Teen Dieting: A Complete Disaster?

From my experience (I am a counselor on a weight loss forum) with teens trying to lose weight, many of them want instant results (or VERY quick ones) and don't know a lot about nutrition. They try to go on 200 calorie/day diets and get upset when they can't stick to them or they down "sports drinks" during workouts to "lose weight" when they are really consuming a lot of extra calories. A lot of the teens I talk with complain that they WANT to eat healthier, but their families won't buy healthy foods, so they are forced to eat something like canned tuna while the rest of the family eats lasagna. It's no wonder most teens who try to diet end up failing.

Hi I am a 16 year old trying to loose weight and this is soo true but It is possible we as teens should try to get more active trying to loose weight shouldnt be all about eating less it should be about doing more get outside and get active or if not outside do some workout when ever like if your watching tv between shows doing homework every ten math problems do 100 crunches I am not in amazing shape but Im not giving up and I think it could work combined with food portioning which is hard because I love to eat but you gotta learn how to say no.

It is a difficult situation. Developing bodies need good nutrition, not extra empty calories. Healthy eating is particularly important for teenagers but I am afraid society has failed them by allowing the advertising machinery to get away with marketing worthless junk food to them for years. Now we have epidemics of overweight and diabetic teens. With one out of two parents being overweight or obese, I don’t see much relief in sight.

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Wow, I didn't know that James, and thanks for cueing us all in! :)

i can´t afford to go organic( too expensive),and even if i could, why do i want to stick around longer, if all my family will go before me? there is just no way to convince them to go organic, believe me i have been trying for 3 years now.

Ummm... I knew I had to lose weight fast, as I wouldnt have the interest to lose it over a long time period (which I think is typical of a 15 year old, lack of focus type mentality). I alternately did 1600 and 1000 calorie plans, and lost the weight in two separate periods of two months. Three years later its still off!

Facinating stuff, James! I'm a fan of organics, as well, and while I'm not in the position to frequently purchase the products, I'm blessed with the space and climate to grow my own vegetables during the "warmer" part of the year (I live in New England). I highly suggest giving it a shot to anyone who's looking to positively change their diet and lifestyle- gardening is quite theraputic, if I do say so meself. :)
Now, about us teens. I'm a 16 year old female, and I've got to tell you, it's unquestionably the most superficial demographic our country has to offer. I for one believe that it is because of our reliance on the media as a trustworthy source; it's absolutely ridiculous, the ways we are targeted and allow ourselves to be shaped mentally (and, if we're taught to obsess enough, physically) as ideal consumers and individuals. We, western teens, are set up for failure because of our environment and the absence of unbias, genuine "good-for-you" information about safely maintaining and enjoying one's body. Two years of Health class? Apparantly ineffective. I know, it's hard to make skeptical adolescents care, but if a bunch of sly corporate snipers can take out our youth with such frightful precision, why can't teachers and healthcare professionals do the same? Broadcast what they have to say, not Lance Sixpack or Denise Diuretic... I think that would be a good start.

I can agree that going organic is a good idea but how realistic is really? I have two kids and a husband to support and as much as I want to purchase two carrots for ten dollars I can't afford that. I think that organic foods started out good but then they just became another one of those products that became a money grab. The reason why farmers stopped being organic was because it wasn't cost effective. Farmers have a hard enough time making ends meet they don't need people boycotting their food. I come from a long long line of farmers and I can say that they aren't the bad money hungry people that you think they are. It's the middleman that is getting most of the profit for both Organic and non organic foods. And on the teen obesity problem, have you checked out what your teen daughter's choices in clothes are? Tigh, tighter, short, shorter, or tansparent. What happened? When I was a teen grunge was in so you had a choice to go lots of coverage. Now we're just trying to produce the next pardon the expression but HO. Although I will say this, we also don't give teens enough credit. They aren't as naive as we like to think they are. Although the TV does have to go. Kudos to the young woman above my post. She shows some real brains and maturity. At least you can tell by reading her post she's going some where.

