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News Releases
Fast Foods Good for Teens
Columbia, Mo. (Mar. 14, 2007) Your daughter is extraordinary. She's beautiful, intelligent, healthy - the entire package. But her healthy appearance may be deceptive. She is probably one of 9 out of 10 girls who are not getting the recommended daily allowance of calcium. "Adolescents ages 10 to 18 should consume 1300 mg of calcium per day," says Beth Richards, director of the Missouri Arthritis and Osteoporosis Program, "especially during a growth spurt." According to the National Institutes of Health, teenage girls should consume three to four servings of calcium daily.
Osteoporosis -the thinning of the bones - is common among aging women. But with today's trend of low calcium consumption, American teenagers are at higher risk of developing this debilitating disease. Help protect your daughter's bone health by choosing fast, calcium-rich foods. Here are a few ideas:
- Breakfast. A lot of teenage girls skip breakfast because of demanding schedules. Eating right should be a priority for your daughter...and that starts with breakfast. Idea: Send your daughter out the door with a low-fat yogurt. She can eat it on the way to school!
- Low-fat Lunch. As teenage girls develop, many are concerned with their body image and fear gaining weight. There are many calcium-rich foods available that are low-fat and low-calorie. Idea: Pack a string cheese in her lunch for fun, easy calcium.
- Snack Time. In order to create a habit, your daughter must like the calcium-rich foods she's eating and not feel inconvenienced by consuming the recommended daily serving. Idea: As you drop her off at the mall, suggest she and her friends grab a slice of cheese pizza.
- Exercise. Participating in weight-bearing exercise at least three times each week for 30-minutes or more can help strengthen her bones. Idea: Encourage her to try a new team sport at school.
- Late Night. Next time she has a sleepover, don't set out soda and chips for the girls to snack on. Idea: Your daughter can make fruit smoothies with her friends over girl talk.
And, if your daughter is lactose-intolerant, don't worry! She can still consume calcium by eating vegetables, almonds, soy products, and even calcium-fortified foods and juices.
Your daughter will have no problem increasing her calcium intake and exercising if you're setting a good example for her to follow. Osteoporosis is a very serious disease, but one that can be prevented.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Missouri School Boards' Association and the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center have an educational video on osteoporosis and children that is available online at:
http://winmedia.umsl.edu/msba/Osteoporosis_Broadband_High_384x288.wm
The Missouri Arthritis Research Rehabilitation and Training Center (MARRTC) was established in 1971 at the University of Missouri-Columbia Arthritis Center. MARRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133B031120) and is the only federally funded arthritis rehabilitation research and training center in the country.
As part of the MU Health Communication Research Center (HCRC), MARRTC's mission is to become a national leader in the areas of disability management and communication, improve the quality of life and promote independent living among people who have arthritis and arthritic conditions. MARRTC's core message is "Disability is everyone's issue."
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