Health refers to a concept that encompasses all dimensions of a person’s life, including physical, social, emotional, and cognitive well-being. In this sense, health includes life satisfaction and quality of life, and expresses the gradual increase in self-actualization (Edelman and Mandle 1998).
Being healthy and improving one's state of health is possible through educational, social, and psychological support that reduces disease risk and enhances well-being. Health-related lifestyle behaviors are generally acquired during childhood and reinforced during adolescence. Therefore, adolescence offers a second opportunity to structure behaviors that may have remained weak or underdeveloped in earlier years.
Adolescence is a period in which physical and psychological development progresses rapidly—a transition from childhood to adulthood—and can be considered a kind of “test drive” for adult life. During adolescence, the body becomes sexualized, and the adolescent gains a new physical power that did not exist in childhood, especially in relation to adults and parents.
This gain in strength forms the basis of adolescents’ grandiose attitudes and behaviors. In this stage, where we speak of growth, maturation, and reaching the peak of physical strength, nutrition plays a vital role and becomes a factor that influences the course of adulthood. Along with the physical changes of adolescence, the body's nutritional needs also change. If nutrition during childhood and adolescence is not adequate, balanced, and aligned with developmental requirements, chronic illnesses may appear later in life. Poor nutritional habits during adolescence contribute to obesity in adulthood, delays in sexual development, sexual identity problems, and other physiological disorders. Many studies note that half of annual deaths result from unhealthy lifestyle choices made during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood (Dougherty 1993, Edelman & Mandle 1998, Esin 1997, Fish & Nies 1996, Jackson & Saunders 1993, Spear & Kulbok 2001).
The emergence of eating disorders during adolescence is related to the confusion brought on by entering this stage, and the bodily changes that weaken the adolescent’s relationship with their own body. The adolescent seeks not only societal approval but also acknowledgment from the family regarding the transition to adulthood. This includes approval of their integrated self and their newly sexualized body. When this support is not found, the adolescent may wish to return to a childlike body and may attempt to damage the developing sexualized body. In eating disorders that arise from this dynamic, the adolescent's body becomes an external expression of internal emotional conflicts.
When adolescence is considered as a whole, it is evident that cognitive, psychosocial, and physiological transformations cannot be separated from nutritional quality. Inadequate and unbalanced nutrition during this period shortens attention span, weakens perception, and contributes to learning difficulties and behavioral problems.
For this reason, when evaluating adolescent nutrition, the following criteria are crucial for identifying nutrition-related problems:
- Adolescence is movement. Therefore, assessing physical activity is essential. The nature and amount of physical activity provide significant clues regarding physical and psychological health. Adolescents typically have boundless energy; they use movement to cope with anxiety and balance changes in their bodies. Due to the high energy expenditure in this period, the number of daily meals and the quality and quantity of food should be considered.
- The “menstruation” period should be evaluated, and any issues should be questioned. A study in Norway found that girls who experience early menarche have a higher risk of being overweight in late adolescence.
- Alcohol, cigarette, and drug use by some adolescents can lead to nutritional deficiencies and serious eating disorders.
- Adolescence is a transitional stage in which psychological problems and mental illnesses begin to appear. Therefore, one measure of healthy psychological and physical development at this time is the adolescent’s eating pattern. Their nutrition provides insight into potential psychological and physical problems that may emerge during adolescence.
- In adolescence, when body fat decreases significantly, consuming more energy than needed becomes a primary cause of obesity. Adolescents prone to obesity require more sleep than their peers.
The eating behavior of children and adolescents should not be viewed solely as food intake; it should also be considered as part of the child’s development of autonomy. In eating disorders that begin especially during adolescence, it is often observed that parents have a highly controlling attitude that interferes with the adolescent's autonomy. This controlling approach discourages independence and fosters dependency. As a result, the adolescent’s effort to become an individual—a key feature of adolescence—is interrupted by parental intrusion. The conflict experienced leads the adolescent to abandon the struggle with controlling family members and instead seek control in the only area they can manage: their own body. This is why the concept of control holds a central place in eating disorders that emerge during adolescence.