I want to loose weight in my stomach and thighs

I am a 16-year-old health freak.unlike most teens I don't rely on my parents for food, they don't eat organic- so i have to buy whatever food i eat. I have been overweight for the past 8 years. (fit and healthy, but overweight). I found a great method-eating 6-8 times a day(little meals) and walking an hour a day.People in other countries walk alot and don't get fat, Americans walk about 1 mile average a day. this way it's effective, but safe from overexersion and malnurishment

btw, Jen you are so awesome. I used to do the whole gardening thing too, but it just didn't work for me, I might try again though.

hey yall im kary and im 17 years old yes yes its true alot of teens want to try and loose weight its a battle for most of us but heres something i did that works for me i ate breakfast in the morning then around noon time i ate lots of veggies then like dinner time i ate small portions of food after dinner i would go outside right before dark where its cool cuz i live in texas so i would run back and forth through the streets for about 45 min so my metabolism would gradully get faster because i just ate and also you should always drink lots and lots of water to

hey! i dont wanna lose a whole lot of weight, just about 5-10lbs. but im not exactly sure how to do it. can you email me back with some tips and suggestions mabey? thnx! love sam

Sam: stay active - exercise, walk, etc. And avoid junk food and fast food. Try to eat "real foods" (like baked potato, and not potato chips, and so on). That is it.

Well, I would love to lose weight.=]

I am 16, 5'1, 118 pounds, female.So, I'm not exactly fat, but I am starting to get a bit of a gut and flabby thighs and I want to change before it gets worse.

My family orders out ALOT, we hardly ever eat in..so its hard for me to eat right.

Some tips would be loverly

Btw.I'm super shy.So a gym isn't gonna cut it.

Megan, you are not fat at all, but you could exercise. Everyone should anyway. If you can't go to a gym, what about walking or biking or doing an exercise tape? If you have the room, maybe buying a stationary bike? They are very cheap second-hand. If you buy your local newspaper or go to garage sales, you'll see people selling theirs for $20 or so, just to get rid of them. Notice I didn't recommend team sports. I'm shy too, so no way would I play a team anything.

As for the food, is learning to cook a possibility? I'm guessing "from books", since there isn't a lot of cooking going on in your family. If it is not, maybe just trying to find new places your family can order from, that also serve healthy options + buying and keeping easy stuff like sandwich fixings, whole wheat bread, eggs, oatmeal, so that you can have an option if they insist on ordering from a place where it is all unhealthy.

U teens r nuts u dont need diets!

kati said:
Hi I am a 16 year old trying to loose weight and this is soo true but It is possible we as teens should try to get more active trying to loose weight shouldnt be all about eating less it should be about doing more get outside and get active or if not outside do some workout when ever like if your watching tv between shows doing homework every ten m[...]

It is true but somtimes you get really tired. ive tried getting active and all that leads to is cramps and pain. Seriously I coudnt walk for a week. I felt sick and like i was going to faint.

hi im 16 and in april i am going on holiday with my boyfriend and his family... and lots of others.. i really need to lose weight as i am 11 stone 1 pound. am in a size 14 and it doesnt look good. I am not confident in this size.. can someone please help? i exercise everyday because i love sport. what should i eat please email me? please thanks xxx

and btw i have tryed dieting but its really hard.. :( please help me? x

girl in pain, 11 stone 1 pound is 145 pounds. If you are 5'4" or taller, you are not overweight.

If you want to lose weight, the good news is you don't have to diet in the sense of going hungry. That sucks. I hate it too. All you have to do is stop eating all sorts of processed foods. Anything that comes from a factory and not a farm. Then eat enough of the natural foods, like fruit, vegetables, meat, chicken, fish, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, dairy, so that you are not hungry anymore but not stuffed either. And eat them 5 to 6x a day, not in 3 big meals. Keep exercising and there you go, you'll lose weight.

It sounds incredibly simple and easy, but it is also pretty hard cause 90% of the food anyone eats out there nowadays is processed food. So it will be cheap, and simple, but you won't really "eat normally". What we normally eat right now is the reason so many people are overweight.

i really dont think teens should starve thereselves cause they think they are fat well my thoery is that you are beautiful the way you are!!!!!

even though thats my theory i look at myself in the mirror and iam disgusted with my body but the problem is im 105 pounds and thats skinny...i dont starve myself or anything i just feel extremil fat and disgusted and i really dont know why!!

ok i know im alittle late on this but maby you should be confident because im sure your boyfriend loves you for who you are but if you want to know what to eat just eat everything but cut down on it like eat less of everything and your wieght should be maintained oh and eat lots and lots of green fruits and vegiebles!!

girl in pain said:
hi im 16 and in april i am going on holiday with my boyfriend and his family... and lots of others.. i really need to lose weight as i am 11 stone 1 pound. am in a size 14 and it doesnt look good. I am not confident in this size.. can someone please help? i exercise everyday because i love sport. what should i eat please email me? please thanks xxx[...]

i'm 14 and some people say i'm to skinny some say i'm middle size but most say i'm skinny and i think i'm fat too but i still eat alot but not healthy but i don't gain or loose weight.

You are fine the way you are, Ary.

