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Home › Articles › Health › Generation Fast Food

Generation Fast Food

Deficiencies in the American Teen Diet

By Carma Haley Shoemaker

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Time constraints, parents who work outside the home, extracurricular activities and social obligations; these are just a few of the reasons teens have developed a need for a quick meal or an "on the go" snack. Fast food, microwave-in-a-minute meals, meals on the go, and heat-n-eat are just a few of the marketing gimmicks that have appealed to households everywhere. Meals that once used to take hours to prepare now can be done in a fraction of the time, allowing teens to continue to be on the go. Have these types of meals affected teen's health and eating habits? You bet your burrito.

Issues affecting teen's health related to eating habits and weight have become forefront in medical news. As teens continue to eat on the run, their health continues to run out of control. " Obesity has increased 54 percent in the last 20 years resulting in 25 to 30 percent of teens being obese -- and the number is accelerating," says Susan Burke, a certified nutritionist from New York City, N.Y. "In addition, type II diabetes in children is an emerging epidemic. And as it is no surprise that type II diabetes is directly related to being overweight."

Why are Teens Eating so Badly?
Several factors of the average teens life must come into play to find the explanation. "There is no one reason, otherwise fixing the problem would be easy," Burke says. "The main factors that affect a teen's diet can be found at school, at home and in their lifestyle. Oftentimes it is not just one factor but a combination of two or more that attribute to a teen's poor diet."


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