Eating Behaviour and Nutrient Intake among Adolescent Girls from Middle Income Families

Abstract

Adolescence is a significant period in the development of dietary habits in children that remain at least in part as the individual progresses into adulthood. Food intake and eating behaviour of adolescents is influenced by a variety of factors. Especially important is the high level of dissatisfaction with body shape and weight or increased self-consciousness among girls. This forces them to adopt strict regimes for slimness, in pursuit of the goal i.e., to lose weight by skipping meals or omitting certain foods. Further the concept of self-identity makes them adopt erratic food behaviours. Hence, adolescent female represents a group at risk for nutrient deficiencies both in developing and industrialized countries.