Hi there...I'm 15 yr old female, changed my diet recently 3-4 months ago, am 5'4.5" and used to weigh 115-119, I now weigh 105-109. I lost the unneccesary weight by becoming bulimic and restricting my calories all together. I've developed digestive problems(chronic constipation, bloating, gas).I'm now trying to keep my daily calories between 700-1000 while eating all healthy(fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lowfat dairy, seafood, lean meats). I freak out if I go over 1100, even though I know it's best for me and I want to be "normal" again. If you know you don't need to lose extra weight, please, please don't. It's NOT worth it. This has turned into something I would have never wanted nor expected. If you DO need to lose weight because you are overweight, then be smart and talk to an adult about becoming healthier. Otherwise, dig your own hole like I did, and walk in circles trying to find a way out by yourself, forever.

So I am a 13 year old female (I know I'm like the youngest person here) but I'm 4' 11 1/2" inches tall and 88 lbs. I know i'm not overweight but I have flab on me. I do track three days a week, dance one day a week, and tennis either one or two. I have lost 10 lbs, but that was like a year ago. I just don't want to have all this flab on me, especcially because summer is coming up and that means bathing suit season. Can anyone help me?

Hi B,

I'm glad you don't think you're overweight! You're don't sound flabby either, given your height and weight. It's really hard to know how others see you, even at my age but especialy at yours. What you think is "flab" someone else might think of as invisible, and a third person would think of as cute.

This is a great thing to talk about with some woman you're close to and who has seen a lot of people like you - your track coach, maybe.

I'm pretty sure you don't have any flab or fat at such a low weight, B. Stay active, and eat real foods (not stuff from a package) and you'll be fine.

At your age, your body is changing and it feels strange to suddenly find a curve where it used to be straight just a week ago, and so on, and you may think your new figure is flabbier, but it isn't. It is just part of turning from a girl into a woman. It will take some getting used to, but it is all in your mind. You don't weigh enough to have an ounce of flab on you, I promise.

hi...i'm 15, 120lbs and i have this great boyfriend whose in great physical shape"six pack"...but i feel like i should be more skinnier..."thunder thighs"..i have ..great hair, eyes, stomach, legs..easy workouts for the thighs plz!!!just wnt 2 live healthier life

Im always tring new diets and all the time I fail at reaching the weight that I want to be at can anybody tell me about a diet that worked for you.

Julia Paulson said:
Im always tring new diets and all the time I fail at reaching the weight that I want to be at can anybody tell me about a diet that worked for you.[...]

Hey guys. I'm 15yrs. old, weigh about 120lbs., stand 5'4.5" tall, and I need some serious help. My goal weight is 115lbs., but I'm having trouble getting there. I limit my calorie intake to about 600-700 calories a day, and I walk a lot. I don't want to turn into a person with an eating disorder, because I've seen what that disease can do to a person. But I am always stressing over how many calories and servings are in everything I eat. Being that I am a vegetarian (pescetarian, actually), it would seem that I should have no problem losing weight. I just need advice on a healthy way to go from a size 5 to a size 3, PLZ???

CC said:
Hey guys. I'm 15yrs. old, weigh about 120lbs., stand 5'4.5" tall, and I need some serious help. My goal weight is 115lbs., but I'm having trouble getting there. I limit my calorie intake to about 600-700 calories a day, and I walk a lot. I don't want to turn into a person with an eating disorder, because I've seen what that disease can do to a pers[...]

You are already very lean and losing five pounds would put you into the "underweight" category. See a doctor, because you are already turning into someone with an eating disorder. You really should be eating at least twice as much as what you are.

I just read your post and it made me really sad. I've been bulimic and anorexic since I was 15. I'm now 23 and I'm trying to recover,but believe me, this is NOT a road you want to go down if you can help it.

In physical terms, like the poster above said, you are already slim, and your body probably doesn't want to lose any more weight. You don't NEED to lose weight. Also, if you're only eating 600-700 calories a day, your body is in or is heading for starvation mode, where it holds on to every single calorie for dear life because it doesn't know when you are going to feed it again.

You really should see a doctor or a counselor to talk about what you should do. Also, this website is really helpful (at least for me): www.somethingfishy.org

Please take care of yourself! You are worth it!

CC said:
Hey guys. I'm 15yrs. old, weigh about 120lbs., stand 5'4.5" tall, and I need some serious help. My goal weight is 115lbs., but I'm having trouble getting there. I limit my calorie intake to about 600-700 calories a day, and I walk a lot. I don't want to turn into a person with an eating disorder, because I've seen what that disease can do to a pers[...]