Impediments to Healthy Eating Practices among Adolescent Youth

Impediments to healthy eating practices among adolescent youth
Impediments to Healthy Eating Practices among adolescent youth
Perceptions, Facilitators and Barriers
Abstract
Background: Healthy eating gives an overall sense of satisfaction and well-
being. For the prevention of diseases like heart diabetes, heart disorder, high
blood pressure, cancer, asthma and stomach problems, doctors always recommend
healthy food. This problem is acute among the age group of 18 to 24. We shall
refer this group as a target group. This group is engaged in either study or just
joined their working place. Their budget is also limited and they want to lead a
fast life. This group is affected the most because they are habituated to taking fast
food. They may have knowledge regarding the importance of taking nutritional
food but; their changeover from school to college life gives them more freedom to
choose from a variety of food mostly in the category of fast food.
Purpose: This paper will analyze neglect of health among the target group
because of various factors and proper strategies will be worked out to articulate
them. [1]
They generally neglect their health due to a number of factors which include high
unaffordable prices of healthy foods and lack of education on nutrition. [2] They
have just started living on their own, at this age they may not analyze before
taking something whether it is good and bad for health and they are not serious
about whether their daily food meets the required nutritional needs.[3]
Method: Data obtained from the survey report conducted for this purpose will be
analysed. Qualitative analysis from different sources of literature and publications
will also be done.
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Impediments to healthy eating practices among adolescent youth
Results: Among the target group the majority of people prefer to take food
outside for various reasons however as the age increases there was a gradual shift
towards eating homemade healthy food. The detailed analysis will be given later
in this paper.
Conclusion: They may be having complete knowledge of nutritional
requirements for good health; even then whatever choices they make on food,
may not be a healthy one. Convenience and taste are given more priority to
quality.
1. Introduction
Every human being needs nutrients of different types for a healthy and active life.
These nutrients are supplied through the proper intake of foods on a day to day
basis to fulfil dietary needs. An adequate, balanced food along with regular
physical activities is required for maintaining good health. Because of the lack of
adequate nutrition, the immunity system of the body is affected, leading to
frequent chronic disease,[4] like diabetes, [5], cancer [6,7] coronary heart
disease [8,9]. Due to rapid urbanization and effects of globalization, there is an
increase in habit of consuming processed foods. As a result on account of the
change of lifestyles the dietary patterns also has been changed to a great extent.
People particularly the group referred to as target group nowadays prefer
processed food which is easily available. As a result, they are taking foods which
contain high amounts of fats, sugar, salt or energy. Many of them even do not take
enough vegetables, fruits and dietary fibres available in whole grain products like
wheat, unpolished rice etc. The guidelines issued by Australian dietary (details in
Appendix 3) recommended an RDI of fruits and vegetable serves {2 and 5 serves
respectively} according to the different age groups and gender. However, 2014 -
15 NHS found out that less than 50% of adults can satisfy the recommendations
of intake of fruit, while a meagre 7% of adults meet the vegetable intake
recommendations.[10]
2. Materials and methods
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Impediments to healthy eating practices among adolescent youth
Both qualitative, as well as quantitative methods, are used to identify the
problems. In the qualitative method, a literature review is conducted whereas
quantitative analysis feedback is obtained from different age groups by
interviewing them.
Qualitative method: a Literature review
Mary Story PhD, Dianne Neumark-Stainzer PhD, et al., in their publication on
“individual and environmental influences on adolescent eating behaviour”,
described 4 levels of influence. They are personal, interpersonal, environmental
and social.[11] A number of factors influence the daily food routines.
A. Cost
An important fact can be derived from most of the studies is that healthy good
food is considered too costly compared to ready-made fast food (junk food).
Cost is one of the factors which badly affects healthy food habits. Though the
number of studies conducted on this target group is few, it can be established that
they are also cost sensitive.[12] SAFrench, M Story et al.,[13] conducted a study
on price vs. sales of vegetables and fruits in which they found that there was a
400% increase in weekly sales after reducing the prices of vegetables and fruits
to 50%. Similar studies were conducted by many other researchers and the results
were almost the same. [14] This clearly shows the relation between the cost of
food materials and eating habits.
Cliona Ni Mhurchu et al.,[15] In their study, observed that by simple substitution
of food regularly purchased with food having better food value can substantially
improve the nutritional profile of the food without negatively affecting the overall
cost. This discovery can lead to two conceptions; 1. the widespread feeling that
“a healthy diet is expensive, may not be always true mainly for seasonal fruits
and vegetables; and 2. If the cost of nutritious food is reduced a little it increase
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Impediments to healthy eating practices among adolescent youth
their sales compared to less healthy stuff. However, it is a fact that healthy foods
like meat and spreads, are always expensive and can be replaced by soy-based
food or fish having high protein content and beneficial for health.
Andrea Carlson, PhD et al. [16] in their study, observed that the cost of food has
received plenty of attention because cost determines how much and what type of
food is to be chosen to eat, however, results regarding food’s dependence of costs
have been mixed. Another study conducted by some French scientists reported
contrary to the general conception that because of high-cost youth avoid taking
healthy food. They observed that there is an increase in nutrient density with
increase in food cost. However, only 73 common food was selected for the study,
leaving biases of the report as generally costly foods were excluded from the list.
Similarly, a Spanish study consisting of 166 foods have shown in the report that
diet quality is dependent on the cost of food however the cost was the third most
important entity in their study.
All these study gives a mixed responses to one of the main agenda that the target
group avoids costly food because of cost but the general opinion is that quality
good healthy foods are in general costly.
B. Time and convenience
This mindset works as a hindrance to their affinity for healthy food. They often
think they are very busy and even they skip a meal in the pretext that time will be
wasted during eating, they prefer some snacks instead. The remarks which are
commonly being made "We people are so engaged that they do not have time to
prepare healthy food", and "We have heavy work pressure on us".[17]
To establish the identity of healthy food among the target group we have to make
available healthy food like fresh fruits and healthy snacks in few areas of social
independence enjoyed by the young people so that they have the option to choose
healthy stuff.
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