Approximately one-third of all teens in America are overweight as of 2010, according to statistics provided by the Journal of the American Medical Association and reported by ShapingAmericasYouth.org. Because teenagers have slightly different nutritional needs than adults, it's important to choose a diet program that has been recommended by a reputable source, such as by doctors, pediatricians and governmental agencies. Helping teens obtain a healthy weight can lower their risk of eventually developing many obesity-related diseases, such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
MyPyramid Plan
The MyPyramid diet plan is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which is a publication released every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, with recommendations on how to eat a healthy diet. The free MyPyramid online tool allows teenagers a quick and easy way to determine a customized eating plan based on their height, weight, age and sex. It also factors in how active you currently are because athletic teens have higher calorie requirements than do those who do not partake in sports or other strenuous activities. This diet is recommended by the USDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other governmental entities. The MyPyramid plan focuses on eating whole grains, vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products and some lean meats.
SparkTeens
Another resource for teens trying to lose weight through healthy dieting is SparkTeens, which is an effort by the makers of SparkPeople.com to offer free healthy eating advice to teens. With this teen diet program, you get free support teams, message boards, a personal homepage to track progress. In addition, SparkTeens offers many different tools--such as a calorie counter, meal plans, recipes and more---to help teens get on the right track in terms of healthy eating. The SparkTeens weight loss program is run by licensed dieticians, personal trainers, healthy eating experts, chefs and experts in motivational speaking. This diet program focuses on education and having fun while losing weight.
SlimKids
SlimKids is diet program designed for teens, and it has been helping kids lose weight since 1995. This doctor- and dietician-approved diet program is based on the USDA's dietary recommendations, and it targets an average of 1500 to 1800 calorie per day for most teens. SlimKids educates teens on proper portion control and positive food choices. This teen diet program was developed by Laura Kraemer, R.N., C.P.N., who promotes healthy eating as well as physical activity in the SlimKids program. The SlimKids.com website offers free weight loss information and an affordable paid option to unlock the entire teen weight loss program.
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