Dieting girls short on vital nutrients

Many adolescent girls try to control their weight in ways that may leave them deficient in calcium, iron and other essential nutrients.Researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis conducted a study, which involved more than 4,144 students at Minnesota middle schools and high schools. The students answered questions on their diets and whether they used any number of weight-control tactics, some healthy, some not. Nearly 88 per cent of girls said they were trying to lose or maintain their weight, more often than not by unhealthy means. They found that 57 per cent of girls were using at least one unhealthy approach to weight loss, such as fasting, skipping meals, smoking, or using laxatives, diet pills or diuretics. The fact that so many girls were worried about their weight is of concern, because most were not overweight, and it's clear that body dissatisfaction was playing a big role.Compared with their peers, girls who were trying to control their weight with an unhealthy approach ate fewer fruits, vegetables and grains, and had lower intakes of calcium, iron and several vitamins. The girls had poorer diets compared with girls who were not trying to control their weight and those who were using healthy means, such as increasing fruit and vegetable intake, cutting down on sweets, and exercising.

It's true that obesity is an increasing problem, but diets, like the ones many of the girls in the study turned to, are not the answer. Instead, children and teens, like adults, need to learn to follow a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and plenty of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. And an important way for them to learn this is from parents setting an example by eating well and exercising.If a child is overweight, it should not be repeatedly reinforced. Rather, parents need to support the child by buying healthy foods and encouraging physical activity. Though it may seem useless, telling kids that they need nutrients like calcium and iron for long-term health may also help.

The findings for boys painted a much more puzzling picture. Nearly one third said they'd tried to control their weight in an unhealthy manner, but these boys did not show the nutritional consequences that girls did. In fact, they had the highest fruit intake of all the boys in the study. In general, boys trying to control their weight, whether through healthy or unhealthy means, had higher-quality diets.

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