Teens are dieting, but most are the right weight

FOUR out of five Irish teenagers are about the right weight, but have diets rich in junk food and low in calories.

A year-long study of 450 secondary-school pupils aged 13 to 17 also found half of all teenage girls and a quarter of boys have tried to diet.

Half eat too much fat.

Scientists asked teenagers to record what they ate and found boys were consuming about 2,200 calories a day when they should be eating enough to provide their growing bodies with 2,400 to 2,900 calories.

Girls were consuming about 1,600 calories a day even though their bodies needed between 2,100 and 2,200 calories for healthy development.

The scientists found the typical teen diet was too low in fruit, vegetables, fibre, vitamins A and D, iron, calcium and folic acid.

Scientists asked the teenagers to record their exercise patterns and found most enjoyed a relatively high participation in physical activity inside and outside school.

Despite the mismatched diets of teens, the researchers found four in five were in fact a healthy body weight for their age.

Yesterday, Dr Anne Nugent, of University College Dublin, said in parts the research painted a positive picture about youngsters.

“It is very reassuring that four in five of our teenagers are a healthy body weight,” she said.

But she said the figures showed growing numbers of overweight and even obese youngsters — and a teen diet low in nutrients.

“Unfortunately three-quarters of Irish teenage girls and 19% of boys are not getting enough iron in their diets,” she said.

“We need iron to help us release energy and to ward off illnesses, infections and anaemia.

“And 42% of girls were not getting enough calcium, which is very worrying and is storing up problems for the future.”

The scientists traced the low calcium intake to teen diets low in milk, cheese and yoghurt. Teenagers were drinking just half a pint of full-fat milk a day even though they needed more.

All teenagers surveyed ate meat but instead of consuming fresh cuts they ate processed meats, which tended to be lower in iron, higher in salt and higher in fat.

The researchers also found teens were drinking about half a glass of water a day — but three times as much in soft drinks such as lemonade or cola.

The research, unveiled yesterday, was carried out by Cork and Dublin academics over a 12-month period between 2005 and 2006, and looked at results from a similar study published in 1990.

In 1990, 1% of teenage boys were obese while a further 5% were overweight — compared with 8% and 11% respectively today.

In girls, 3% were obese and 12% overweight in 1990 with the figures rising to 6% and 11% respectively, indicating a rise in obesity but a drop in being overweight.

Even though 80% of teens were a healthy weight, the researchers found one in three had tried to lose weight — equating to one in two girls and one in four boys.

Of those who were generally overweight, four in five girls wanted to lose fat compared with two in five boys.

Dr Nugent said teenagers who dieted tended to decide themselves on how they should lose weight instead of seeking good advice.

Weight watch

TEENAGERS enjoy a healthy weight despite their confused diets

* Four in five are about the right weight for their age — yet half of all girls and a quarter of boys have tried to diet.

* Three-quarters of girls and 19% of boys are getting too little iron, putting them at risk of anaemia.

* A third of teens spend two hours or more in front of the television on weeknights — rising to two-thirds at the weekend.

* Teens drink three times more fizzy drinks than water.

* The percentage of obese teenage boys in 1990 was 1% (girls 3%), but today is 8% (girls 6%).

* Boys are getting fatter quicker: in 1990 just 6% were obese or overweight yet today the figure is 19% — the figure for girls has risen from 15% to 17% in the same time.