Question 2
According to this study, children are less likely to consume breakfast as they grow older. The greatest decrease has been seen among adolescent girls aged 15 to 18 years whose breakfast consumption can decline by 20%. As an RD counseling a girl this age, what are some strategies you would use in educating about the importance of breakfast? (Keep in mind gender and developmental stage)
posted by Unknown @ 6:53 PM
36 comments
36 Comments:
Females at this age are often becoming more concerned with their physical appearance which could be weighing heavily on why there is a decrease in breakfast consumption. I would explain that eating breakfast can actually contribute to metabolism and explain the health benefits of starting their day with a a healthy breakfast. I know at that age, I simply didn't think breakfast was important. So I think explaining the importance to girls this age would make a difference.
I would give some education on the need for breakfast for mental and physical development. However, generally at least with my experience with this specific population is that they are doing this either for lack of time or want to lose weight. I would find easy options to get breakfast such as oatmeal ready to go containers, parfaits, breakfast bars, ect. I would also educate them on the need to keep metabolism high by eating every 4 hours and correcting the fasting hormones that have taken over while she slept.
I agree with Kaitlin that it usually has nothing to do with breakfast itself but some outside factor. I think talking to them and figuring out what that outside factor is and trying to motivate them based on that reason with MI would be the best way to correct this action as a RD.
I would say that the majority of adolescents are not eating breakfast because they would rather sleep in than wake up and eat breakfast. Also young women at this age are becoming concerned with their weight. Talking to them and determining why it is they skip breakfast will be important to the education they need. Girls skipping breakfast because of lack of time needs education on the importance of breakfast as well as tips on how to eat a quick healthy meal. Girls skipping breakfast for weight loss need more counseling as well as education on the importance of breakfast.
I agree with everyone. Education is key, and finding the reason behind the meal skipping is most important so that you can tailor education and counseling to their specific needs. Another factor for this age group is that they do what their friends/peers do. So, group intervention and education would likely be effective as well.
Nate, I like all your ideas, and I think with this age group it's an excellent idea to include the specifics on hormones, macronutrient components of a meal, etc. This age group is likely to get so much unreliable info from gossip/media sources. We should be there to give them the facts... and make it interesting!
As others have pointed out, Nutrition Education and Counseling are the key terms here.
Being receptive, listening to their reasons and understanding their concerns is also very important.
I would highlight the importance of eating BF in maintaining weight and support normal growth. I would also draw attention to the research about weight gain due to skipping breakfast and eating a large lunch.
Arriving at the underlying issue(s) is key in regards to determining an appropriate strategy for this gender and age group. I also think that the process of finding out a little more about the young girl's story will build rapport and lead to better outcomes. Communicating that consuming breakfast is important for healthy weight maintenance and can easily fit in with her daily routine are two key messages.
I agree that peers, media, and product marketing are huge factors to consider when addressing this age group. Developing a campign that is attractive and in step with current trends might help our efforts. For example: I mustache you a question--Got breakfast?
I agree that most females at this age are becoming more self-conscious about weight but I also feel like others are just not allowing time in their morning to eat breakfast. I think an explanation of why breakfast is good for you, both mentally and physically, would help some kids. I know I had no clue as a teenager that the way I felt and the way I ate were so closely linked.
I think I would also add a little bit about the milk consumption aspect. Stressing the importance of getting adequate calcium for bone development.
I think it will depend on the individual. The first step would be to determine the barriers the client is facing to eating breakfast. If it is a time/sleep issue you can offer fast breakfast ideas and explain its importance. If it is because the client is not wanting to gain weight or hoping to lose weight you can tell her the truth about how breakfast can help her overall.
Lynetta made a great point about the importance of campaigns and media. I like her idea of making campaigns that aim towards this age group. I think that would be a great task for a food service director at a school to try to reach a large amount of students.
One of the benefits of breakfast consumption is weight maintenance and even weight loss! Explain that eating breakfast can actually help keep weight consistent and keep them from eating big meals later in the day. That could actually help an overweight boy too. This age is very self conscious and it is not just girls that are bullied about their weight.
With this age group of girls, body image is a huge barrier and pointing out the importance of breakfast on over all health and support of weight management may be a successful strategy. Also, determining the reasons for skipping breakfast are important in providing the best education and options for the client to increase their likelihood to increase their breakfast consumption. Giving the client quick, easy options for breakfast may also increase their breakfast consumption because for many girls in this age range, time in the morning before school tends to be short.
Sarah S. said...
I would probably start off by asking the girls why they do not currently eat breakfast. I remember just not waking up in time to eat breakfast at that age. If that was the case I would try to explain why eating breakfast is important and make suggestions on ways they can easily get some kind of breakfast (granola bars, oatmeal squares, individual yogurt containers, etc.)
Sarah S. said...
I also agree that weight may be on their minds at this age, and would try to address this with them by explaining that eating breakfast helps you with overall weight maintenance. I also like Lynetta's idea of targeting media campaigns to get the message out there more. It's not just this age group that skips breakfast; everyone can benefit from hearing more about it.
Like Nate mentioned, if I was counseling an individual, it would be important to understand why they are not eating breakfast. As others have mentioned, there can be a variety of contributing factors. Thinking of the high school schedule for Unit 5, the kids start school at 7:15. So you have lack of time as a big contributor, we all know kids this age value sleep more than most things. Because they have to get up so early, and likely have little time to wake up before heading to school, they may not be hungry in the morning. And there is also the dieting/physical appearance aspect of thinking skipping breakfast will help manage their weight.
