Review Article
Year: 2018 | Month: June | Volume: 8 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 290-301
Nutritional Adequacy in Teenage
Shuchi Tripathi1, Sangeeta Gehlot2
1Ph.D. Scholar, 2Head and Professor,
Department of Kriya Sharir, Faculty of Ayurveda, IMS BHU, Varanasi, India
Corresponding Author: Shuchi Tripathi
ABSTRACT
The period of transition from childhood to adulthood occurs between the ages of 13 to 19 and is termed as teenage or adolescence in case the upper age limit reaches upto 21. Numerous external and internal factors lay influence upon the food choices and dietary pattern of teenagers, which might lead to altered nutritional status in them, such as malnutrition. Malnutrition includes under as well as over nutrition both. It has long been affecting infants and pre-schoolers on a large scale in under-developed and developing countries, but now even teenagers are getting malnourished due to abnormal eating habits. Those belonging to developed nations, follow westernized eating habits, disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, etc., while those belonging to comparatively lesser developed nations, burdens of food insecurity, nutritional unawareness, poverty and many such factors are responsible for leading the individual towards under nutrition. Thus this condition has become a matter of global health concern. It is therefore necessary to address the causative factors leading to malnourishment and understand its symptoms and dietary management. This review enlists the characteristics features, symptoms, and management of malnutrition from both, ancient and current perspectives. The risk factors have been categorised into Ahar janya factors (dietary factors) and Vihar janya factors (lifestyle factors).The paper also highlights the required amount of different nutrients for teenagers such as calories, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibre, and certain micronutrients. Description has been provided regarding the appropriate foods to be taken by under and over nourished individuals and certain behavioural modifications needed to be made by them.
Key words: Teenage, Adolescents, Malnutrition, Diet, Nutrition.