Should I go on a diet?
(http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/dieting/diet.html) |
It seems like
every time you turn around, someone is talking about dieting. Every tabloid at
the supermarket has details on the hottest celebrity fad
diets. Whenever you turn on the TV, there's another infomercial raving
about a liquid diet plan or
diet supplement.
During gym class your best friend always complains about her "big"
hips and how she's going on a diet to get rid of them.
This
constant focus on weight and
dieting
may leave you wondering whether you need to go on a diet yourself.
The truth is
that not all teens that diets actually need to lose weight. Many times,
friends, family, and society influence the way we see our
bodies.
Pressures like these can prompt some teens to take drastic dieting measures,
leading to malnutrition and
eating disorders
such as anorexia and bulimia. And because teens are still growing, drastic
dieting can be especially harmful to their developing bodies. Other teens may
mistakenly think that in order to be in top form for their chosen sport, they
need to be as thin as possible.
These pressures
are one of the reasons why the best person to see when you have a question
about dieting is your
doctor.
Your doctor can help you determine what is a
healthy weight
for your body size and shape. He or she can help you decide whether you need to
be on a diet at all. And if necessary, your doctor can refer you to a dietitian
or nutrition specialist.
Building
a Healthy Body Even without
seeing your doctor, you can make
smart food choices
that will keep you healthy. Rather than drastically cutting calories,
try substituting healthy food choices for not-so-healthy ones. Instead of
chewing down on chips when you get home from school, try a piece of fruit or
some vegetables.
Simple low-fat
substitutions can make a huge difference in your calorie intake as well. For
example, skim or low-fat milk or water is better drink choices when you're
thirsty - soda and fruit drinks are loaded with calories and sugar and short on
nutritional benefits.
Another thing to
keep in mind is that
exercise
can help you feel and look better. Regular exercise tones your muscles while
you burn calories and fat, and it makes you look sleeker and slimmer.
Remember that toning up takes time. Running the
mile in gym class once a year won't make a difference in overall weight loss,
so start slowly and work up to it.
Whether you go
on a diet or not, exercising and healthy eating are excellent ways to keep
your body in great shape. Cutting down on the time you spend in front of the
computer or TV can help you boost your activity level and may even help you
snack less. And research shows that people who exercise regularly are more
likely to maintain their new weight if they've lost weight. So,
get moving and keep your health on track!
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