With teen obesity on the rise, according to MayoClinic.com, it's important to instill healthy eating habits that will help your teen have a healthy body weight. The image of models in magazine ads and commercials may not help your teen's dieting habits, especially if she believes that she must be thin to be pretty or successful. Your teen may seek a fad diet to achieve fast weight loss results, but a fad diet may cause your teen quite a bit of harm.
Why Are Fad Diets Bad?
Your teen needs quite a bit of nutrition, especially while he goes to school and plays sports. His body needs plenty of vitamins and minerals to help him accomplish these tasks, encourage strong healthy bones and help to keep him mentally focused. Fad diets typically limit food choices, which can restrict the amount of calcium, iron and other important nutrients that he needs. If he's still growing, this could stunt his bone growth, and not getting enough iron could make him tired, making it difficult to stay awake and focused in class.
Ways to Spot a Fad Diet
There are a few signs that will give your teen away if she's following a fad diet, according to TeensHealth.org. Most fad diets only allow a very small variety of food choices; this drastically reduces caloric intake. The diet may also suggest that your teen only eat certain combinations of foods. Some fad diets require a food bar or special drink to replace meals. You may also notice that your teen has a sudden interest in taking a diet pill or a powder or herb to help her lose weight.
Signs to Watch for in Your Teen
If you're worried that your teen is following a fad diet, pay close attention to what types of foods he's eating --- or not eating. Your teen may seem unusually tired or weak and may have difficulty following through with certain responsibilities, such as after school chores. He may not have the ability to focus on school or homework and his grades begin to drop. When your teen's not getting enough nutrition, it's hard for his body to keep up with the demands of his lifestyle. This will result in a lack of performance, since his body isn't getting the nutrition that it requires.
Considerations
If your teen's worried about her appearance or self-image, schedule an appointment with her pediatrician. Your teen's pediatrician will determine whether she's at a healthy weight by recording her height and weight. The pediatrician may recommend a healthy diet that your teen can easily follow that isn't calorie-restricting and will allow her to have enough energy, stay focused and develop at a healthy rate.
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