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Teens at the Table
The American Medical Association Weighs in on Nutrition and Young People
Folic Acid
Folic acid, a B vitamin, is an essential nutrient, especially for girls and women of childbearing age. A deficiency of folic acid during pregnancy can cause neural tube defects such as spina bifida in a fetus. All adolescent girls should get at least 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, either in a supplement (all multivitamin supplements include folic acid) or in food. Good sources of folic acid include green, leafy vegetables, fruit, cheese, legumes, liver and fortified breakfast cereals and other grain products.
based on their body build and height. During adolescence, girls often start dieting to lose the additional fat that comes with puberty. Boys usually develop eating disorders as a result of a desire to succeed in sports or to meet a sport's weight requirements. Most eating disorders start during adolescence. Having an eating disorder can lead to changes in the body's metabolism, damage to internal organs, and skin and dental problems. Symptoms include fainting, anxiety, dry skin and fine hair all over the body. In girls who have bulimia, scars may form on the hands or knuckles. Girls who become too thin can stop having menstrual periods.
Most people who have an ating disorder also have depression or an anxiety disorder. About 40 percent have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Eating disorders can severely and irreversibly harm the body and can be fatal. They can also cause serious psychological problems. In addition to placing tremendous pressure on a person's relationships with family and friends, eating disorders can lead to the following health problems:
