Teenage girls' diets inadequate
4 April 2003
Australian research shows teenage girls are more likely than teenage boys to have a diet deficient in micronutrients.
(Micronutrients are substances that are not synthesised by the body but which are needed by the body in very small amounts, and so must be provided in the diet. Examples include vitamins and most minerals.)
Researchers from Adelaide's Flinders University looked at the diets of 3000 children and teens, representative of the population.
Some 23 per cent of teenage girls had an inadequate intake (less than 70 per cent of the recommended daily intake) of 3 or more of the following nutrients: riboflavin (vitamin B2), phosphorus, magnesium, iron, calcium or zinc.
This was compared to 5 per cent of teenage boys.
The researchers said the gender difference was possibly because boys generally ate larger quantities of food than girls, yet both need similar amounts of micronutrients (Nutrition and Dietetics 2003; 60: 16-22).
Inadequate micronutrient intake in teenage girls was worrying, as a low iron intake risked impaired immune function in addition to anaemia, and those with zinc deficiency risk impaired wound healing, the researchers said.
Teens were more likely than younger children to have an inadequate micronutrient intake.
For example, of children under 11, only 6 per cent had an inadequate calcium intake.
But they were concerned that children over 4 years old with low calcium intakes risked poor long-term bone health. They said it was unlikely that that their calcium intake would increase in later years if dairy products were not a regular component of the diet in younger life.
Last Reviewed: 06 April 2003
- 1. Medical Observer Weekly 4/4/03
