Nutrition News & Views

June 7, 1999
Teens at Critical Risk for Calcium Deficiency-June 1999/No. 4

Talking on the phone, dating, seeing rock concerts. All a part of being a teenager, right? Sure. But unfortunately, not getting enough calcium is a big part of being a teen, too.

About nine out of 10 teen girls and seven out of 10 boys aren't getting enough calcium, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The teen years are peak bone-building years, the time when their bones are growing the fastest and need the highest amount of calcium than at any other time in their lives. At least 40 percent of bone mass occurs during the teen years. Deficiencies can result in broken bones and an increased risk for developing osteoporosis later in life.

"Osteoporosis is a very serious disease," said Trish Vignati, a registered dietitian with the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association (SUDIA). "Eight million women and two million men have the disease, which makes their bones brittle and weak. Even a sneeze can cause people with osteoporosis to break a bone. So, it's crucial for teenagers to be thinking more about their health and getting the nutrition they need. And parents need to be made aware of the health crisis their teens might be in."

Teenagers need 1,300 milligrams of calcium or four servings of milk and milk products a day, according to the National Academy of Sciences. Bodies not getting enough calcium will rob it from the bones, leaving them brittle and weak.

Teen girls are at the greatest health risk with only 14 percent meeting daily calcium requirements, Teenage Research Unlimited reported. The reason is that girls fear gaining weight and mistakenly see milk and cheese as fatty choices. But a study at Ohio State University found teen girls who had a high dairy food intake did not gain more weight than girls who had a low dairy intake.

Many teens are aware they need calcium but don't know how much. A survey published in The Journal of Adolescent Health said most teens (90 percent) know calcium strengthens their bones and may help prevent osteoporosis (51 percent). But only 19 percent of teens are aware of how much calcium they should consume each day, according to the survey of ninth graders.

"Teens need to build lifelong nutrition habits, which include getting enough calcium. Starting now is the best bet for healthy and long lives," Vignati said. "When they become adults, these healthy habits will be ingrained in them, and their healthy lifestyles could help ward off conditions like osteoporosis."

But it's not just during the high school years that parents need to be concerned. Teens are still developing when they start college. Many are 17 to 18 years old. And their habit of not getting enough calcium continues into college life where mom isn't there to stock the refrigerator. The USDA data found about eight out of 10 college-age women and seven out of 10 college-age men don't get enough calcium in their diets.

"Parents also need to teach their children at a young age about the importance of getting enough calcium. That way it will be ingrained in their minds. If teens don't know, they won't make the effort to drink milk and may choose nutrition-lacking drinks such as sodas and fruit drinks instead," Vignati said.

But it's getting easier to get more calcium into the diet. Many new dairy products target teens who are on the go. Milk, for example, is packaged in single-serving and resealable containers. Also, companies are creating flavored milk drinks such as orange or vanilla bean, which target teenagers.

Vignati offers the following tips on getting teenagers to consumer more calcium.

  • Keep it handy-- Stock the refrigerator with single-serving containers of milk. Also, make sure you have dairy snacks such as yogurt, single-serving cottage cheese containers or string cheese. That way, when teens have the munchies or are craving a drink, they will have these calcium-rich snacks within reach.

  • Consider low-fat choices-- Teens who are counting fat grams are more likely to drink reduced fat products such as fat-free milk or 1 percent milk. Both have the same amount of calcium as whole milk. Also, some calcium-rich cheeses, such as mozzarella, are made with skim milk, ultimately reducing the fat. Frozen yogurts and ice creams come in low-fat and nonfat varieties.

  • Be a role model-- Though many teenagers are trying to develop a separate identity from their parents, a parental role model is highly effective. Teens are still children and are impressionable. If they see their parents drinking milk, teens are more likely to drink it themselves and realize milk is important to their overall health.

  • Goes down smooth-- Make fruit smoothies with yogurt, fruit and milk for breakfast. It's quick and easy. You could add frozen yogurt to make it a shake.

  • Pizza time-- Encourage teens to make homemade pizzas with their favorite toppings. It won't take much time if you use English muffins or bagels and heat them in a toaster oven.

  • Exercise-- Don't let your teens leave for that big game or practice without powering up on milk. Give them milk shakes or flavored milk drinks. Drinking liquids such as milk an hour before activity can enhance their performances. That's because milk contains 87 percent water for good hydration and important minerals and vitamins such as B-12, which constructs red blood cells that carry oxygen to muscles.

Check out http//www.whymilk.com, which offers teenagers milk contests and information. Younger children can try http//www.got-milk.com, which teaches kids, through games, the importance of getting three to four servings of dairy a day.

Source: Southeast United Dairy Industry Association (SUDIA)
Distributed by: Barbara McLaurin, Ph.D., R.D., L.D., Human Nutrition Specialist, MSU Extension Service, June 1999

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