Biology

The youth are confronting many challenges in their lives and one of these concerns has something to do with their health. It is undeniable that young as they are, these group of people have indispensable cooperation in the social as well as the economic problems in the world. To keep the minds and bodies of the youth in their fullest potential, it is necessary for them to receive proper nutrition and exercise. Food affects the productivity of everybody in the same way that the youth affects the growth of the entire nation. Food affects the mental, physical as well as the emotional health of the people therefore, it is necessary for everybody to get their priorities straight when it comes to choosing everything they put in their plate. In the hands of the children lie the hope for the future generations and in order for them to get there, a healthy and balanced diet is necessary.

It is known to many that teenage years is the time when people experience a lot of changes in their mind and body and it is during these years that the functions of the different parts of the body reach their peak. As such, a healthy diet is essential for all people regardless of what age bracket they belong to but during teenage years, the importance of having a nutritious and balanced diet greatly increases because a growing and developing mind and body needs adequate supply of healthy food. Improper diet for teenagers may lead to obesity, anemia and even hypertension (Lucas).

If there is one thing that adults must know is that one cannot force something on a teenager if he or she does not want to. In order to inspire teenagers to have a proper diet, adults must find a way to make them understand its importance in their own terms. Most teenagers are very much connected to their friends, school buddies and sports. They do not bother understanding what a balanced diet is and according to research, the obesity rate continues to climb. Teenagers, especially the girls, are confronted with the problem of having unhealthy habits connected with dieting. As teenagers become independent, they make their own food choices and oftentimes, these decisions are influenced by time and convenience, parental influence on their eating behavior like the culture and family religion, hunger and food cravings, likes and dislikes. It is common for teenagers to be more influenced by external environment than what they see at home because these youngsters make their choices in order to satisfy their wants and needs. Taste is the primary factor that influence food choices. Most of the time, teenagers get the food that satisfies their palates because eating these types of food will make them feel good. Parents also have a great impact in the lives of the children. They prepare the food that the kids eat at home thereby giving the adults a greater opportunity to be role models when it comes to eating nutritious diet. Schools also have a great influence on what teens put into their stomachs. As such, the school nutrition education seminars must be filled with information that would educate the children about healthy eating. Lastly, peers and media advertisements set the standards of what eating must be like for teenagers. Televisions, Internet and Magazines subconsciously dictate to the children what is in and what is not and the food ads they often see have considerable impact in their food and lifestyle choices. It is therefore important for the children to be encouraged into making the right food choices because during these ages, they tend to be very vulnerable and as such, guidance is extremely a valuable necessity ( Understanding What Influences Your Teens Diet ).

The United Arab Emirates is experiencing an increase in the percentage of non-communicable diseases caused by poor health and lifestyle habits. As such, they made a program to raise awareness about the health threats that are growing in their nation. In order to combat the health problems and any other problem for that matter, both public and private institutions must help each other to fight obesity. According to statistics, more than 30 pf their adults are obese and this is very dangerous because people who are overweight have a greater tendency of having many chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and other types of cancer. After detecting this problem, there is nothing left for them to do but to act quickly and using these lectures, the government aims to increase awareness and encourage the people to maintain a healthy diet to control the increase of obesity ( 37 Obesity Rate Among UAE ).

Most diseases have a nutritional basis since proper nutrition brings healthy immune system to fight infectious diseases. There are some nutritional deficiencies that result to serious health problems such as scurvy which is due to the deficiency from vitamin C. other such diseases are called ricketts which is a weakened bone condition caused by the deficiency on vitamin D, goiter which is an enlarged thyroid gland due to lack of iodine, anemia, lack from iron, pernicious anemia, lack of vitamin B12, nerve disorder from lack of B vitamins, appetite disorder due to lack of B vitamins and iron, and bleeding disorders from lack of vitamin K ( What diseases are related to poor nutrition ). Children must start with eating healthy food as young as they are so that when they reach adulthood, they will not encounter these kinds of problems.

Teenagers must eat a healthy and balanced diet proportionate to their energy needs. A balanced diet is defined as a diet having all food items from the major food groups. The five major food groups are grains, fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy and meat alternatives. A balanced diet generates a balance from these five groups hence the word balance. It gives the body the nutrients it needs to have good health. Contrary to popular belief, a balanced diet is not about a single meat, it is a habit maintained over a particular period of time ( What is the importance of a balanced diet ). The diet must also be abundant in protein, starch food, milk and dairy. Food that are very high in fat must be avoided and must only be eaten in very small amounts. Milk, cheese, tofu and nuts are great sources of calcium that these children need in order to have healthy bones and teeth. Iron is necessary for having healthy blood and research shows that some young people lack the proper iron intake. Meat and fish are rich sources of iron. Everybody must eat at least two servings of fish in one weak because fishes are a great source of protein and is low in saturated fat. Young men must have at least four portions of oily fish in one weak because these are a good source of omega three or fatty acids. Teenagers must maintain a healthy weight and to those who are overweight, they must discipline themselves by getting a lot of physical activity and a proper diet. It is a good idea to avoid sweets like candy and cakes. It is likewise recommended that these people eat less fatty foods and more fruits and vegetables ( Your Teenager ).

To have a healthy diet means  to watch the food intake and diet of an individual. The youth should always make it sure that their diet is healthy so that they will never encounter problem in their health and lifestyle. To be able to do that, first, the youth must avoid excess sugar. Too much sugar in the diet will lower an individuals resistance to bacterial infection. Likewise, no matter how balanced your diet is, it is good to take vitamins to make a healthy and sound body.  Avoiding alcohol is also a good avenue in maintaining healthy diet and lifestyle. Teenagers tend to eat fats and junk foods when they are drinking alcohol. So avoiding the alcohol itself will help an individual not to eat fats and junk foods which are indeed not healthy to ones body ( Welcome to the World of Beauty, Care and Fashion ). Another helpful thing is eating vegetables. Green vegetables have the capacity to ward off diseases. In addition, drinking of water would be also a good practice to remove toxins and wastes materials from ones body ( Drinking water to maintain good health ). These are only some of the things that an individual can do in order to maintain good diet and prevent diseases and health problems due to poor nutrition.

In total, it is indeed that the food we take is very important so that we can maintain healthy lifestyle and living. Diseases can be prevented with proper nutrition and healthy diet. By having healthy diet and by avoiding the unhealthy foods, the youth can be more happy and healthy in their living.