Adolescents (10–20 years)

Lecture # 11
Adolescents (10–20 years)
Adolescence occupies the years between childhood and adulthood

● For girls = starts at 1 0–11 end 18–20 years of age.

● For boys = 12–13 years end 18–20 years of age.
❖ Adolescence seems to be initiated when the weight reaches about 30 kg (66
lb), at that point there is a very marked increase in height followed in six
months to one year by a marked gain in weight.
❖ This is accompanied by the changes needed for development of sexual
maturity.
● If body fat is less than about 22 percent when the weight reaches about 46 kg
there is likely to be delay in the onset of menarche.
● General body changes are over by the age of 20,but bones go on getting
heavier for another 3–4 years if there is regular exercise, especially lifting and
carrying and good nutrition especially calcium.
● For women more calcium deposition in their bones will prevent them to suffer
from post-menopausal osteoporosis.
● Appetite and food intake increase, results in eating larger meals and frequent
snacks between meals.
● Change from dependency to independency.
● Good dietary habits being replaced by poorer ones but the reverse may also
occur.
● According to survey in which study group was female adolescents, not all
adolescents subsist on a nutritionally disastrous diet. The majority of the
respondents had a good knowledge of nutritional principles and tried to apply
them.
Energy
Excessive weight gain can be prevented, not only by eating less but also by taking
more exercise.

Physical exertion is as important for girls as for boys.

Need for energy increase greatly in adolescents not just because of physical
activity but because of height and weight spurt taking place.
Protein
● 1.5 g protein/kg body weight/day is enough for growth and tissue
maintenance of an adolescent.
● Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, milk and mixing pulses (beans, peas and
lentils) with cereals (wheat,rice, maize, soya, rye and oats) can supply enough
daily requirement of protein.
● To make sure that dietary protein is used for growth and not as an energy
source, sufficient carbohydrate, with or without some fat, must be eaten at the
same time as the food containing the protein.
● Eating mainly only one macronutrient at one meal is not recommended.
Carbohydrate and Fat

● Fats and specially carbohydrate are used as main source of energy during
adolescence.
● Some extra fat is usually required to keep down the volume of the food and to
make it palatable.
● The amount of extra fat in the main meals should be kept as low as possible
to prevent obesity.
● Carbohydrate are found in cereals, pulses and other plant foods.
Calcium

● During adolescence the growth of the skeleton greatly increases which

increase the need for calcium.
● The exact amount of calcium required each day during this period is not
known and the values suggested by various expert committees differ
considerably.
● Intake of about 1500 mg of calcium/day is highly recommended to support
bone growth.
● The only food item with enough calcium to make an intake of 1500 mg/day
feasible is milk.
● 600 ml (almost 2.5 glass) of milk has about 700 mg of calcium and 100 g of
hard cheese has the same amount.
● To avoid excessive daily fat intake the milk should be skimmed or semi-
skimmed.
● Calcium supplements can be recommended if the dietary intake is low.
● But the daily intake of calcium should not to exceed 2000 mg/ day because
more than that may lead to renal damage.