September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, as declared by President Barack Obama. At least one-third of American children may be considered overweight or obese, and they are therefore at risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or diabetes. In addition, an adapted version of the food pyramid, MyPlate, has recently been introduced to better illustrate healthy dietary guidelines. Clearly, teenagers need to be aware that it is very important to develop healthy eating habits, especially during high school, so when they leave for college, they stand a better chance of avoiding bad eating habits and weight gain.

Luckily, there is greater information and knowledge these days regarding healthy eating. Many restaurants clearly display fat, sodium, and calorie counts on their menus. With the opening of the new Upper School Student Café, hopefully the nutritional values of the items offered will also be available. Pine Crest’s lunch menu also offers a broad variety of well-balanced meals. However, outside of these options, it is very important to make smart choices  and consume the most nutritious foods and drinks to maintain optimal health.

Many nutritionists advise that sodas and energy drinks be reduced or eliminated in order to cut down on unnecessary calories and caffeine. These drinks not only add extra calories that may contribute to obesity, but they also affect the body in other ways. A harmful trend has been the increase in the consumption of energy drinks to make up for the lack of sleep many teenagers experience. Rather than falling asleep when their bodies crave rest, these unregulated dietary supplements provide high doses of caffeine to help them stay awake.  This over-consumption of caffeine may result in many serious health issues, including seizures, rapid heart rates, and respiratory problems. It’s not just the caffeine from one small can of an energy drink, but the cumulative amount from multiple cans combined with soda and coffee. So, even if the new Café offers specialty barista beverages, it is important to be conscious of total daily caffeine consumption. Clearly, the best secret to good nutrition is to load up on fresh fruits and vegetables, drink lots of water, and get the best amount of sleep and exercise that your schedule permits.