The connection between depression and nutrition is understood by very few people, while they can easily relate physical illness with nutrition deficiency. Teen anxiety is considered to be more of an emotionally-rooted or bio-chemical based phenomenon. On the other hand, nutrition plays a vital role in the onset as well as the duration and severity of depression among the teens.
Teenagers are totally unaware about the importance of nutrition to lead a healthy lifestyle. They are more inclined towards pre-processed cooked food and other packaged junk food rather than home made foods. They always find themselves in a hurry and want their food fast and quick. The importance of a nutritious diet cannot be stressed enough for the teenager’s emotional, mental, and physical development. Regular poor appetite, dominant appetite for sweetmeats, and skipping of meals are greatly responsible for the onset of depression in the teenage years.
Importance of calories and nutrients
The general population of places like America and Asia reflects that they are deficient in most of the essential vitamins, nutrients, fatty acids, and minerals. Also, one of the notable features of the patient’s distress from mental disorders is their poor diet and severe deficiency in nutrients. Teenagers are required to include sufficient quantities of calories for enhancing their development and growth. A teenage body demands more calories during early adolescence than any other period of life. On an average, young teen girls require approximately 2,200 calories and the teen boys’ body demands 2,800 calories each day.
Although calories from common foods are important, the one from healthy sources like vegetables, fruits, vegetables, low-fat food, and carbohydrates are the best sources. While many teenagers have their growth spurt during the teenage years, many have multiple growth spurts. Rapid changes in the height and body weight require more nutrients. Lack of a proper nutritious diet might make the teen feel weaker with a low immune system and susceptible to several contagious diseases. Nutritious brunch containing fruits, carbohydrates, and proteins help to reduce teen anxiety while providing them with greater energy, increased learning abilities, including athletic skills along with a healthier physical body appearance.
Effects of anxiety among teens
A recent study of the ‘National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey’ has shown that approximately 12.5 million or 17% adolescents and children between 2-19 years of age are prone to obesity. Lack of a healthy lifestyle, proper eating, and exercises are the sole reasons for the weight issue that also includes obesity. Obesity affects life expectancy, leads to depression or anxiety, and also increases the chances of heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes.
Teenagers do not always meet the requisite amount of daily vitamins and other nutrients. Gradually they fall short of their daily quota of iron, calcium, and zinc. There are food items that can cause mental calmness and reduce teen anxiety like bananas and seeds. A couple of bananas in the morning for breakfast can help to reduce teen anxiety. Keeping these few things in mind, will help teenagers to eat better and keep their mind and body healthy.