Nutrition in Adolescence

Puberty Begins
2

 Puberty
 the time between the first on rush of hormones and
full adult physical development
 puberty usually last three to five years

 many more years are required to achieve

psychosocial maturity
 Puberty Begins
3

 the average age is between 11 and 12

 but is still considered normal between the ages of 8
and14
 Boys grow about 16 cm, gain about 20 kg and
increase their lean body mass.

 Girls grow about 12 cm, gain about 17 kg and

increase their body fat.
 Puberty Begins
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 Menarche
a girl’s first menstrual period, signaling that she has
begun ovulation. Pregnancy is biologically possible
 Spermarche
a boy’s first ejaculation of sperm. Erections can occur as
early as infancy, but ejaculation signals sperm
production. may occur during sleep or via direct
stimulation
 Puberty Begins
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 Hormones
 organic chemical substances that are produced by
one body tissue
 are conveyed via the bloodstream to affect some
physiological function.
 various hormones influence thoughts, urges, emotions,
and behavior
 Puberty Begins
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 Sex Hormones
 Gonads
 paired sex glands (ovaries in females, testicles in
males) that produce hormones and gametes
 Estradiol
a sex hormone, considered the chief estrogen.
Females produce more estradiol than males do
 Testosterone
a sex hormone, the best known of the androgens (male
hormones); secreted in far greater amounts by males
then by females
8
Puberty Begins
 Adolescents are best known for emotional and
sexual behaviors
 testosterone levels stimulates rapid arousal of
emotions, especially anger
 hormonal bursts lead to quick emotional extremes
 for many boys, the increase in androgens causes
sexual thoughts
 for many girls, the fluctuating estrogens increase
happiness in the middle of the menstrual cycle (at
ovulation) and sadness or anger at the end
 What do guys and girls want?

 Guys usually want to

gain muscle and get
taller
 Girls usually want to
control their weight
 BODY IMAGE
 The Transformations of Puberty
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 Growing Bigger and Stronger

 growth spurt
 therelatively sudden and rapid physical growth that occurs
during puberty… each body part increases size on a
schedule; weight usually precedes height, and the limbs
precede the torso
 Growth Spurts

 Growth through adolescence is hormone driven.

 Girls :

between ages 10.5 and 11 years

 with a peak in the rate of growth at around age 12.
 Boys : between ages 12.5 and 13

 and peak at around age 14

. This period of maximal growth lasts about 2 yr.
 The Transformations of Puberty
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 Growing Bigger and Stronger

 growth proceeds from the extremities to the core
 fingers and toes lengthen before the hands and feet
 the torso is the last body part to grow
 temporarily big-footed, long-legged, and short-waisted
 The Transformations of Puberty
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 Sequence: Weight, Height, Muscles

 bones lengthen and harden
 children eat more and gain weight

 when, where, and how much weight depends on

heredity, diet, exercise and gender
 girls gain much more fat than boys
 The Transformations of Puberty
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 Other body changes

 organs grow and become more efficient
 lungs triple in weight
 adolescents breathe more deeply and slowly
 the heart doubles in size and beats more slowly
 blood pressure and volume both increase
 weight and height increase before the growth of
muscles and internal organs
Adolescence:
The Vulnerable Life Stage
 Big changes: Biological
 Boys—get tall, lean, and dense (bones, that is)
 Attain15% of final adult ht during puberty
 Lean body mass doubles
 Large calorie needs
 increase from 2,000 at 10 yr to 3,000 at 15
yr
Adolescence:
The Vulnerable Life Stage

 Girls—get taller and fatter

 % body fat increases from the teens into the mid-
20s
 Gain almost 50% of their adult ideal weight 6-9
mo before ht rate increases during puberty
 Dieting
can have a negative impact on linear
growth during this time
 Calorie needs increase by only 200 from 10 yr to
15 yr
For girls some addition of
fat is natural

 Need at least 17%

body fat for normal
periods
 Improve eating habits
and activity – but don’t
starve or over exercise
Boys mature later

 Growth spurt up to 2 years

later than girls
 Full muscle mass doesn’t
develop until one year after
full height achieved
 Excess calories and protein
won’t speed things up
 Nutrition
21

