Introduction to Teen Nutrition

Eating healthy can be difficult, especially for teens who are too busy with school and activities to pay much attention to what they eat. However, the effects of teen nutrition habits will show up eventually, whether they are good or bad. Teenagers are going through a time in their life where their body is going through major changes and need nutrients. Eating healthy food and maintaining a healthy lifestyle ensures that your body will grow and develop the way it is supposed to.

Good nutrition habits have positive effects on your body and overall health. Here are a few of the effects of healthy eating.

1.  Eating healthy helps you to stay fit. Eating foods with low levels of saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol prevents obesity. This lowers the risk of diseases such as hypertension (very high blood pressure), heart disease, strokes, liver disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
2. Eating healthy helps you to function better. A balanced diet with enough carbohydrates, fats, and proteins provides energy to go through the day. Also, adding healthy snacks, drinking enough water, and watching how much sugar you eat will also raise energy levels. 
3. Eating healthy provides the nutrients needed for proper growth, such as calcium, iron, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. These nutrients help in growth spurts, an increase in appetite, and increase in caloric demands that occur because of puberty. 

 Conversely, poor nutrition habits can have dramatic effects on your health. Here are only a few of the consequences of unhealthy eating.

Anemic cells

1. Lack of iron can lead to anemia, which is when your blood has a low amount of red blood cells. This makes you sluggish and not alert.
2. Lack of calcium can lead to weaker bones in the future, which may cause osteoporosis (thin and weak bones that break easily).
3. There is an increased risk of heart disease because of increased cholesterol levels and buildup of arterial plaque.
4. There is a risk of becoming obese because of large amounts of fats in the body.
5. There is a greater chance of diabetes later in life because eating too much sugar puts your metabolism under stress. Because junk food doesn't contain protein or complex carbohydrates needed to keep blood sugar levels consistent, this may cause diabetes. 

Post by: Anna 

Sources:

http://www.teenhelp.com/teen-health/teen-nutrition.html

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/fast-food-nutrition-junk-foods-effect-on-your-body.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/263709-benefits-for-teenagers-to-eat-healthy/

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