By Carol Church, Writer, Family Album
Reviewed by Karla Shelnutt, PhD, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida, and Lacey Chapa, MS, Assistant Nutrition Education Coordinator, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida,
Have you ever seen a parent in the supermarket pushing TWO grocery carts piled high with food? The chances are pretty good that he or she was the parent of several growing teens. As children become adolescents, their caloric needs increase dramatically, especially if they’re getting enough daily exercise.
Unfortunately, many teens today don’t meet national recommendations of an hour of moderate to vigorous physical exercise daily. However, there is some good news on this front. Recent findings show that between 2009 and 2011, the proportion of high schoolers meeting this standard increased from about 37% to nearly 50%.
That’s one positive piece of news for teens’ health, as described in a new report from the research group Child Trends. On the less encouraging side, these researchers also say that the amount of screentime teens are getting has gone up, too. This is no surprise, given the way most of us carry our smartphones and other devices everywhere these days (even to bed with us, as surveys show).
And in a finding that looks to be related, over 60% of high school students get less than 8 hours of sleep on school nights—which is definitely not enough! (Experts advise that teens need about 8 1/2 to 9 1/4 hours of sleep per night.) Teens who used electronic devices more, consumed more caffeine, and/or worked more than 20 hours a week were at especially high risk of not getting enough rest.
When it came to nutrition, you may not be surprised to learn that teens today don’t eat enough fruits, vegetables, or dairy products, while taking in too much sugar, fat, and sodium. Fast food is often to blame here; our busy lifestyles and the convenience of these options tempt many of us.
Taken all together, the increased social, academic, and peer pressures of the teen years can really make it hard for your teen to maintain healthy eating and exercise habits. Parents can help by serving family meals, keeping screens out of bedrooms and maintaining “screen curfews,” and encouraging family fitness.
Though at first this might sound daunting, don’t be intimidated. Family dinners don’t have to be fancy, and exercise can be as simple as walking or biking around the block. Check out the resources listed below for some inspiration.
(Photo credit: by Steven Pisano. CC BY 2.0.)
Further Reading
Recipe Box: A list of collections of healthy, family-friendly recipes from the US government.
Let’s Move: Learn what you can do to get your family and community on track to healthier lifestyles.
Kids Eat Right: Articles, recipes, and ideas for getting children of all ages to eat well, from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition: Ideas on ways to keep your family eating right and staying active!
Teens and Sleep–from UF/IFAS EDIS
References:
Child Trends. (2013). Adolescent health highlight. Retrieved from http://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/2013-09HealthyHabits.pdf
National Sleep Foundation. (n.d., b). Teens and sleep. Retrieved from http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep
0
