Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Public Health Concerns

This comprehensive analysis delves into key facets of adolescent nutrition and its implications for health and lifestyle choices. The study explores recent trends that contribute to healthier living among teenagers, such as increased awareness around dietary impacts on cardiovascular health and the significance of vitamin D intake. It also addresses concerns related to sugar-sweetened beverages and their association with public health issues in young populations. Additionally, the role of engaging children in meal preparation is evaluated for its potential positive effects on food consumption patterns and nutritional outcomes. This multifaceted approach provides a detailed understanding of how dietary habits shape adolescent health, highlighting essential strategies for promoting well-being through informed nutritional choices.

Running head: BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIET
BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIET
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1BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIET
Executive Summary
This report provides information about the importance of both diet and physical activity in the
prevention of chronic diseases, particularly among teenagers. Maintenance of a healthy and
balanced diet is highly essential for maintenance of body weight and also reduces the risks
associated with the development of chronic debilitating diseases in the future. Apart from a
healthy diet, physical activity is also highly essential in maintenance of proper physiological and
psychological health. Moreover, proper nutrition is also required during and post exercise in
order to replenish the fuel reserves of the body. Thus, it can be concluded that both physical
activity and diet are essential in order to carry out health promotion and prevent development of
chronic diseases.

2BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIET
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Role of Diet in health improvement and disease prevention...........................................................6
Role of Physical activity in health improvement and disease prevention.......................................9
Nutritional requirements with specific modes of exercises...........................................................16
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................17
Reference List................................................................................................................................19

3BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIET
Introduction
Promotion of good health and absence of any medical condition can be brought about by
carrying out regular physical activity among teenagers. The teenage years are the formative years
and proper nutrition along with good physical activity helps to build a strong foundation for
adulthood. According to the Center of Disease Control or CDC, teenagers along with children
are recommended to carry out 1 hour of physical activity every day (Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention 2018). Teenagers suffer from overweight related problems due to as a result of
leading a sedentary lifestyle either in front of the laptop or the television screens. Spending most
of their time engaged in such sedentary lifestyles that results in the teenagers suffering from
overweight or obesity issues (Ogden et al. 2014). Caloric expenditure is measured by measuring
the heat released by the body or by measuring the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide by the
body. During exercise, the body uses the oxygen to burn the fat and in turn carbon dioxide is
produced (Gebel and Ding 2013). However, another study reported that the concept of fat being
converted to heat or energy is a misconception. According to them the lungs are the primary
organs responsible for the excretion of fat. They also indicate that physical activity can be
replaced by eating small quantities of food. They indicate that “Losing weight requires unlocking
the carbon stored in fat cells” (Meerman 2014). Daily physical activities among teenagers can
prevent the development of various medical conditions like cardiovascular diseases, type 2
diabetes, cancer, obesity, hypertension, osteoporosis, among others (Booth et al. 2012).
Moreover, it also improves their bone and muscle strength, helps to control weight, enhance their
cardiorespiratory fitness and prevent development of mental problems like depression, anxiety,
among others (Booth, Roberts and Laye 2012).

4BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIET
Physical activity and healthy eating habits helps to bring about an overall optimization of
physical and mental health (Kohl and Cook 2013). However, teenagers usually engage in
unhealthy eating and lack of physical activity, which usually results in the development of future
debilitating medical conditions. Improvement of physical activity and eating habits among
teenagers can be promoted by parents, school-teachers, healthcare professionals, policy makers
and by the teenagers themselves. The promotion of physical activity and healthy nutritious eating
can be carried out by establishing educational programs that stresses on the need of school
curriculums, school food services, classes on physical education, community efforts, health
promotion programs for school staff and faculty and counseling sessions. The integral
components of this health education programs include development of environments in schools
that promote physical activity and healthy eating, personal trainers, development of school
policies, involvement of family as well as the community in the development of these
educational curricula and methods for evaluation of the success of such programs (World Health
Organization 2016). Apart from physical activities, diet also plays an important role. Vitamin D
plays an important role in the growth and development of adolescents. They need 400IU vitamin
D daily, which can be obtained from spending 10 minutes per day under the sun and need
supplemental vitamin D as well (Williamson et al. 2017; Black et al. 2014). However, another
study revealed that large doses of vitamin D prevents the increase the levels of 25-
hydroxyvitamin D or is unable to alter the cardiovascular risk factors associated with obese
teenagers (Shah, Wilson and Bachrach 2015).
Apart from physical activity a good nutrition is also essential to lead a healthy lifestyle. It
helps to maintain weight, reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases and also promotes
overall health. Unhealthy diets and overeating results in the development of obesity in children

5BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIET
and adolescents. Even with a healthy weight, lack of a healthy diet results in development of
heart diseases, cancer, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, among others (HHS.gov 2018). Some of the
essential nutrients required by the adolescents are iron, vitamin D and calcium. Obesity is
associated with the consumption of energy dense foods and a sedentary lifestyle. However, a diet
that is rich in fruits, legumes, vegetables and whole grains along with physical activity has been
found to be effective in preventing obesity (Leech, McNaughton and Timperio 2014). Moreover,
overeating or binge eating is associated with increased incidences of obesity among teenagers
and also high depressive symptoms. Loss of control is associated with episodes of overeating
among teenagers (Sonneville et al. 2013). Teenagers engage in unhealthy eating and snack on
junk foods due to their widespread availability, accessibility and affordability. Junk foods
contain very little amount of micronutrients and contain large amounts of fats and sugars (Boylan
et al. 2017). A healthy diet for teenagers should lack junk food, fried foods and chocolates and
teenagers are required to eat their meals at the desired times as this prevents overeating, small
meals are to be taken rather than a large meal (Weichselbaum 2017; Dailymail.co.uk 2018).
Moreover, having dinner early results in enhanced metabolism. Consumption of water is also
essential to stay hydrated (Sciencedaily.com 2018).
The rationale for choosing the teenage population is that according to the CDC, only
21.6% of adolescents participate in physical activities for 5 days in a week. Moreover, only
27.1% of teenagers studying in high schools participate in 1 hour of physical activity per day. In
addition, the number of teenagers participating in physical education classes is also low (Cdc.gov
2018). According to the Health Survey for England (HSE), in 2012, in England, the number of
boys and girls involved in daily physical activities were very low and were found to be 21% and
16%, respectively (Digital.nhs.uk 2018). According to an international study, British children

6BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIET
have been found to be the least active in the World. The NHS has asked for radical changes in
the family routines that involve both physical activity or exercise as well as healthy eating habits.
According to the survey carried out by the NHS, the exercise rate among teenage boys had
declined from 28% to 22%, while that of the girls remained more or less the same. Moreover,
going by the NHS data, in 2014-2015, 36% adolescents played sport only once a week, while
57% did not engage in any form of sport (Bhf.org.uk 2018). Regular physical activity among
teenagers helps to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, control weight, build strong muscles and
bones and helps to reduce symptoms related depression and anxiety. Higher physical activity
among teenagers is also associated with enhanced cognitive performance (Cdc.gov 2018).
Moreover, daily exercise among adolescents can help to prevent the occurrence of medical
conditions like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, increased blood cholesterol levels, among others
(Urmc.rochester.edu 2018). Diet also plays an important role as in the teenage years the body
undergoes various physical changes and balanced nutrition is required to obtain energy and
nutrition and also prevent the development of diseases (Nhs.uk 2018). Poor nutrition during
adolescence can give rise to chronic problems in later years like cardiovascular diseases, obesity,
diabetes, among others (Betterhealth.vic.gov.au 2018). According to Deka et al. (2015),
improper diet during the teenage years can lead to deficiencies in both micro- and macro-
nutrients, which can lead to severe health issues in the future. This report will provide a detailed
analysis on the benefits of daily exercises on the health of teenagers at both the physiological and
psychological levels. Moreover, it will also address the role of exercise and diet in disease
prevention and subsequent health improvement and also provide information about the distinct
nutritional needs for different forms of physical activity.

7BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIET
Role of Diet in health improvement and disease prevention
Human behavior plays an essential role in the prevention of diseases and in the
maintenance of good health. Food intake, lifestyle choices are directly linked to the
establishment of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity,
among others (Egger and Dixon 2014). The teenage or adolescent years are considered to be the
age that is characterized by rapid growth. Eating habits is one of the important factors that play a
significant role in the development of obesity among the teenagers. Healthy eating behaviors and
a physically active lifestyle helps to carry out improvements in growth and thereby help in
preventing the occurrence of chronic diseases (Leech, McNaughton and Timperio 2014). The
teenagers spend most of their time in front of television and heavily consume energy dense foods
as well as sugar sweetened beverages. Consumption of energy dense foods are the major
contributor of calories and it constitutes an essential part of the diet of United States. The
consumption is highest among adolescents. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is
associated with increased heart risks, obesity, diabetes, tooth decay like caries, among others. It
also increases the chances of developing hypertension, increased cholesterol levels, coronary
heart disease and increasing the chances of succumbing to stroke (Welsh, Lundeen and Stein
2013). The parents can play an active part in inculcating healthy eating habits among the
teenagers. Strategies that can be utilized by the dietitians include providing the necessary skills
and resources to parents to ensure that they can provide highly nutritious foods to their children.
Moreover, other strategies involve training in simple cooking among the parents and the
teenagers, education of the parents with regard to selecting nutritious foods under their socio-
economic capacity, educating parents about healthy eating patterns and a healthy body,
encouraging parents in being role models for their teenage children by promoting healthy eating

8BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIET
and physical activity (Larsen et al. 2015; van der Horst, Ferrage and Rytz 2014). Using simple
cooking styles like baking and grilling and carrying out healthy nutritious choices like
consumption of water and low fat milk, fruits, reduction of salt in foods, eating whole grains and
vegetables instead of energy dense foods and beverages helps to obtain maximum nutrition from
foods (HHS.gov 2018). Healthy cooking and eating choices enables to maintain the nutrition
present in the food, thereby providing an overall nutrition to the body and reduces the risks of
developing diseases related to deficiencies like calcium, iron, vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Poor diet is a leading cause of various chronic diseases like diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, coronary
heart disease, among others (World Health Organization 2018).
With increased morbidity and mortality rates as a result of diet and lifestyle related
diseases, healthcare professionals develop models of behavioral changes that promote the need
for self-action, reducing behaviors that can give rise to health risks in the future and to providing
lifestyle changes that enable to cope with medical illnesses (Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 2018). The
presence of high blood pressure among teenagers occurs because of unhealthy lifestyles, which
include consumption of total or saturated fats, high cholesterol and salt, decreased intake of
potassium, among others. The important aspects in association with teenagers that results in the
development of chronic diseases is the development or accumulation of risk factors, tracking of
the risk factors throughout the lifetime of the individual and development of unhealthy habits.
Studies reveal that high levels of serum cholesterol among teenagers results in the development
of the cardiovascular diseases and even mortality. Research also revealed that children who are
obese at 13 years of age had an increased risk of developing obesity on reaching adulthood.
Moreover, it was also found that the children, who are the thinnest, become more obese on
reaching adulthood with increased risk of developing chronic diseases. However, in order to

9BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIET
prevent weight gain and the fear of becoming fat however results in undernourishment among
teenage girls (Pdfs.semanticscholar.org 2018). Eating disorders among adolescents or teenagers
give rise to reduced bone mineral density as a result of poor nutritional intake, reduction in the
fat mass and low BMI. The leptin levels are low in malnourished teenagers and it is known to
play a role in menstrual function and bring about improvements in the thyroid and bone markers
in hypothalamic amenorrhea. Moreover, malnourishment also affects the structural and cognitive
development of the brain (Campbell and Peebles 2014). Additionally, dietary fiber plays an
essential role in maintaining the gastrointestinal health and reduced risks of colorectal cancer and
cardiometabolic disease. Thus, diet plays a significant role in enabling the bones to grow and to
keep the muscles strong by consumption of proteins and calcium (Lockyer, Spiro and Stanner
2016). Moreover, fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants that increases the immunity, which
in turn helps to prevent infection. Vitamin C helps to boost the immune system, while
antioxidants helps to prevent certain types of cancer (Rahal et al. 2014). The teenage time period
is a transitional time, where lifelong habits get established and interventions at this time is highly
essential to prevent the development of subsequent diseases. Teenagers are required to consume
15-25% of dietary protein, 25-35% dietary energy obtained from fat and 45-65% dietary energy
obtained from carbohydrates (Schuna 2018).
However, there are studies that describe the importance of consumption of fats, which is
in contrast to the previous studies, which have described the association of fat with risk of
diseases. Reports suggest that consumption of saturated fat does not result in heart diseases and
instead consumption of full fat milk, cheese and yoghurt can actually prevent damage to the heart
(Anand et al. 2015). Processed foods that are assumed to be containing less fat and cholesterol
are more damaging and individuals with type 2 diabetes actually should consume a fat rich rather

10BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIET
than a carbohydrate rich diet. According to the Public Health England, obesity levels continue to
rise among individuals particularly among the teenagers even after consumption of low fat diets.
Wholesome and nutritious foods like eggs, meat, fish, dairy, nuts, and fruits all contain saturated
fats that are highly essential in preventing obesity. Moreover, nourishing fats are also highly
essential for proper growth and development of a healthy brain (Bhurosy and Jeewon 2014;
Morell 2017).
Role of Physical activity in health improvement and disease prevention
Physical activity and exercise is an important determinant for continuous development
and maintenance of health among children and adolescents. Physical activity among adolescents
or teenagers results in increased bone growth, healthy bones and muscles, increased strength as
well as endurance, neurogenesis, angiogenesis and reduced risk in the development of chronic
diseases like obesity, diabetes, among others. It also reduces the risk of mental illness like
anxiety, depression, among others. Excess weight among teenagers results in the development of
health hazards that can give rise to serious complications in adulthood. These health hazards
include cardiovascular diseases, respiratory problems, type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders,
psychological problems, among others. According to Wing Hoo et al. (2015), mental health
problems among adolescents is a global health concern and the primary prevention strategies
involve the application of physical activities. Promotion of mental health helps in building
resilience that helps to improve the mental health of teenagers. Worldwide 10-20% of
adolescents suffer from mental disorders, which in turn leads to depression, anxiety, poor quality
of life, disengagement, morbidity as well as mortality. According to this study, physical activity
helps to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Exercise helps in increased synaptic
transmission of dopamine and serotonin, which was found to have the same mechanism of action

11BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIET
as anti-depressants (Barclay et al. 2014). The teenage years are the stepping stone to subsequent
developments in the adult years. As a result exercise is an essential part of the teenage growing
years (Aspe.hhs.gov 2018). Aerobic exercises are known to increase the breathing and heart
rates, improve supply of oxygen to various parts of the body and strengthen the heart muscles.
Some of the activities that help to carry out aerobic exercises include soccer, hockey, tennis,
basketball, swimming, running, aerobics, dancing, among others. Other forms of exercise include
strength training exercises like pushups, crunches, squats, among others. These help to increase
muscle mass, thereby helping to build strong arms, legs as well as stomach muscles.
Development of strong muscles helps to protect joints and prevent injuries. Physical activity
helps the teenagers to maintain a healthy weight and prevent weight gain by development of lean
and toned muscles. Maintenance of healthy weight among teenagers therefore helps to prevent or
at least reduce the development of diseases like hypertension, obesity, type II diabetes, which is a
growing concern among teenagers in the current World (Gill et al. 2015). Moreover, physical
activity also increases the production of chemicals like endorphins, which helps to improve the
mood and also reduces the risk of developing depression, build self confidence and promote
sound sleep, which are highly essential for the development of a healthy body and mind
(Newman 2015). Regular exercise also helps to reduce heart diseases, strokes, breast and colon
cancer. Moreover, it also helps to reduce blood pressure and increase the levels of good
cholesterol in the body. Moreover, with increased strengthening of bones, physical activity also
prevents the development of osteoporosis in later life, which can result in life threatening
fractures in the elderly population (Brown et al. 2012). Along with the increase in advancement
of modern technology, physical activity among teenagers are in a general decline and most of
them spend their time watching television. Moreover, adolescent girls spend less time in carrying