TeenHealthFX - Answers - School Project On Teen Dieting

Weight Loss/Gain, Dieting & Diet Aides / Question
Published: March 15, 2000

Dear TeenHealthFX,

I'm doing a project/presentation on teenagers who are trying to lose weight without much thought to their diet like skipping meals or are doing it unhealthy. I would like to know how/what can be done to stop teenagers from losing weight unhealthy?

Signed: School Project On Teen Dieting

Dear School Project On Teen Dieting,

You have asked the age old question among health professionals, teacher and doctors, "What will make teens stop the dieting madness?"

EDUCATION IS OUR ONLY METHOD! This means to educate teens about the food pyramid, eating healthy, eating disorders and fad/starvation dieting. If we educate teens and teens educate other teens, we may get somewhere. With eating disorders being so common among teenage females and on the rise in teenage males, this needs to become a priority in schools.

What does all this mean? If you are doing a presentation, you are educating yourself on how to stop fad dieting. If you do a presentation to your class, you are educating other teens on the importance of not dieting in your teen years, how to recognize a fad diet, how to discuss them with friends, how to recognize an eating disorder and what to do if a friend has an eating disorder. There is a lot of information out there so you definitely have your work cut out for you. FX has referenced some questions above, take a look and get some information from them.

Signed: TeenHealthFX