Help with Troubled Teenagers
When counselors in Virginia interview teen clients suffering from behavioral problems, they often find that the behavior, in part, can be influenced by the teen’s diet. Teens in the U.S. have a tendency to eat a lot of food that one can consider is less than healthy. Not only that, much of the sustenance is made up of empty calories.
When you consider that about 15% of the young people in the ten-to eighteen-year-old age range are overweight, then you have to also note how this could affect of a child emotionally. After all, teens want to fit in at school and, as a result, are more self-critical as well as sensitive about the comments made by their peers. Therefore, a poor body image can be the root cause for a lot of behavioral problems at school and at home.
Research also indicates that the teen diet has vastly changed from what it was half century ago. At that time, kids ate healthier foods, all which were prepared at home. Now, the majority of foods that kids consume come from fast food restaurants. In fact, most teen diets include at least one meal from a fast food restaurant. If older adults who had health issues followed that sort of diet, most of them would be very sick. Therefore, it’s important that parents stress the importance of good nutrition and prepare meals that consist of equal portions of fruits and vegetables as well as grains and dairy products.
In addition to fast food, teens also like candy, chips, and cola. You might say they thrive primarily on fast food and vending machine items to get them through the day. As a result, serious health problems can result, including such health issues as obesity and diabetes. Obesity becomes a concern when a teen is at least 20% of what is considered to be a normal weight. Fast foods, especially fries and burgers, are extraordinarily high in fat as well as calories. It’s not a surprise then that they are the main foods that are linked obesity.
Burgers from fast food restaurants can “weigh in” at about 700 calories and contain around 40 grams of fat. That amount of fat alone almost reaches the daily allowance of fat for the day. Therefore, help with troubled teenagers in Virginia often includes making sure they are eating right as well.
Parents can help troubled teenagers live more healthily and feel better about themselves by assessing their diets and making the appropriate modifications. Parenting help is available in Virginia that can assist in this regard. Through social agencies and by consulting with nutritionists, parents can effectively direct a child to change his attitude about his appearance and give him the incentive to eat better too.
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