NUTRITION IN

ADOLESCENC
E
(by: GROUP 5- BSN302)
ADOLESCENCE

 Is distinct from both childhood and adulthood.

 It is a time of high nutrient demand because of the
dramatic physical changes that accompany teenage
growth .
 It is also a time when individuals experience
increasing control over their food choices and
developing dietary habits that affect their weight
status extend into adulthood.
ADOLESCENCE
 Itis also a challenge to health professionals when it comes to
providing nutritional needs, because this period is characterized
by…
 Accelerated Growth
 Changes in lifestyle, including food habits
 Involvement in social and physical activities
 Emotional problems associated with increased personal and
academic responsibilities; and psychological concern
 Problems with some teenagers that demand special nutritional
needs: smoking drug and alcohol abuse, pregnancy, and eating
disorders
Stages of Adolescence

 Pre-puberty
 10-12years old
 Endocrine changes start
 Menarche (for girls) – onset of menses
Stages of Adolescence

Puberty
 13-15 years old
 Maturation of total body: gains about 20% of adult height and 50%
of adult weight
 Hip width increases in the girls
 Girls start puberty 2 years ahead of boys
 Girls: gain more fat than boys; boys: gain more lean tissues than
girls
 Other indications of sexual maturation: pubic hair growth,
development of the genitals, change in voice
 Growth Spurt – 18-24 month period when growth rate is fastest
Stages of Adolescence

 Post-puberty
 16-19 years old
 Maturation of the function of the sex organs
 Cessation of growth in females
 Beginning of adult hood
Nutritional Needs of
Adolescents
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents
 ENERGY
 The energy needs of teenagers vary greatly, depending
on body size, rate of growth, and physical activity.
 Adolescent males energy needs may be especially high
since they experience a more intense growth spurt and
develop more lean body mass than girls do.
 Insufficient energy intake may occur due to:
 Restrictive dieting
 Inadequate monetary resources
 Secondary factors (substance abuse, chronic illness, etc.)
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents
 ENERGY
 An average of 45 kilocalories is needed for every
kilo of desirable body weight. More specifically,
total calories may be estimated using the following
guideslines:

AGE GENDER SUGGESTED KCALORIE PER KILOGRAM DESIRABLE WEIGHT

55
13-15 y/o M
45
  F
45
16-19 y/o M
40
  F
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents
 PROTEIN
 Correlates with growth pattern rather than
chronological age
 Maintenance of existing lean body mass
 Accumulation of additional lean body mass during
growth spurt
 Protein supplies about 15-20% of total Calories/day
 Years of highest protein requirement per unit of
height:
 Females: 11-14 years
 Males: 15-18 years
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents

o PROTEIN

  PROTEIN    

  10-12 y/o 13-15 y/o 16-18 y/o

MALE 6.8 mg 9 mg 8.9 mg

FEMALE 6 mg 7.9 mg 7 mg
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents

 MINERALS

 
 Calcium and iron
 two minerals often lacking in Filipino teenagers
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents

 MINERALS: Calcium
 Great need for calcium - increase in skeletal growth
 45% of peak bone mass - attained during adolescence;
by around 17 y/o, adolescents have attained
approximately 90% of their adult bone mass
 Milk is significant source of calcium. Alternative
sources (like sardines and other small fishes eaten with
bones, oyster, tofu, green vegetables, and legumes)
must be taken if the teenagers do not like milk.
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents

 MINERALS: Calcium

  CALCIUM    

  10-12 y/o 13-15 y/o 16-18 y/o

MALE 1000 mg 1000 mg 1000 mg

FEMALE 1000 mg 1000 mg 1000 mg

Nutritional Needs of Adolescents

 MINERALS: Iron
 Transporting oxygen in the bloodstream
 Prevention of anemia
 Need increases due to rapid growth and expansion
of blood volume and muscle mass
 Menstruation – additional iron needs for females
 Iron needs are highest:
 a. Males: Growth spurt
 b. Females: After menarche (compensation for blood loss
during periods)
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents

