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Dr Miriam Stoppard’s Top Tips for Healthy Teens “There is a lot more support and information for parents than when I first started writing but much of this trails off when children reach adolescence. As a parent there is little doubt your role changes as your child grows older but they are still as important to you as the day you first held them in your arms, watched them take their first steps or eat their first solid food. We know that feeling healthy helps with confidence and self esteem as well as being the foundation for dealing with stress or simply achieving potential. Helping teenagers to live healthy lives can feel almost impossible but here’s some simple ways which parents can help and support this. Remember that change isn’t easy so if your teenager doesn’t respond straight away, don’t give up. Perseverance will be vital in helping your teenager to adopt healthy habits that they take with them into adult life.” Nutrition 1. Making the Right Start: Many teens are worried about their weight and often skip meals such as breakfast to shed the pounds. However eating breakfast actually jump starts your metabolism and boosts concentration in school. Try adding fruit to your cereal for a twist and use semi-skimmed milk. 2. Take out the Salt. There is no need to add salt to your teenager’s food as it is already in nearly all processed products. Recommended allowance for teenagers is no more than 6g of salt. Try experimenting with spices instead and check food labels. 3. Spot Check: Acne is a common problem for teenagers and parents should be aware that acne can be a source of anxiety for their teens. Hormonal factors are the most likely cause which can be helped by eating regular meals and a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Try setting regular meal times and eating together, which can banish the stress that makes spots worse. 4. Get Creative with Fruit and Veg: Teenage girls should have 3 servings of fruit and 4 servings of vegetables each day, and boys should have 4 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables each day to maintain good health. Be imaginative with fruit and veg. Include them in stir fries, curries pasta dishes or whatever your teenager usually enjoys eating. 5. Drink Up! Everyone needs water to keep their body hydrated and concentration levels up, but did you know that it is good for healthy hair, skin and teeth? Water is a great source of calcium and staying hydrated will help to boost your teenager’s metabolism. Try encouraging drinking water at set times - a glass in the morning, at meal times and after school. 6. Pump up the iron: Up to 13 per cent of teenage boys and 27 per cent of girls have low iron stores. Rapid growth, coupled with a fast lifestyle and poor dietary choices, can result in iron-deficiency anaemia. Teenage girls are especially at risk due to monthly menstruation. Iron can be found easily in red meat and fish and is easily absorbed by the body. 7. You Decide: During their teenage years, young people want to be independent and that includes them deciding what they eat for themselves. Let them help plan and cook meals, take them grocery shopping and encourage them to take responsibility for their own diets. 8. Smart Snacking: There is nothing wrong with snacking, growing teenagers often need to eat between meals to keep up their energy levels but it does matter just what types of snacks they choose. Healthy foods need to be close at hand. Try stocking the fridge and cupboards with a variety of healthful selections. 9. Be a role model. The best way for you to encourage healthy eating is to eat well yourself. Try not to contradict your good advice with your actions. Physical Activity 10. Get Moving: Teenagers should aim for at least an hour of physical activity a day. This does not have to be all in one go; it can be in 20 minute chunks throughout the day. Try exercising together or as a family to boost motivation and get a great chance to talk to each other. 11. Alternative Action: If your teenager isn’t a fan of traditional sports try interesting them in activities like bowling, skating or yoga which can all help boost their physical fitness. If they could be self-conscious about exercising in public, how about renting an exercise DVD of your teenager’s favourite celebrity? 12. Get Biking: Cycling can help to give teenagers more independence and mobility and is also a great way to keep fit. Mental 13. Internet-aches: Young people are suffering ten times more back pain than their parents did at the same age, according to a recent survey. Social networking, watching TV, or working on computers can be bad for your teenager’s back. Encourage them to take breaks every hour or so to stretch. 14. Time to Care: With all the stress of homework, body changes and growing up, the teenage years can be a very difficult time. Find time to talk to your teenager regularly. Eating meals together can provide the perfect opportunity for this. Try to listen openly and offer your opinion without judging. Remember a conversation should be two-way, so share your thoughts and experience with them too. Social 15. Alcohol: In the UK, one in five secondary school pupils drink regularly and the number of alcohol-related deaths among young people has risen by 57 per cent over the past 15 years. The best way to prevent drinking is to make the time to know what is happening in your child's life. One of the biggest factors leading to teenage drinking is peer pressure, so know who their friends are and what they are doing. 16. The drugs don’t work: Many teenagers are curious about drugs and a significant proportion has actually tried some form of drug once. Educate yourself about drugs and sit down with your teenager for an open discussion. Test their attitudes and try to be supportive. 17. Smoking: A recent survey revealed that more than one in eight English school children between the ages of 11 and 15 smokes regularly. Try not to use scare tactics to make them avoid/stop smoking, but give your mature teenagers the facts. Cigarette smoking kills more than 120,000 people every year in Britain alone. 18. Rest: To look beautiful or handsome you’ve got to get your sleep. When you sleep, your body gets rid of waste products that have collected in your muscles during the day. It also builds up a fresh supply of energy for another day’s activities. Because of growth and other changes occurring in their bodies, most teens require between eight or ten hours of sleep each night to look and feel their best. A hot drink before bedtime can help encourage a peaceful night. Dr Miriam Stoppard is a writer, broadcaster, medical doctor and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Chair of the Make Space for Health Steering Group, a partnership between children’s charity 4Children and Nestlé. |
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