Nutrition in adolescents: physiology, metabolism, and nutritional needs

Jai K. Das, Rehana A. Salam, Kent L. Thornburg, Andrew M. Prentice, Susan Campisi, Zohra S. Lassi, Berthold Koletzko, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

    251 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    Adolescence is the period of development that begins at puberty and ends in early adulthood. Most commonly, adolescence is divided into three developmental periods: early adolescence (10–14 years of age), late adolescence (15–19 years of age), and young adulthood (20–24 years of age). Adolescence is marked by physical and sexual maturation, social and economic independence, development of identity, acquisition of skills needed to carry out adult relationships and roles, and the capacity for abstract reasoning. Adolescence is characterized by a rapid pace of growth that is second only to that of infancy. Nutrition and the adolescent transition are closely intertwined, since eating patterns and behaviors are influenced by many factors, including peer influences, parental modeling, food availability, food preferences, cost, convenience, personal and cultural beliefs, mass media, and body image. Here, we describe the physiology, metabolism, and nutritional requirements for adolescents and pregnant adolescents, as well as nutrition-related behavior and current trends in adolescent nutrition. We conclude with thoughts on the implications for nutrition interventions and priority areas that would require further investigation.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)21-33
    Number of pages13
    JournalAnnals of the New York Academy of Sciences
    Volume1393
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Apr 2017

    Keywords

    • adolescent nutrition
    • adolescents
    • nutritional requirements
    • physiology

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General Neuroscience
    • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
    • History and Philosophy of Science

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