Transcript Nutrition & Eating Disorders

Nutrition
Child & Adolescent Nutrition
• Differs from adult nutrition.
• Infancy needs
• Toddlers
• Adolescents
(Story & Stang, 2005)
Nutritional Needs
• Iron is important
▫ From toddlers to teenagers
• Special dietary needs for teenagers:
▫ This is a time of growth spurts
 20% of adult height
 50% of adult weight
Iron Deficiency & Anemia
• What is anemia?
• Symptoms:
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Fatigue / weakness
Pale skin
Rapid heartbeat
Irritability
Decreased appetite
Dizziness / Lightheadedness
Preventing Anemia
• Foods rich in iron
▫ Red meat, tuna, salmon, eggs, enriched grains,
leafy green vegetables, fortified foods
• May need a supplement
• Recommended amounts:
▫ 7-10 mg/day for children 1-12 years old
▫ 11 mg/day for adolescent boys; 15 mg/day for girls
Teenagers and Calcium
• Teenagers need calcium to build strong bones
▫ Calcium is also important for muscle contractions
• The osteoporosis connection…
▫ Why talk about this in a child & adolescent health
class??
Osteoporosis
• 1 of every 2 American women will get
osteoporosis after the age of 65.
• Why worry about teenagers?
▫ Less than half of teenagers get enough calcium in
their diet.
 For girls – about 15% get enough calcium.
 The teenage years are the time to build strong bones
Soda consumption & Osteoporosis
• Girls who drank soft drinks: 3x more likely to
have a bone fracture
▫ Physically active girls: 5x more likely to have a
bone fracture
▫ Why?
 Phosphoric acid
 Less calcium consumption
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Source: Harvard School of Public Health
Who is at risk?
• Those who do not
get enough calcium
• Females
• Those with high
soft drink
consumption
• Those who do not
exercise
• Caucasians and
Asians
• Family history
• Smoking
• Alcohol
Prevention
• Eating calcium-rich foods
▫ Dairy products, calcium-fortified orange juice,
leafy green vegetables, canned salmon or tuna
▫ May need a calcium supplement
• Weight-bearing exercises
• Limit soft drink consumption
• Don’t smoke
• Notice anything about this list?
“Selling” it to teenagers
• Make it beneficial in the short term
▫ May need to relate it to body image
 “Calcium will help you grow taller”
 “Do you know those older people that are stooped
over?”
 Low-fat, non-fat alternatives for those worried about
gaining weight.
Eating Disorders
Teenagers & Dieting
• Over ½ of teenage girls and 1/3 of teen boys use
unhealthy weight control behaviors.
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(Neumark-Sztainer, 2005)
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Skipping meals
Fasting
Smoking cigarettes to control weight
Vomiting
Taking laxatives
Teens & Body Image
• 50-88% of adolescent girls feel
negatively about their body
size and shape.
• Over 1/3 of males think their
current size is too small.
• Puberty can amplify body
image concerns.
• (Croll, 2005)
The Female Athlete Triad
• What is it?
▫ Disordered eating
▫ Bone loss
▫ Amenorrhea
• Who is at risk?
• Consequences?
Teenagers & Eating Disorders
• Approximately 11 million Americans suffer from
an eating disorder.
(EDC, 2010)
• 50-80% of risk is determined by genetics.
• Three classes:
• Anorexia Nervosa
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified
(EDNOS)
• Includes Binge Eating Disorder
(ECD, 2010)
Eating Disorders & Media
• Tweens & Teens are more likely to be dissatisfied
with their bodies after watching media.
• Movies & Television shows often have characters
comment on appearance/weight.
• Advertisements often use an appeal to beauty to
sell the product.
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National Institute on Media and the Family
Anorexia Nervosa
• Self-starvation
▫ Essential nutrients are denied (no or little food) so the
body slows down all normal processes to conserve
energy.
• Health consequences
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Low blood pressure / heart rate
Muscle loss / weakness
Dehydration
Fainting / fatigue
Dry hair and skin
• 90-95% are female so, 5-10% are male.
• Similar characteristics:
▫ Preoccupied with weight
 Males may have preoccupation with body building,
weight lifting or toning.
▫ Compulsive exercise
▫ Frequently weighing oneself
▫ Distorted body image
Bulimia Nervosa
• Typically a binge – purge method
▫ Binge – secret periods of quickly eating highcalorie dense foods.
▫ Purge – more than the typical vomiting.
• 80% are female
• Health consequences:
▫ Irregular heartbeat = heart failure = death.
▫ Tooth decay
▫ Ulcers
Warning Signs
• Anorexia
▫ Becomes very thin
▫ Obsesses over eating, food,
weight
▫ Counts portions, calories
carefully
▫ Only eats certain foods
▫ Feels fat
▫ Withdraws from social
activities
▫ May be depressed, fatigued or
cold all the time
• Bulimia
▫ Fears weight gain
▫ Intensely unhappy with body
size, shape or weight
▫ Goes to the bathroom
frequently or immediately
after meals
▫ Regularly buys laxatives
▫ Spends most of free time
working out
▫ Withdraws from social
activities
Prevention
• Involves everyone:
▫ Parents, communities, schools
• Examine your own body image
• Avoid power struggles over food
• Create a healthy lifestyle for the family
More information
• “Dying to be thin” www.pbs.org
▫ Nova program