Do Teen Eating Habits Set the Stage for Adult Problems?

Why Eating Habits Matter

• What your teen eats matters because he's going through a significant period of growth and development. In fact, the teen years are the second-most critical period of growth, according to the Ask Dr. Sears website. A well-balanced diet ensures that he gets each of the nutrients he needs to grow normally, such as calcium for strong bones and protein for developing muscles. If your teen doesn't eat a healthy diet, he's at risk for deficiencies in his academic and athletic abilities, as well as changes to his mood.

Consequences of Poor Eating Habits

• If your teen eats a poor diet now, chances are those habits will accompany him into adulthood. The way your teen eats and what he eats become habits when they happen day in and day out, and once those habits are established, it's difficult to change them. If a teen continues eating a high-calorie and high-fat diet that's low in essential nutrients, he is at a higher risk for unhealthy weight gain, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes and kidney disease as he gets older. Once your teen develops a taste for unhealthy foods, it can be challenging to convince him to change his tastes toward healthier fare.

Special Considerations

• Nutritional deficiencies can be particularly dangerous if teens don't eat a healthy diet. For example, girls who have started menstruating need to eat plenty of iron, which comes from lean meats, leafy greens and beans, while boys need increased doses of protein from nutritious foods like lean meats, beans, nuts and seeds. The majority of teens don't get enough calcium because they're not drinking enough milk or including low-fat dairy foods in their daily diets, according to HelpGuide.org. Deficiencies in these nutrients can cause adult problems, such as anemia or osteoporosis, as teens get older.

Changing Your Teen's Ways

• It's entirely possible to change your teen's bad habits before it's too late. Start by modeling good eating habits. Let your teen see you eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. Serve these foods as part of his nutritious meals, too. If that's all that's available to your teen, chances are he'll eat his fill. To that end, keep junk food out of your house, too. Teach your teen the difference between unhealthy foods and nutritious ones so he can also make positive choices when he's away from home.