I personally believe that nutrition is a very important issue in the world today; this is because many people depend on nutrition for brain development, as well as the future health status. Nutrition ought to be an important aspect of our daily lives since it can contribute in many things that influence our lives, for example, our body image. One of the most important areas where nutrition is necessary is during adolescence; the age of adolescence is characterized by an enormous pubertal increase in weight, height, muscles, and bone density. It is therefore necessary for adolescents to have the right kind of nutritional uptakes; the insufficiency of right nutritional uptake and nutrients can result in many negative consequences, including being obese. In this paper, I will analyze the aspect of nutrition by evaluating Maya; a sixteen year old teenager who is obese, to accomplish this, I will evaluate her body image; eating habits for one week and her fitness regimen, lastly I will recommend healthy eating habits as well as exercise habits for her.
image
Body image basically concerns how a person perceives himself or herself, it is inclusive of how and what a person believes about their appearance and the way they feel about their body, it could either be positive or negative. In the case of Maya, she has a distorted perception of her shape; it is very hard to convince her that she is attractive considering the fact that the doctor said she was obese. It is evident that she does not feel comfortable with her body.
Evaluation of Maya’s eating habits for one week
The one-week evaluation of Maya’s eating habits reveals that she consumes high amounts of energy from her diet. The habit of eating in a fast food restaurant with her friends has encouraged her to consume large portions of food; the food that she eats is usually high in fat and sugars. She often drinks too many sugary drinks, for example, soda, and fruit juice. When depressed, or when she has a low self-esteem, she often eats chocolate or vanilla ice-cream; she asserts that it makes her feel good.
Review of Maya’s Fitness Regimen
Maya’s rarely does anything extra besides going to school and going back home in the evening. She is usually sited on her desk, when going back home from school she relies on the school bus. When she relaxes, she watches TV, browse the internet, or play computer games, she rarely takes regular exercises. It is evident that Maya is not active enough and for this reason, she does not use the energy that is provided by the food that she eats, the extra energy that she consumes is stored by the body as fat.
Recommended eating habits for Maya
It is important for Maya to balance the calories that she takes in through eating and drinking with the calories that the body uses everyday to function and move; this will help her to progress at a healthy weight. It is important for Maya to enjoy her food, but she should make sure that they are not taking in more calories than her body needs. Eating less is one of the ways that she can ensure that she is not taking many calories.
It is advisable for Maya to eat in moderation meaning that she should eat healthy foods in the recommended amounts for her age, gender, and activity level. She should not eat too much of one particular food, this will help her to get the nutrition that she needs in order to be healthy. It is important for Maya to eat breakfast; research has shown that many people who miss on breakfast are more likely to gain weight than those who do not. In determining what to take for breakfast, Maya can choose eggs, yoghurt, and fruits. Maya should fill her plate with vegetables during lunch and dinner.
It is important to eat food rich in fiber, eating foods that are rich in fiber will help Maya feel full for a long time; this will also assist her in sticking to the calorie limit. Fibre will keep her bowels healthy, it will also be significant in reducing the cholesterol uptake in the body, thirty grams every day should be the ideal uptake. Fiber uptake should be gradual; this means that she should avoid taking fibre suddenly, as a sudden increase can result to cramp and constipation. Maya should make sure that she drinks plenty of water, 1.2 liters everyday to avoid cramps and constipation.
Maya should eat using small plates and bowls, the significance of this is that she will have a smaller food portion and still be satisfied. It is advisable for Maya to eat slowly, this is because it takes approximately twenty minutes for the stomach to communicate to the brain that it is full, when a person eats fast, it becomes easy to overeat. It is important for Maya to turn off the TV when she is eating, eating in front of the TV can make a person eat more without noticing or enjoying their food. .
Recommended Exercise habits for Maya
Besides eating, it is important for Maya to increase her activity levels in order to support her weight loss. It is significant that she follows a slow activity process. Though Maya may not be sporty, she can start small by finding ways to fit more activities in her daily life and build up from there, for example, she can start by trying to get off the bus one stop early and walking the rest of the way, instead of taking the lift, Maya should learn to take the stairs. Besides being generally more active, Maya should start getting aside a few days during the week for more structured exercises; her target should be at least 150minutes of moderate activity each week.
Brisk walking, bike rides, and even swimming are some of the greatest examples that she can take advantage of, however, if these activities do not appeal and she needs something more structured, it is advisable to look for more exercise options that she can do at home or in the local park. Some of the activities that Maya should consider include;
- Active travel-Cycle or walk part, make a habit of walking long distances
- Green fingers –Involve yourself with gardening, the process of gardening can provide a very good workout; you can also add a social element by getting an allotment.
- Family fun-Be very active with your family, make them take you to the swimming pool or play in the garden or park
- Exercise in the park-Maya should develop a habit of visiting the local park to exercise this will ensure that she loses calories.
It is likely for Maya to feel her enthusiasm dipping, this is because she is not used to exercising, to boost her motivation, it is important for Maya to be realistic, she should remind herself that she wants to become more active because it will help her to be healthier and lose more weight. Maya should plan her exercises at the start of the week and put it into a diary, planning in advance will increase the chances of making exercise a daily activity for her, lastly, it is important for Maya to set goals.