 MINERALS: Iron
 To meet this higher need, adolescents should consume iron-
rich animal foods
 (Ex. Liver and internal organs, beef, chicken, and fish),
green leafy vegetables, legumes, and nuts.
 If iron needs cannot be met by diet alone, supplements may
be warranted.
 Include vitamin C-rich foods to absorb iron better. Vitamin C
also helps maintain good defense system against common
infection. Sources include citrus fruits, cabbage-type
vegetables, dark green vegetables, strawberries, papayas,
lettuce, and tomatoes.
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents

 MINERALS: Iron

  IRON    

  10-12 y/o 13-15 y/o 16-18 y/o

MALE 13 mg 20 mg 14 mg

FEMALE 19 mg 21 mg 27 mg
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents

 MINERALS: Zinc
 Associated with more than 100 specific
enzymes
 Protein formation
 Growth and sexual maturation
 Serum zinc levels decline during adolescence –
rapid growth and hormonal changes
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents

 MINERALS: Zinc

  ZINC    

  10-12 y/o 13-15 y/o 16-18 y/o

MALE 6.8 mg 9 mg 8.9 mg

FEMALE 6 mg 7.9 mg 7 mg
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents

 MINERALS
 Phosphorus and Magnesium
 works with calcium for bone development
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents

 VITAMINS
 Needs for thiamine, niacin and riboflavin
correlate with energy intake; these B-vitamins
are needed to release energy from carbohydrates
 Males from 16-19 y/o have higher vitamin
needs for A, C and B-complex
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents

 VITAMINS
 Vitamin A
 normal vision; reproduction, growth and immune
function
 Vitamin E
 antioxidants become more important as body mass
expands during adolescence
 Vitamin C
 synthesis of collagen and other connective tissues
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents

 WATER
 Needed for accelerated growth and development of
body cells; increased energy utilization and other
metabolic processes, active exercise
Feeding Problems during
Adolescence
Feeding Problems during Adolescence
 Irregular Meals and Snacking
 Skipping meals caused by poor time management
 Fast foods and junk foods eaten to satisfy hunger
Feeding Problems during Adolescence
 Establishing Body Image
 Eating disorder - an obsession with food and weight
that harms a person's well-being and health
 Anorexia nervosa- have an extreme fear of weight gain
and a distorted view of their body size and shape
 Intervention
• The importance of food and growth, development, and
maintenance of the body should be explained to the client.
• The client must be taught how to achieve a healthy weight
through an adequate diet.
Feeding Problems during Adolescence
 Establishing Body Image
 Eating disorder
 When bulimia nervosa is a problem:
 Intervention
• Refrain from skipping meals
• Avoid finger foods and select meals that require eating at the table
• Eat meals regularly timed meals consisting of variety of foods in
enough quantity
• Include fresh fruits and vegetable salad
• Eat more high-fiber foods
• 8-10 glasses of water and
• 30 mins of exercise
Feeding Problems during Adolescence
 Conditioning Factors of Inadequate Dietary Intake
 Poverty
 Inadequate intake of essential nutrients is caused by lack of
budget for nutritional foods
 Solution: Home garden, proper budgeting
 Parasitism
 Causes interference or holdup in the nutrient utilization of
the host or human
 Solution: Keep surroundings clean, practice personal hygiene,
safeguard public water supply
Adolescents with Special
Nutritional Needs
Adolescents with Special Nutritional
Needs
 The Pregnant Adolescent
 Increased nutrient needs from both the
pregnancy state, as well as for her growth and
development
 Family support and guidance counselling
 Educate and encourage the pregnant adolescent
to gain the recommended amount of weight
Adolescents with Special Nutritional
Needs
 The Athlete Adolescent
 Energy need and water needs are the most
critical
 Vulnerable to food fads and myths that say
would enhance their performance
ADDITIONAL
INFROMATION
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
 Depression, swollen breasts, water retention,
feeling tired and being moody the week before
the period
 Tips to avoid/alleviate PMS
 Eat less salt and salty foods
 Eat less coffee, tea, colas and chocolates
 Have 5-6 meals a day composed of foods from the
Food Guide
 Exercise
Tips to lose weight for teenagers
 Cutdown on soft drinks, cakes, pies, candy, chips,
mayonnaise, salad dressings and gravies
 Choose baked or broiled food rather than fried
 Exercise
 THE END!

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