…the changes of puberty depend on nutrition, yet

many adolescents are deficient in the necessary
vitamins or minerals
Facts about Teen Nutrition:
• Teen nutrition affects athletics, academics
and attitudes
• Most teens are overfed, but undernourished
• Teens grow a lot, so they need to eat a lot of
the right kind of food
• Teens frequent fast food places, where high
fat and nutrient depleted foods are the norm
 Nutrition
23

 Diet Deficiencies
 few than ½ of all teenagers consume the recommended
daily dose of iron
 more girls are anemic due to iron depletion during
menstruation
 ½ of adult bone mass is acquired from age10-20, yet
few adolescents consume enough calcium
Bone growth

 0-2 years – very fast growth (esp.in length)

 11-13 years (prepuberty) – intensive bone
mineralization - half the mass of calcium of the
adult is laid down
 9-14 years – the period of peak bone growth –
adolescents acquire 25% of their final bone mass
 Intense bone turnover in children, who replace 50
to 100% of their skeleton in a year, compared to
10% in adults
Bone growth

 The construction of bone outweighs its destruction

– allows the bones to increase in length and get
stronger
 Calcium requirement of children (3-8 years) per
unit bodyweight are 2 to 4 times greater than
that of adults
 Intake of calcium and phosphorus – Ca/P > 1
(cola beverages – P>Ca)
Minerals
 Calcium and iron intake is very important in addition to
zinc, magnesium, iodine and selenium.
 Calcium is essential for rapid growth of bones and
completion of dentition.
 At peak of growth velocity a boy adds 290-400 mg of
calcium per day to his skeleton and
 adolescent girls add 210-240 mg.

 If calcium is less deposited during adolescence

the bone remains weak and there is a risk of developing
osteoporosis late especially after menopause in women.
Bone growth

 Calcium  Vitamin D
 Phosphorus  Vitamin A
 Fluoride  Vitamin K
 Protein  Vitamin C
Osteoporosis prevention

 Nutritional status of mother in last trimester of

pregnancy (highest accumulation of calcium)
 Genetic factors (60-80 %)
 Hormonal factors (puberty)
 Nutritional factors (esp. consumption of dairy
products and other food rich in calcium – see next
slide)
 Physical exercise (increases bone density)
Food rich in calcium
 Milk, dairy products (cheese, yoghurt)
 Sardines, herrings, sea-weed
 Cabbage, savoy cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli,
pulses
Nutritional Risk
 Iron
 Prevents anemia (especially in females)
 Teen females need about 15 mg / day
 Teen males need about 12 mg /day
 Females need more due to menstruation
 Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional
disorder in adolescents,
 particularly adolescent girls.

 To ensure adequate intake of iron, diet should contain

plenty of green leafy vegetables,
meat, eggs and milk.
 Weekly supplements of iron have been shown to be
effective in prevention of iron
deficiency anemia
 Vitamins
 Pubertal growth needs more vitamins.
 Hence adolescents have a Recommended Dietary
Allowance (RDA) for vitamins higher than infants and
children and
 almost equal to or even greater than adults.
Multiple deficiencies (Fe, Ca, Zn, Mg,
I, vit. B6, vit. C, folic acid)
 Delayed growth and development
 Rachitis (infants)
 Anaemia (6-24 months, puberty)
 Delayed menarché in girls (eating disorders)
 Decreased resistance to infections
 Fatigue, low mental performance
 Emotional disorders
Nutrition Issues in Adolescent
Health

 Cardiovascular and cancer disease risk

 Osteoporosis and bone mineralization
 Overweight and obesity
 Type 2 diabetes
 Eating disorders
 Nutritional Risk
 Teens are more likely to consume junk food because of
 Busy schedules

 Availability of snack machines in schools

 too lazy to make lunch

 Peer influence on food choices

 Underexposure to healthier foods

 Poor home food habits

 Nutritional Risk

 Dangers of Junk Food

 High sugar levels (especially in soda drinks)
 High sodium levels

 Processed food products

 Caffeine levels

 Junk food often replaces a meal

 Cardiovascular Disease
and Cancer Risk

 One-third of CVD and cancer-related morbidity

attributed to dietary patterns
 Diets high in sat fat, total fat, and sodium and low in
fiber
 Diets low in fruits and vegetables

 Dietary fat
 Recommended: <10% of calories from sat fat
and <30% total fat
 Consumed: 1/3 of adolescents are in this range
 Sodium
 Recommended: <2.5 g/d
 Consumed: 3-5 g/d

 Fiber
 Recommended: Age + 5
 Consume: ½ this amount