Adolescence is a time when an individual's nutritional needs peak, but unfortunately it is also a time when many overweight teenagers fall prey to unhealthy fad diets. Because teenagers are still growing and still need a substantial amount of nutrients, their diets must be well-balanced and must address their vast nutritional needs. By selecting healthy foods and beverages, overweight teenagers can create a small caloric deficit and achieve a healthier body weight and health profile. If you decide to follow a weight loss diet, you also need to receive medical clearance from your physician.
USDA My Pyramid Diet
The U.S. Department of Agriculture created the My Pyramid diet to help adolescents and adults achieve a healthier body weight. The diet is broken down into six major food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats and oils. Your daily allotment of servings from each of these food groups will depend on your calorie allowance for the day. Check out their website for sample menus, meal planners and more information on appropriate serving sizes for each of the food groups.
The DASH Diet
The DASH diet, or dietary approaches to stop hypertension, was originally developed for individuals with high blood pressure, but it is also an appropriate for overweight teenagers. The diet emphasizes whole grain foods, lean meats and dairy products, and it minimizes the intake of processed foods. It includes adequate nutrients for growth and development and can be followed by the entire family. For overweight teenagers who also have elevated blood pressure, the DASH diet would be one of the best diets to follow.
The Ornish Diet
The Ornish diet was created at the Preventive Medicine Research Institute and is a very low-fat diet. The diet primarily emphasizes fruits, vegetables, soy and whole grains and minimizes the intake of foods and beverages containing fat. When following the Ornish diet, less than 10 percent of your calories should come from fat, and few if any calories should come from saturated or trans fats. Because this diet has been shown to lower cholesterol levels, overweight teenagers with high cholesterol might want to consider following this diet plan.
The American Heart Association Healthy Diet
The American Heart Association recommends a heart-healthy diet that is very low in saturated and trans fats and that emphasizes the importance of omega 3 fatty acids in preventing cardiovascular disease. Overweight teenagers who choose to follow this diet will reduce their intake of sodium to less than 1,500 mg. per day and will also consume at least two servings of fish per week. This diet would be most appropriate for an overweight teenager who has a personal or family history of cardiovascular disease.
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