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•Introduction

When a teenager’s diet consists of junk food and fast foods, it has more fat, sugar and salt than nutrients. This improper diet has both short-term and long-term ill effects on the body.

A healthy diet with a variety of good food directly affects well-being; with nutritious food teens will feel better, look better and perform better in school and in sports. Nutritious food leads to good health, shiny hair, strong teeth, good muscle tone and clear skin. A properly nourished body is full of energy and is bright and alert; a healthy body sleeps well, maintains the right amount of weight and sustains a good disposition without extreme high or low moods.

Why then do teens eat junk food? In our program “Junk Food Junkie: The Effects of Diet on Health” we look at how television and advertisers, along with peer pressure and hurried lives, make junk food an easy choice.

Experts such as Jane Brody, and author and personal health columnist for the New York Times, define junk food and comment on the need for immediate gratification, moodiness caused by excess sugar, and how an improper diet, or “trashing” yourself, can be a reflection of low self-esteem.

There is a wealth of information, some old, some new, some contradictory, about our need for nutrients and their effect on the body. How are we to know what to follow? The best course is back to basics, with “whole foods.” We learn that whole foods are foods closest to their most natural form; they are not overly processed or adulterated with loads of salt, sugar and fat. They are foods such as grains, fish, fruits and vegetables; and they supply the most nutrients on which our bodies and health depend.

It is important for American youth to recognize poor eating habits, and to take responsibility for themselves in choosing and preparing healthy snacks and meals. Awareness of the benefits of a healthy diet is the first step towards making the right food choices.

The program is presented in four parts. Part One looks at pressure from advertisers, peer pressure and the need for self-reliance. Part Two is a review of the basic food groups, and a look at the benefits of a properly balanced diet versus the ill effects and degenerative diseases directly related to a diet too high in fat, sugar and salt. Part Three teaches how to make the right choices while shipping in a supermarket. We compare methods of preparing foods and suggest what to choose when ordering in a restaurant with friends. Part Four asks why we eat and looks at the emotions tied to eating: how feeling sad, stress or anger can influence our choice of food. We encourage teens to get in tune with their bodies and to treat themselves well.

•Objectives

This program is designed to:

1. Help students overcome the pressures that encourage and unhealthy diet. 2. Promote self-reliance. 3. Teach the immediate and long-term benefits of eating nutritious foods. 4. Teach how to make the best food choices. 5. Encourage an interest in learning more about food and nutrition.

•Part One

Happiness Is a Hamburger, Fries and a Shake. Or Is It?

Madison Avenue has a great influence on American teenagers. Advertisers use both hard rock and soft sentimentality to appeal to developing young minds. Commercials try to sell happiness and fill emotional needs along with their hamburgers and soft drinks. Other pressures like the need to conform and the accessibility of junk foods make it hard to resist.

•Review Questions

1. What is “junk” food? 2. How do advertisers appeal to our emotional needs? 3. How can we deal with advertisements that bombard us with messages to consume foods that are too high in fat, salt and sugar? 4. Do you order a cola because your friends do? Do you eat ice cream because everyone else is? How can you overcome the pressure to conform? Are you afraid to appear odd if you make a “health” choice? 5. How has the increase in the number of working parents changed the way American’s eat? 6. Who is responsible for what we eat? 7. What are the benefits of a properly nourished body?

•Part Two

Metabolism: What Is It, Why Is It Important?

This segment introduces the four nutrient groups: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and vitamins and minerals. It then reviews the four basic food groups that supply these nutrients: breads, grains and cereals: fruits and vegetables; the milk and cheese group; the meat, fish and bean group. Experts tell us about the benefits of nutritious foods, and how certain foods can affect mental alertness, moodiness and performance in sports.

•Review Questions

1. With so much conflicting information about what foods are good or bad for you, how can you make the right choice? 2. What are “whole” foods? Enriched foods? What is the difference between whole grain bread and enriched white bread? White rice and brown rice? 3. What is the difference between simple carbohydrates (sugars) and complex carbohydrates (starches)? Which are better for you? 4. Why do we need protein? Can protein promote mental alertness? What are sources of protein other than meat? (Answer: nuts, seeds, eggs, beans, fish, tofu and dairy products.) 5. How much fat should a person eat daily? What is wrong with fast food chains and deep fried foods? How can you cut down on fats? Why are low fat dairy products best? What are saturated fats? Are some fats better than others? 6. What are the four food groups? 7. Why do teenagers need calcium? What are sources of calcium other than dairy? (Answer: dark green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, collard greens, canned salmon, sardines with bones, even almonds, sesame seeds and tofu.) 8. What mood changes can you expect if you out candy, soft drinks and sugar-sweet cereals? 9. What can you look forward to if you consciously choose to eat foods that are rich in nutrients? Will you feel better, look better and perform better?

•Part Three

Tastes Great: What’s in It?

This segment presents the “Nutrition Invitational,” a shopping competition. Two high school teams compete for the healthiest food while shopping in a supermarket. Here we teach how to read nutrition labels. We compare methods of preparing foods to maintain vitamins and to cook the low fat way. We see how to make knowledgeable choices when ordering from a menu.

•Review Questions

1. Why is a skinless chicken breast a better choice than a poultry frank or any processed cold cut? 2. What is wrong with colas and soft drinks? What are some better choices? 3. What is wrong with overly sweetened cereals? What are some better choices? (Answer: shredded wheat, puffed rice, oatmeal, Wheaties, Cheerios, Nutri-Grain.) Do some cereals have excess sodium? 4. What will a nutrition label tell you about a product? What are the key ingredients to look out for? (Answer: fat, sugar, salt, and additives you cannot buy as separate ingredients.) 5. Why is steaming vegetables a better method of cooking than boiling? 6. What are some guidelines to go by when eating out with your friends? (Answer: Choose salads, avoid sausage and pepperoni on pizza, avoid foods that are described as buttery, fried, or covered with cream sauce. Choose fruit for dessert, etc.) 7. How can you make a fast food meal more healthful? (Answer: Choose baked potatoes instead of french fries, order a salad, choose low fat milk or juice instead of cola.

•Part Four

Get in Tune: Say No to Junk

In this segment we present a round table discussion where students and experts respond to questions that provoke an awareness of our individual eating habits and influences such as stress, compulsive eating or an unnatural desire for thinness. We ask about body image and encourage self-reflection about why we eat. We emphasize the need for getting tune with your body. We promote self-esteem and treating yourself by eating well.

•Review Questions

1. Do you look for comfort in food? 2. What is compulsive eating? 3. How can you get in tune with your body? 4. Does exercise have an effect on metabolism., appetite and well-being? 5. Is eating one area where you can take control in your life? 6. Can you influence others to eat well? 7. What is body image? 8. Are you worth treating yourself well?

JUNK FOOD JUNKIE: THE EFFECTS OF DIET ON HEALTH
junkfoodjunkie

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