Good vs. Bad: What Teens Need to Know about Fats

A healthy diet is essential for teenagers not only for heightened nutritional needs but also because the foods you eat as a teenager can impact your health when you reach adulthood.

What are fats?

Fats are nutrients in food that the body uses to build nerve tissue, brain tissue, and hormones. The body also uses fat as fuel.

If fats eaten aren’t burned as energy or used as building blocks, they’re stored by the body as fat cells. Besides being a source of fuel, fats also play other roles such as:

⦁ Help the body absorb some vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble, meaning they can only be absorbed if there’s fat in a person’s diet).

⦁ Insulate nervous system tissues in the body.

⦁ Help people feel full, so they’re less likely to overeat.

We have all heard about bad fats, but do you know there are some good fats that are necessary for a balanced diet?

Essential fatty acids are essential for human health but are not made by the body. Thus, you have to get them from their various food sources. They help stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, etc.

Where do you find these good fats?

Good fats are found in nuts like almonds and walnuts, soybeans, spinach, and fish, especially in mackerel and salmon.

Excerpts from The Teenager Today – Article by Dhrishti Bijlani
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