger or the push of a button. While this is certainly an

amazing way to acquire new information, it is extremely important that adolescents are

receiving the right knowledge, especially when it comes to their health. Nutrition and

exercise are fundamental building blocks for adolescents to grow into healthy adults.

These elements go far beyond the physical and visual but also affect the emotional and

mental well being of an adolescent.

Because nutrition is often a debated topic and what is beneficial for our bodies

changes over time and changes from study to study, there are websites administered by

the government, such as My Plate, that give general guidelines on proper nutrition for

adolescents. According to My Plate, supported by The Department of United states

Agriculture, half of an adolescence plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables and

the other half should be filled with grains. My Plate also suggests alternating protein

sources from time to time. Modern nutritionists are suggesting that protein sources should

not be limited to meat and meat is acceptable to take out of the adolescent diet. High

blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol are all associated with the over

consumption of meat. On the other hand, taking meat out of the diet of an adolescent also

carries risks such as vitamin deficiencies, which may stunt development. Whether a

family, or adolescent chooses a more modern or traditional eating method, there are still

essential necessities the adolescent body needs to grow. Protein is the most essential need

for a developing body. It heels, develops, and grows muscle, which is not only important

for exterior muscles, but interior muscles and organs as well, especially the brain.
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Healthy fats found in fruits and vegetables are important in order to block fat from being

stored. Carbohydrates are very essential in keeping the body functioning and keeping an

adolescent energetic during the day while they burn calories learning and being active.

In addition, during adolescence it is necessary to increase caloric intake. This

means that it is completely natural and normal for teenagers to eat an excessive amount

of food at the dinner table and still be hungry. The amount of energy burned by an

adolescent throughout the day is astounding and because of this on average a non

sedentary adolescent will need 1200 calories more per day than an adult (Meredith Corp,

2016). The brain is learning, the body is in constant motion, and the body is developing.

To support these functions, three full meals per day are suggested; breakfast being the

most important and containing the most carbs. Along with three meals per day, healthy

snacks such as fruit, veggies, or a low fat carb between meals are suggested to keep the

metabolic rate up and also produce more energy.

On the other hand, increasing caloric intake can potentially can be risky. For

example, 7.9 percent of adolescents, in the age group of 12-19 are extremely overweight,

classified as obese (Johnson Foundation, 2016). With the biological need to consume

more calories comes the temptation to consume junk food. Junk foods that include non-

essential fats, sugars, artificial ingredients, oils, and starchy carbohydrates are easier to

access and cheaper to buy for adolescents. Not to mention these foods often can feel more

satisfying than a healthier option. Researchers at Brown University recently linked the

consumption of junk and fast food to early memory loss and the inability to create new,

vivid memories due to an over-drive of insulin to the brain causing the brain, muscle, and
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fat cells to no longer respond to the hormone. Not only is fast food affecting the exterior

but also causing students to struggle in school due to trouble recalling certain memories.

Additionally, there can be unhealthy obsessions with nutrition in order to maintain

weight or loose weight. Roughly 35-50% of adolescent girls who are not overweight

reportedly go on crash diets to become thinner (Wertheim, 2009). Opposing popular

beliefs, eating disorders are not simply due to vanity, which one may think it is,

especially in the contemporary, media-crazed world. The disorder may start out as such

but spirals into much more. Eating disorders are mental health diseases that involve

unhealthy eating patterns to attain nearly unachievable goals or to express or suppress

feelings. It is a habit-forming disorder that once started, is hard to stop or fully recover

from. The most common among adolescents, both male and female, is anorexia nervosa.

This disease involves starving the body. Bulimia nervosa involves eating and then

purging to get rid of the food. The third most common disease in this age group is binge

eating. Binge eating involves eating an enormous amount of usually unhealthy food in

one sitting followed by days of starving, following a very diet, or vomiting. All three of

these disorders can lead to organ failure, cell damage, premature aging, and in extreme

cases death. Any deprivation of food in adolescence can stunt physical or cognitive

growth.

On the contrary, there are healthy ways to maintain weight. A healthy body

weight is one that is comfortable, attainable, and easy to manage. A healthy amount of

body fat should be included in that weight, for woman especially. It is essential for daily

functions; it is needed to protect organs and cells. There is no specific weight that is

deemed healthy. Old ways of measuring if some one is healthy weight or not are slowly
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fading away. For example, the BMI chart. The Body Mass Index chart is vaguely

accurate. It does not take into account muscle mass or density, which can lead to

discouragement among active adolescents if they have a high BMI. After all, every body

is different and one universal chart does not take this into account.

Also, joining a team sport or independent exercise will help maintain weight.

Research says teens should get one hour of aerobic of exercise a day and additionally

participate in bone and muscle strengthening activities about three days a week. Although

sixty minutes of cardio may sound like a lot to some, often this requirement is met

through gym class during school hours or during sports practices which 7.6 million

adolescents nation-wide participate in (Koebler, 2016). Exercise supports healthy growth

and development in adolescents. It stimulates blood circulation to muscle tissues, creating

a healthy immune system and an increased metabolism. Oxygen and blood flow also

stimulate the brain, supporting memory and alertness.

As a result, if adolescents exercise and eat well, they will develop into healthy

adults, not just physically but emotionally and mentally as well. The habits established in

adolescence will follow into adulthood. Because proper exercise and nutrition are a part

of a healthy lifestyle, it is important to educate young students about the benefits of

making healthy choices so that they can develop into healthy adults. As an educator, it is

important set students up with resources for success, especially in the new social media

age. Middle and high school age students are exposed to more to more information

through medias such as Twitter, Instagram, tumblr, and Face Book. It is important that

these adolescents are getting the right information. They will need help determining fact

from fiction or real pictures versus extremely edited images. Adolescents are still very
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influential and have to learn that health, wellness, fitness, and nutrition are not only here

for superficial purposes but ways of life that improve the totality of a person. This is

where educators come in. Whether in health class, P.E., or a core subject class, it is

important for educators to care and look out for their students. While not every teacher is

a fitness expert or nutritionist, there are still ways to make sure students are living healthy

lifestyles by observing them and their actions. For example, if a student has not gone to

lunch for two weeks, speaking to them about why they are not eating may be beneficial to

them. Having an open door of communication with students will hopefully make them

comfortable enough to share if they are struggling with something health related or ask

for advice.
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References

Aerobic, Muscle- and Bone-Strengthening: What Counts 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2016, from
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/children/what_counts.htm

Dietary Guidelines | Choose MyPlate. 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2016, from
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/dietary-guidelines

Facts & Statistics - President's Council on Fitness. 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016, from
http://www.fitness.gov/resource-center/facts-and-statistics/

Junk Food Rots Your Brain, Increases Risk of Dementia. 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2016, from
http://www.medicaldaily.com/junk-food-rots-your-brain-increases-risk-dementia-242256

Kamps, A. (2011.). The Advantages of Non-Meat Proteins | Healthy Eating | SF Gate. Retrieved October
15, 2016, from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/advantages-nonmeat-proteins-3106.html

Obesity Rates & Trends Overview: The State of Obesity. (2015.). Retrieved October 20, 2016, from
http://stateofobesity.org/obesity-rates-trends-overview/

Pippig, U. (2016.). Benefits of Exercise for Children Take The Magic Step. Retrieved October 18,
2016, from https://www.takethemagicstep.com/training-exercise/families/benefits-of-exercise-for-children/

Werthiem, P. (2012). Get The Facts On Eating Disorders | National Eating ... Retrieved October 18, 2016,
from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-facts-eating-disorders

Vegetarian diets in children and adolescents. (2015.). Retrieved October 20, 2016, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2912628/