Dealing with obesity during the teenage years can be challenging. There is often a distortion of what a healthy weight really is and added pressure from peers. However, maintaining your weight and following a healthy diet during your teenage years can help you make healthy changes that can continue into adulthood. The guidelines for a heart-healthy diet for a teen are similar to an adult. Eating a well-balanced, heart-healthy diet will not only help you lose weight but also maintain a healthy weight for life.
Importance
There's more to being overweight than unhappiness with the way you look. Teenage obesity can lead to long-term health complications. If you are an overweight teen, you have a 70 percent chance of becoming an overweight or obese adult, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Along with obesity comes an increased risk for heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and diabetes.
How to Change Your Diet
When you begin any new diet or weight loss plan, take gradual steps. Immediately throwing yourself into an entirely new regimen can be overwhelming and stressful; thus, start with what you drink. Avoid the vending machines at school and cut out sugary beverages like energy drinks and soda. Instead, drink something with nutrients like an all-natural fruit juice, low-fat milk or water. Add lemon or cucumber to water for added flavor. When you eliminate sugary drinks, you will reduce caloric intake, give your body more nutrient-rich foods and make your dentist happy all at the same time. Once you feel comfortable with a change, make another small change.
Heart-Healthy Fats
Most heart-healthy diets encourage the low-fat approach. This can be deceiving because the goal is mainly to reduce the bad fats from your diet and get more good fats. You can still eat a normal amount of fat per day but you want to replace the unhealthy options. The fats you want to avoid are saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats are primarily found in animal products like dairy, meat and eggs. Trans fats are found in baked goods. Replace these fats with unsaturated fat sources, which help to lower cholesterol. Unsaturated fats are found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and seafood. Instead of eating a burger for lunch, try packing healthy lean cuts of meat or fish. You can cut out mayonnaise from your sandwich and replace it with avocado, a heart-healthy fat. Avoid eating deep-fried foods when possible to cut down on unhealthy fat sources. Talk to your parents about heart healthy dinner options, which should include more plants and lean meat.
Fiber Intake
Besides more heart-healthy fats, include three 1 oz. servings of fiber daily. Fiber is both a heart-healthy and diet-friendly food. Fiber helps absorb excess cholesterol and glucose in the bloodstream, then continues to flush it out of your system. This process can help reduce your risk for heart complications later in life. In addition, fiber helps you maintain a feeling of fullness and provides your body with energy. Fiber as an energy source is important because it can help you become more focused and improve your concentration, which may even help you do better in school.
References
- Office of the Surgeon General; Overweight in Children and Adolescent; January 2007
- American Dietetic Association: Healthy Weights for Teens
- American Heart Association: Healthy Diet Goals
- MayoClinic; Energy Density and Weight Loss: Feel Full on Fewer Calories; January 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Fiber
