News

Irish Teenage Girls At Risk From Calcium Deficiencies
Healthy Habits, Not Short Cuts, Will Help You Look & Feel Well

(Tuesday 22nd July 2008) 79% of people in Ireland believe that teenagers are not drinking enough milk, according to findings from TNS mrbi 2008 research.    However teenage girls in particular, more than teenage boys, are at higher risk of serious dietary deficiencies or potential long term health problems. 

This is supported by preliminary findings from separate IUNA* research which has found that  42% of teenage girls do not have enough calcium as part of their regular diets.   By comparison, approximately one fifth of teenage boys do not have enough calcium (23%) .  (*IUNA, Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance, National Teen’s Food Survey – Preliminary Results 2008).

Irish teenagers are getting higher energy and fat intakes from biscuits, confectionery and snacks than from milk, cheese or yoghurt, according to the preliminary findings from the National Teen’s Food Survey (IUNA).    “But this means they are not getting the nutritional benefits they could get from natural milk and dairy products – such as calcium, protein, B vitamins (riboflavin, vitamin B12 and folate) and phosphorous,” says Dr Catherine Logan, Nutritionist with the National Dairy Council. 

Short Cuts Don’t Last

Research is also showing that  37% of Irish teenagers have tried to lose weight -  including some who are normal weight or even under weight – with girls twice as likely as boys to have tried to lose weight at some stage.  “Developing healthy habits and sticking with them is the most effective way to take control of health and weight.  There are no easy short cuts for anyone that really work and last,” according to Dr Logan.

”Teenagers who consume  an unbalanced diet, cut back on nutrient-rich foods, snack on the nutrient empty foods and skip meals such as breakfast will reap the negative effects, simply their physical appearance, body weight, health and  well being will suffer ,” says Dr Logan.  “But these dietary and lifestyle trends appear to be very prevalent amongst many Irish teenagers, especially girls, who could  therefore be placing themselves at increased risk of serious long term health problems in the future, such as osteoporosis.”

Restricting the intake of dairy foods, while on weight reducing diets, can be harmful to bone health at any age.  Teenagers are particularly at risk because their bodies demand calcium and other nutrients for the higher level of bone growth during their formative teenage years.  For example, a new born infant has around 25g of calcium in its skeleton, growing to an adult skeleton with between 1000- 1,500 g of calcium.

Guides & Guidelines

The National Dairy Council (NDC) is currently running a national advertising campaign to highlight the importance of milk & dairy products as a natural source of calcium and essential nutrients.  The NDC nutritional team has also produced two fact sheets which are relevant to everyone but with parents and teenagers particularly encouraged to read them in light of recent trends. The Guide to Healthy Eating and a Guide to Weight Loss are available free of charge (tel 01-616 9726) or visit www.ndc.ie.

Recommended dietary allowances for calcium set by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland are higher during the teenage years to support growth and development. Guidelines to meet this, of “five dairy a day” for teenagers, can be easily achieved from selecting a total of 5 servings, from:  1 oz or 28 g of hard cheese (about the size of a matchbox); one serving of ⅓ of a pint glass of milk; or one carton of yogurt .  Teenagers concerned about their weight or dieting, can always opt for low-fat dairy product choices which still give them important nutritional benefits.

“Recent TNS research in Ireland confirms that most people believe milk is a refreshing and nurturing drink (83% and 81%) – so it is easy to decide to drink milk as an alternative to fizzy drinks,” says Dr. Logan. 

“It does seem that some teenage girls are trying to deal with concerns about body image,” says Dr. Logan.    “However teenagers need encouragement and support from parents to switch to healthier snacking habits and to get back to the basics of the Food Pyramid with more regularly balanced diets.”

 

ENDS

Issued by: Antonina Ni Dhuinn, Progress Communications, tel: 01-2766117 nina@progresspr.ie

 

Sources of information:

If you would like a list of sources for this information, please contact us on nutrition@ndc.ie