It’s hard enough being a teenager...

Dealing with some of the biggest changes in your life - growth spurts, body changes and hormones, first kisses, freedom, relationships and pressure - can be confusing and emotional.

...but, in the UK, teenagers are the only group whose health is actually getting worse!

While advances in drug treatment and vaccination are taking care of your parents and grandparents, baby brothers and sisters - teenagers are experiencing unprecedented social health problems.

They are the only age group whose physical and mental health is getting worse because of their lifestyle.

More than 20% of 13 to 16 year-olds are overweight or obese, a major cause of health problems at any age.

As many as 20% have psychological conditions such as depression, eating disorders and behavioural problems.

These problems are being fuelled by poor nutrition, insufficient exercise, excessive alcohol and drug consumption, and smoking!

This is having an impact on both the health and educational performance of high school students, as well increasing the probability of developing diseases like diabetes and coronary heart disease earlier in adult life.

So. Let’s talk about staying healthy.

Staying healthy, physically and emotionally, will definitely help you get through the normal stresses of high school - when you are well and feeling happy you can cope with just about anything and achieve the things you want to.

It can help you avoid illness. It can help you to do well in school

And it’s not that hard to do!

Food and fitness are the two things that make the biggest difference to our general health and how we feel.

What else you put into your body is very important too, cigarettes, alcohol and drugs tend to reverse the effects of diet and exercise, lowering your immune system which makes it harder to fight off infections and in some cases more serious outcomes from physical health to chemical dependency and psychological problems.

Food

What you eat as a teenager plays an important part in the growth and development of your body. When you eat a balanced nutritious diet your body works properly, you feel well and you maintain a healthy weight.

Healthy eating is about getting the overall balance right. It doesn’t mean tiny portions or giving up your favourite foods. It’s about getting enough calories or energy from the carbohydrates, proteins and fats that you eat as well as the vitamins and minerals that your body needs, limiting the bad stuff, and enjoying your food.