Another common explanation was that junk foods taste better than healthy foods. Still others said that fruits and vegetables are not convenient because many have to be peeled or cooked and were not available in places like fast food restaurants, school vending machines, and at home. The students also added that fast food is a cheap and easy way to eat (Casey, 931). Another major factor influencing the eating habits of adolescents is advertising. Each day the average child sees more than 82 television commercials, many advertising trendy or quick but not nutritious foods and drinks. The eating habits of today’s teens are reflective of the messages they receive through advertising. Even the advertising in some schools does not consist of healthy snacks and meals. Schools are also a great place to teach children of all ages to understand advertising strategies so they will know why these companies want to make their product look so appealing (Evers, 22). Marion Nestle, chairwoma!

results of the prevalence of skipping breakfast and the consequences. Thirty-seven percent of the subjects did not eat breakfast, making them two to five times more likely to have a nutrient deficient diet. The adolescents who skipped breakfast had less energy, protein, fat, vitamin, and mineral intakes compared to those who ate in the morning. Also, of those who did not eat breakfast, 66% ate a snack before lunch, compared to 49% of breakfast eaters who snacked before lunch (New Orleans, 5A). Influences on Eating Habits Research from 141 students in the seventh and tenth grades in St. Paul, Minnesota, showed interesting results when teens were asked to explain their eating habits. The most frequently discussed factors influencing what the subjects ate included: hunger, taste and appearance of food choices, and picking foods by their preparation time. When asked why they were not eating a balanced diet, some students expressed their lack of concern for future health problems.!

n for the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at New York State University stated, “manufacturers are paying large sums of money and getting lots of advertising inside schools. They are pushing aside better nutritional choices such as milk or fruit juice (Condor, 1B).” Consequences of Unhealthy Eating Today’s teens face many peer pressures and strive to look like the stars and models in magazines and on television and movies. Because of society’s stereotype that everyone should be thin, there is an increase in the prevalence of eating disorders among adolescents. The National Center for Health Statistics states that 100 females between the ages of 12 and 18 has anorexia nervosa. This is a disease caused by dramatically limiting food intake. Aside from anorexia, another common eating disorder is bulimia. Characteristics of this eating disorder include episodes of overeating usually followed by periods of guilt and depression often relieved by vomiting. Contrary to popular belief, anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders are not limited to females, five to ten percent of all eating disorders occur males (Beason, 2B). Many adolescents with eating disorders may claim they are simply dieting or trying to control their weight (Trends, web). Figure 3 shows a chart of weight guidelines. Height/Weight Guidelines WOMEN MEN low midpoint high low midpoint high 4'10" 100 115 131 5'1" 123 134 145 4'11" 101 117 134 5'2" 125 137 148 5'0" 103 120 137 5'3" 127 139 151 5'1" 105 122 140 5'4" 129 142 155 5'2" 108 125 144 5'5" 131 145 159 5'3" 111 128 148 5'6" 133 148 163 5'4" 114 133 152 5"7" 135 151 167 5'5" 117 136 156 5'8" 137 154 171 5'6" 120 140 160 5'9" 139 157 175 5'7" 123 143 164 5'10" 141 160 179 5'8" 126 146 167 5'11" 144 164 183 5'9" 129 150 170 6'0" 147 167 187 5'10" 132 153 173 6'1" 150 171 192 5'11" 135 156 176 6'2" 153 175 197 6'0" 138 159 179 6'3" 157 179 202 Table 2 The Youth Risk Behavior Survey questioned adolescents in grades nine through twelve across the

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