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How Fast Food Affects Nutrition in Teens
By R. Reichert
eHow Contributing Writer
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Temptation
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Fast food is easy to come by, light on the pocket and good to taste. It is also high in fat and refined starch, low in fiber and highly processed. Teens gulp down cheeseburgers, fries, pizzas and fried chicken with fizzy drinks that only add calories. Fast food joints are also great places to hang out with friends and be seen by others.
Hard Facts
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A single meal at a fast food restaurant averages 1000 to 1500 calories. That is half of a teenagers' daily calorie allowance. Teenagers also tend to overeat due to the large portions served. Overweight teens are less likely to participate in sports and more likely to become couch potatoes. This can make them obese, which has both psychological and health hazards. Obese teens have to put up with teasing at school. This can make them withdraw into their own shell and develop low self-esteem. Poor eating habits can lead to a vicious cycle of more overeating, lack of self-confidence, anti social behavior, lethargy and even depression. If they carry obesity into adulthood, they can be prone to obesity related illnesses, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, cardiac problems and gout.
The Way Out
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So what is the way out? Balance is the way out. Teenagers should be allowed to enjoy an occasional burger or pizza, maybe once a week. But also encourage them to opt for smaller portions and avoid add-ons. Make them more aware of other eating options and the negatives aspects of junk food.
Once they realize that they are what they eat, they may opt for healthier choices. As a parent you can only make them aware and more conscious about what they eat. The idea is to inculcate healthy eating habits from the beginning, but not overdo it. Keep a mix of healthy and not so healthy snacks at home. Let them enjoy a fizzy drink once in a while. The harder you clamp down on them, the more they are bound to resist. So, walk the middle path--not too strict, not too lenient. And most importantly, eat together. As they say, the family that eats together stays together.
eHow Article: How Fast Food Affects Nutrition in Teens
