Life Cycle Nutrition and Chronic Diseases in Adolescents

Life Cycle Nutrition and Chronic Diseases: Adolescents
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Introduction
Adolescence is a developmental phase between childhood and adulthood, normally from ages 10 to 19 years. It is one of the most important stages of human development where one lays the foundation for both good physical and mental health. Adolescents, unlike adults experience rapid physical, hormonal and sexual development, cognitive and behavioral growth. It is during adolescence that young people learn to negotiate puberty, develop cognitive skills, develop a clearer sense of personal and sexual identity, and develop emotionally, personally, and even personally. For adolescents’ nutrition remain a vital consideration as this determines how good they develop psychologically, physically, and emotionally, especially as they transition to adulthood.
Adolescents and Nutritional Challenges
Some of the major nutritional problems experienced by adolescents include overeating which often results in obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity prevalence for children aged 12-to-19 years in the US stands at 21.2% (Ogden et al., 2020). High prevalence rates of obesity among adolescents are attributed to three factors. First, adolescents record the lowest consumption of fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy, whole grains, and calcium. Secondly, adolescents consume sweetened beverages than any other developmental phase (Hamilton, Dee, & Perry, (2018). Thirdly, adolescents are the most frequent consumers of fast food. Conversely, the inability to meet the minimum nutritional requirements potentially leads to malnutrition which affects adolescents’ brain development. According to Trigueros, et al., (2019) malnutrition in early adolesce stages leads to developmental problems such as reduced IQ, conduct problems, inattention, and aggression. As such, nutritional guidance remains the major strategy to help adolescents avoid overeating as well as cover them from malnutrition. Nutritional guidance help promote and support development of healthy lifestyles, reduce risks of chronic diseases, reduce weight related issues, and ensure that that all nutritional needs are met for balanced growth and development. Most of the eating
Meal Plan for Adolescents (12 to 18 years)
Basic meal plan for adolescent on a daily basis should offer a balance of proteins, vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates, and fats. The minimum amount of carbohydrates in a day for adolescents is 130grams but rises to between 270grams to 390 grams for highly active adolescents. Additionally, adolescents should consume 0.5 grams of proteins per pound of body weight. For example, an adolescent weighing 120 pounds only needs 60g of protein daily. Proteins such as ham are good sources of protein, iron, and vitamin B12 (Hamilton, Dee, & Perry, (2018). Fats have 9 calories per grams and adolescents’ fat intake ought to constitute around 30% of an adolescent’s total daily calories. For a 3200 calor...