The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has published dietary guidelines for girls and boys aged nine between 18, the first scientific report to set out specific food-based dietary recommendations for the age group.
According to the FSAI, nutritional needs during adolescence can vary considerably, depending not only on age and sex, but also on body size, physical activity and the timing of puberty.
Developed by the FSAI Scientific Committee, the recommendations take account of these differences to provide a scientific basis for supporting healthy growth and development during this stage of life.
FSAI Chief Specialist in Public Health Nutrition Dr Mary Flynn said the Authority was concerned about the flexibility of dietary guidance for adolescents.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Dr Flynn added that adolescence “isn’t just a teenage thing” and can begin at around eight years of age for girls and around 10 for boys.
“In girls, they transition into a slower period of growth after they menstruate, which is in Ireland about age 12, 13.
“But they’re growing now. They’re nearly an adult size and the requirements during adolescence are they have the biggest food needs of any human,” Dr Flynn said.
She added: “It’s a time to protect them against long term diseases.
“We lay down 40% of our bone mineral content during that 10-year period of adolescence. The sex hormones surge, but that’s very good for bones.
“In boys, that testosterone kind of builds muscle mass. Their fat stores kind of migrate inside their body. Whereas girls, oestrogen is a fat promoting hormone. So, they grow fat stores on their hips and thighs for the first time, changing body shape.
“There’s a whole psychological adjustment.”
Dr Mary Flynn of the FSAI said there can be ‘huge variation’ in how boys and girls develop during adolescence
Dr Flynn said there can be “huge variation” in how boys and girls develop during adolescence.
“We have early developers and late developers. So, the poor boy who’s a late developer won’t be the strongest fella on the rugby team.
“And you’d love to be able to tell them that there is that variation. So, what we were concerned with is the flexibility we need in dietary guidance.
“Some teenagers are sedentary. They love the computer, they’re nerdy, and that’s fine. It’s better to be active because that helps build your bone.
“Some are very active and what we were concerned about looking at their dietary intakes is that they’re fixated on protein.
“They have low-ish carbohydrate intakes … there’s a wide range of scientists involved in this. You’ll see acknowledgements there to the Irish Sports Institute.
“But they’re seeing teenagers who, because they’re not eating enough carbohydrates and because they’re very active, and not only do they play sport every week, they have a match at the weekend, they go to the gym on Sunday.
“There’s no downtime, and they very little carbohydrate [intake] to protect them and they end up with injuries,” Dr Flynn said.
She added: “It’s the best form of calories for that age group. It’s the fastest.
“If you’re not eating carbs, you have to go to a big metabolic kind of pathway to get it from the protein foods that they’re fixated on.”