Getting adolescence nutrition right

Who remembers what it was like being a teenager? All is well with the world then out of the blue, the raging hormone monster visits and with it comes polar opposite moods and emotions, and an enormous appetite. Some parts get bigger and then hairs start sprouting everywhere. I recall being unsure of my place because I was not a child anymore and I was not really an adult either. Everyone kept speaking of my potential and expecting me to reach it. Aim high they said; consider the future they said.

We have all said it or heard it said, ‘The young ones are the leaders of tomorrow; the future leaders’. If not, now you have. These young boys and girls grow up to be men and women. They grow up to be mothers and fathers. They grow up to become the drivers of a country’s economy to make it or break it as have many who came before them. Focused on their mental prowess many a parent disregard something pivotal to the life the boy or girl will lead in future … nutrition.

Here is why I know for a fact that mine is not a null hypothesis. Besides early childhood, the only other period in the human growth cycle that you experience a noticeable growth spurt is those teenage years. When they are under five years of age, we make sure they have everything they need to stay healthy; vaccines, supplements, food, clothes. But growth at whatever stage needs to be funded and the accepted currency is nutrients like proteins, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates for the much needed energy.

They are adding height, muscle, and bone mass, and nearly every system and organ is ripening to maturation. They need to fuel their physical and mental growth, and strength to focus on studying, work, and ward off illnesses so as to contribute to the family and to society.

It is not just the physical for evidence also shows that habits and behaviours formed during puberty stick with you into adulthood and some you almost cannot shed off. This includes eating habits.

Teenagers are a forgotten people because of many reasons but the price we pay for this neglect is felt in time when the future slowly becomes the present.

Whatever the reason, if they do not consume adequate nutrients at this time, the result is delayed sexual maturity and delayed or retarded physical growth. Low calcium intake prevents the attainment of normal bone strength and the development of healthy teeth. Iron deficiency anaemia is also a consequence especially for young girls who grow into women with a weakened ability to survive childbirth, and makes them more susceptible to infections, leaving them with fewer reserves to recover from illness. Say one is HIV-infected — which happens to be the reality for some — and is undernourished, they are more likely to experience a more rapid transition from HIV to full-blown Aids.

Undernutrition undermines their productivity, capacity to generate income, and their ability to care for their families when the need arises.

But that is not the only thing to look out for. There is over- nutrition and obesity. Once upon a time, this was not a contentious issue on this side of the Sahara. Now it is; as are resultant complications and health conditions. Over consumption of calories is made possible with the boom of fast food chains and at this very impressionable age if the trend is fried chicken and cheesy pizzas, no one is running for a plate of ugali and veggies.

I would like to beckon the teens but if memory serves me well, most are not talk — to — able. So maybe you read this and think of someone young and impressionable. Think of the life you hope for them and do your best to get them there by leading by example to choose a variety of healthful foods, such as lean protein sources, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Start small and maybe it catches on. For they must be well informed in the choice of healthy foods both at home and in school so they make informed decisions now and in future.

Nutritionist/Dietitian, Chiropractic & Physiotherapy Health Centre.