Based on the reasons the girls gives for skipping breakfast, I would provide education on the importance of breakfast (focusing better at school, wt management, bone health, reproductive health, etc) and focus my advice on strategies to address the barriers to eating breakfast for this girl.
I like Erin M and Lynetta's comments about creating campaigns for this population at school. While I think school breakfast offerings could be improved, it could be a good way to both provide education and promote the SBP. If kids are rushing to get out the door, at least they have the option to grab something once they get to school.
I agree teenage girls are definitely more aware of their weight and would rather sleep in than eat breakfast. Everyone has heard that "breakfast is he most important meal of the day" but actually talking about why this is true and how eating breakfast will help maintain her weight and concentration during school would be good. Suggesting things she can eat that she actually likes would be beneficial.
I like the idea of a group counseling session of the teen girls. They are more receptive to what their peers are doing, so this would be a great way to get the information across and get them to actually try and eat breakfast more often.
Teenage girls of this age are often concerned with body image and their appearance. My original thought would be that they could be avoiding breakfast to lower calorie consumption and overall daily intake. I would want to express that it is important for the body to receive a balanced amount of calories and nutrients throughout the day to maintain a regular metabolism and that skipping breakfast could lead to overeating at lunch and dinner. Breakfast also fuels the body for the day and not eating this meal could lead to weakness, feeling tired, etc during the school day and other activities.
I agree with many other that finding out the reason why the client is not eating would be the first step in education. Whether the reason is body image, timing, lack of appetite, etc the education could be tailored to each individual issue.
Amy brought up a good point about addressing milk consumption as well as calcium intake. Girls this age are at a key stage of development and their calcium intake is important.
I think a group counseling session would be an interesting approach. It may open the girls up to new ideas regarding their health and wellness.
I agree with determining the underlying issues Lynetta pointed out in order to determine the best strategy for working with these individuals. Also, Kaitlin and others pointed out providing education for the client on the importance of breakfast for metabolism and other health benefits may increase their view of breakfast's importance.
I agree with most authors above on understanding the main reasons behind skipping breakfast. Based on the underlying reason, I would provide appropriate recommendations.
Well I remember seeing students in high school that literally just looked like they rolled out of bed, so the time issue could be a reason. But, mainly it is that they are scared of gaining weight, so it makes them feel good knowing that they saved the calories. As an RD, I will stress that breakfast is the most important meal of the day so it can jump start the metabolism. I would also go into how important protein is at breakfast. I may show them a video (perhaps Dr. Donald Layman's video on protein). I really wish in high school we had an actual nutrition class because we didn't know any better back then.
Lynetta, I love your idea of a new slogan! Also, I didn't even think about the important calcium aspect in a diet of a teenage girl. Hopefully as an RD I could persuade a young teen to drink at least chocolate milk for breakfast if nothing else.
Probably one of the major reasons adolescent girls skip breakfast is because they are feeling the pressure to keep their weight down and feel thin to fit in, or because they want to splurge on calories later in the day. I would explain to them that women who eat breakfast are more fit because their metabolism has been kick-started for the day. When they skip breakfast they also may be cheating their bodies out of strength and growth because they are still growing and need nutrients like calcium and iron as building blocks. They also need to build their bones now, because when they reach their 20s they reach their peak bone mass for their lives.
I agree with Beth on the time issue. I remember when I was a teen I hated waking up for school so early, and I would get up maybe 20 minutes before I left for school to get those last few minutes of beauty sleep. When I did make time to grab breakfast, it would usually be something I could eat in the car on the way, like an oatmeal pack, a piece of fruit or a granola bar. I would probably use this as an example that even with a little amount of time you can still grab something to go that is healthy.
At this age, girls are developing and gaining weight. They may feel uncomfortable about this and hope to prevent weight gain by eating less foods, especially at breakfast. When counseling a girl this age I would educate her on the fact that people who consume breakfast to tend to have a lower BMI. I would say that by not eating breakfast, their body is starving by lunch, which may cause them to overeat or choose meals that are less healthy. I would also educate of on different breakfast options that would provide her with essential nutrients her body needs and that are within a healthy calories range for her needs. This way she will hopefully feel more comfortable about the choices she makes and not feel like she needs to starve herself to prevent from becoming overweight.
I agree that a campaign to promote breakfast consumption is a great idea. It can educate on importance of breakfast as well as suggest some ideas for quick "grab and go" foods. Ideas such as yogurt cups, instant breakfasts, or non perishable snacks like granola/protein bars, trail mix, or nuts could be some suggestions made to increase the likelihood of breakfast consumption.
I would start by explaining the benefits of breakfast to the client and talk about why our bodies need food at the start of our day. Then, I would share some easy grab-and-go breakfast ideas so that she can understand it's not that difficult to eat healthy in the morning on the run.
I agree with Nate that many girls of this age are worried about their weight. I think it would be a good idea to explain the research regarding eating breakfast and having better weight control. That way, she could hopefully understand that making good choices is actually better for weight than simply starving yourself.
Group counseling sessions are a great idea. They might be more open to sharing knowing there are other girls/guys out there with the same problem.
I agree with Courtney that you should inform the teenager that when she does not eat breakfast she will be starving by lunch and will likely overeat or choose unhealthy food options that will likely increase her weight.
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