Adolescent.pptx

Adolescent  It is a period of rapid growth that causes major changes. It tends to begin between the ages 10 and 13 in girls and between 13 and 16 in boys.  Bones grow and gain density, muscle and fat tissue develop and blood volume increases.  Sexual maturity occurs: boys voices change. Girls experience the onset of menses; and both may experience acne.  Acne is not caused by specific foods but by overactivity of the sebaceous glands of the skin.

Food habits Adolescent are imitators, like children, but instead of imitating adults, adolescent prefer to imitate their peers and do what is popular.

Adolescents eating habits can be seriously affected by busy schedules, part time jobs, athletics, social activities and the lack of an available adult to prepare nutritious food when adolescent are hungry or have time to eat.

Calorie and Nutrient Needs

• Because of the rapid growth, calorie requirements naturally increases. • Boys calorie requirement tends to be grater than girls because boys are generally bigger, tend to be more physically active, and have more lean muscle mass than do girls. • Girls need more iron than boys because of menstration.

• Adolescence is a stressful time for most young people. • They are unexpectedly faced with numerous physical changes; an innate need for independence; increased work and extracurricular demands at school; in many cases, jobs and social and sexual pressures from their peers. • For many teens, such stress can cause one or more of the following problems

Anorexia Nervosa

• A psychological disorder more common to weomen than men. It can begin as early as late childhood but usually begins during the teen years or the early twenties. • It causes the client to drastically reduce calories, causing altered metabolism, which results in hair loss, low blood pressure, weakness, amenorrhea, brain damage and even death. • Causes of anorexia is unclear. • Someone with this disorder has an inordinate fear of being fat.

• Some anorexics have been overweight and have irrational fears of regaining lost weight. • Some may want to resemble slim fashion models and have a distorted body image where they see themselves as fat even though they are extremely thin. • Some fear of growing up • Many are perfectionist overachievers who wants to control their body. • It pleases them to deny themselves food when they are hungry.

• Young women usually set a maximum weight for themselves and become expert at “counting calories” to maintain their chosen weight. • They also often exercise excessively to control or reduce their weight. If the weight declines too far, the anorexic will ultimately die. • Treatment requires: • Development of strong and trusting relationship between the client and the healthcare professionals involve in the case. • That the client learn and accept that weight gain and a change in body contours are normal during adolescence.

• Nutritional therapy so the client may understand the need for both nutrients and calories and how best to obtain them. • Individual and family counseling so the problem is understood by everyone. • Close supervision by the healthcare professionals. • Time and patience from all involved.

Bulimia • First called bulimarexia, bulimia nervosa is a more recently recognized eating disorder than anorexia nervosa. • Bulimia nervosa is characterized by gorging on food followed by one of several extreme behaviors in attempts to rid the body of food and weight. • The adolescent suffering from bulimia nervosa eating abnormally large amounts of food, (known as binge eating) and regularly forcing her bowels to empty by taking laxatives (called purging) or voluntarily vomiting.

• They are said to fear they cannot stop eating. • They tend to be high achievers who are perfectionist, obsessive and depressed • They generally lack a strong of sense of self and have a need to seem special. • They know their binge purge syndrome is abnormal but also fear of being overweight. • Bulimia is not a life threatening, but it can irritate the esophagus and cause electrolyte imbalances, malnutrition, dehydration, and dental carries.

• Treatments usually includes limiting eating to mealtimes, portion control, and close supervision after meals to prevent self induced vomiting. • Diet therapy helps teach the client basic nutritional facts so that he/she will be more inclined to treat the body with respect. • Psychological counseling will help the client to understand his fears about food • Group therapy can also be helpful

Overweight

• It is particularly unfortunate because it is apt to diminish the individual self esteem and consequently can exclude him/her from the normal social life of the teen years. • The cause of overweight is difficult to determine. Heredity is believed to play a role • Overfeeding during infancy and childhood can be a contributing factor also.