The way adolescents spend their time can strongly influence their health later in life. Today’s teens are exposed to an array of technological tools that they can use to connect with information. But, being so connected might be disconnecting them from the healthy diets their developing bodies need. In the swirl of misleading and confusing nutrition information found in television advertisements and on the internet, it can be difficult for a teen to know what constitutes a proper diet. Rising rates of some health conditions, like diabetes and obesity, make it especially important that teens become educated about their dietary choices because what a teenager chooses to eat can have implications that last a lifetime.

Diet Information For Teens, Fifth Edition provides information about healthy smart dietary choices, including facts from the recently released Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The book discusses the essential components of a balanced diet such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, calcium, iron, and other minerals along with the information about dietary elements that may need to be limited, such as sodium, sugar, and fat. It explains how parents and caregivers can encourage healthy eating habits in teens. It describes the body mass index (BMI) and provides guidance to people seeking to achieve weight-related goals. A special section on disease prevention provides information about foodborne illness, eating disorders, and disorders where dietary choices are an essential part of disease management procedures. The book concludes with cooking tips and directories of resources for dietary and fitness information.