Dieting among teenagers has increased at alarming rates. They are at a critical developmental stage of their lives and depriving their bodies of the essential nutrients could cause more harm than good. The problem is the type of diets that our teenagers are engaging in. Fad diets are on the rise within the teenage community; these diets are designed as the quick fix and their target audience is the impatient. Fad diets could lead your teenager to a serious eating disorder. In the event that a diet is warranted a more healthy approach needs to be taken.

Female teenagers are more likely to develop an eating disorder than their male counterparts because they are more body image conscious. Whenever they turn on the television or open a magazine they are confronted with the "Barbie Doll" look . They start to feel inadequate because they don't possess that same look, which is an unattainable look in most cases. It is nearly impossible for us to monitor our teenagers eating habits so we need to be watchful of the signs that an eating disorder is developing.

One of the worst things that we can do is confront the issue aggressively. This is only going to cause them to act out and in some cases make the situation worse. During meal time watch how they are or are not eating. Encourage open dialog during mealtime on any subject being careful to stay away from the dieting subject. Try to have your teenager eat more slowly and by all means no phones or television during dinner. We want to have their attention and avoid distractions.

Eating disorders can be overcome and your support is necessary. Proper nutrition ,exercise, and consuming one ounce of water for every pound that they weigh a day will get them back on track. Healthy eating, communication, and love will do wonders. Teenage dieting doesn't have to be problem dieting.



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