Take

Charge

o f Your Health!

A Guide for 

Teenagers!

A Guide

T

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Take

agers!

Charge

Youro f

Health!

Does your life move at a hectic pace?

You may feel stressed from school, after-school activities, peer presour busy schedule may lead you to skip sure, and family relationships. Y

breakfast, buy lunch from vending machines, and grab whatever is in the 

refrigerator for dinner when you get home.

Where is the time to think about your health? 

Yet healthy behaviors, like nutritious eating and regular physical 

activity, may help you meet the challenges of your 

life. In fact, healthy eating and regular exercise may 

help you feel energized, learn better, and stay alert in 

class. These healthy habits may also lower your risk for 

diseases such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and 

some forms of cancer.

WIN Weight-control Information Network
2 Take Charge of Your Health!

Did you 

know?

❖ From 2003 to 2004, approximately 17.4 percent of U.S. 

teens between the ages of 12 

and 19 were overweight.

❖ Overweight children and 

teens are at high risk for developing serious diseases. Type 

2 diabetes and heart disease 

were considered adult diseases, but they are now being 

reported in children and 

teens.

Dieting is not the 

answer.

The best way to lose weight is to 

eat healthfully and be physically 

active. It is a good idea to talk 

with your health care provider if 

you want to lose weight.

Many teens turn to unhealthy 

dieting methods to lose weight, 

including eating very little, cutting 

out whole groups of foods (like 

grain products), skipping meals, 

and fasting. These methods can 

leave out important foods you 

need to grow. Other weight-loss 

tactics such as smoking, self-induced vomiting, or using diet pills 

or laxatives can lead to health 

problems.

In fact, unhealthy dieting can 

actually cause you to gain more 

weight because it often leads to 

a cycle of eating very little, then 

overeating or binge eating. Also, 

unhealthy dieting can put you at 

greater risk for growth and emotional problems. 

Take Charge.

What You Can Do

This booklet is designed to help 

you take small and simple steps 

to keep a healthy weight. It gives 

you basic facts about nutrition 

and physical activity, and offers 

practical tools that you can use 

in your everyday life, from reading food labels and selecting 

how much and what foods to 

eat, to replacing TV time with 

physical activities. 

Healthy 

Eating

Eating healthfully means getting 

the right balance of nutrients your 

body needs to perform every 

day. You can find out more about 

your nutritional needs by checking 

out the 2005 Dietary Guidelines 

for Americans. Published by the 

U.S. Government, this publication explains how much of each 

type of food you should eat, 

along with great information on 

nutrition and physical activity. The 

guidelines suggest the number 

of calories you should eat daily 

based on your gender, age, and 

activity level.

According to the guidelines, a 

healthy eating plan includes:

❖ fruits and vegetables

❖ fat-free or low-fat milk and 

milk products 

❖ lean meats, poultry, fish, 

beans, eggs, and nuts 

❖ whole grains
A Guide for Teenagers 3

In addition, a healthy diet is low in 

saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, 

salt, and added sugars.

When it comes to food portions, 

the Dietary Guidelines use the word 

“servings” to describe a standard 

amount of food. Serving sizes are 

measured as “ounce-” or “cupequivalents.” Listed below are some 

tips based on the guidelines that 

can help you develop healthy eating 

habits for a lifetime.

Eat fruits and vegetables every day.

When consumed as part of a well-balanced and nutritious eating plan, fruits 

and vegetables can help keep you healthy.

You may get your servings from fresh, frozen, dried, and canned fruits and 

vegetables. Teenagers who are consuming 2,000 calories per day should 

aim for 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables every day. You may 

need fewer or more servings depending on your individual calorie needs, 

which your health care provider can help you determine.

Fruits and Vegetables

What counts as a serving? 1 serving✱ equals

Fruits like apples, oranges, bananas, and pears 1 medium fruit

Raw leafy vegetables like romaine lettuce or spinach 1 cup

Cooked or raw vegetables 1/2 cup 

Chopped fruit 1/2 cup

Dried fruits (raisins or apricots) 1/4 cup

* Note: All serving size information is based on Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 

(www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines).
4 Take Charge of Your Health!

Count your calcium.

Calcium helps strengthen bones 

and teeth. This nutrient is very 

important, since getting enough 

calcium now can reduce the risk 

for broken bones later in life. Yet 

most teens get less than the recommended 1,200 mg of calcium per 

day. Aim for at least three 1 cupequivalents of low-fat or fat-free 

calcium-rich foods and beverages 

each day. Calcium-rich Foods

What counts as a serving? 1 cup-equivalent equals

Yogurt, low-fat or fat-free 1 cup

1 Cheddar cheese, low-fat 1 /2 ounces

American cheese, fat-free 2 ounces

Soy-based beverage (soy milk) with added calcium 1 cup

1 2 3

Power up with protein.

Protein builds and repairs body tissue like muscles and organs. 

Eating enough protein can help you grow strong and sustain your 

energy levels. Teens need five and one-half 1 ounce-equivalents of 

protein-rich foods each day. 

Protein Sources

What counts as a serving? 1 ounce-equivalent equals

Lean meat, poultry, or fish 1 ounce

Beans (canned or cooked dry beans) 1/4 cup

Tofu 1/4 cup

Eggs 1

Peanut butter 1 tablespoon

1 Veggie burger made with soy A 2 /2 ounce burger equals two and 

 one-half 1 ounce-equivalents

Nuts/Seeds 1/2 ounce
A Guide for Teenagers 5

Go whole grain. 

Grain foods help give you energy. Whole-grain foods like wholewheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal usually have more nutrients than 

refined grain products. They give you a feeling of fullness and add bulk 

to your diet.

Try to get six 1 ounce-equivalents of grains every day, with at least three 

1 ounce-equivalents coming from whole-grain sources.

Whole-grain Sources

What counts as a serving? 1 ounce-equivalent equals

Whole-grain bread 1 slice

Whole-grain pasta (cooked) 1/2 cup

 Brown rice (cooked) 1/2 cup

Foods made with bulgur (cracked wheat) 1 cup

like tabouli salad

 Ready to eat whole-grain breakfast cereals like About 1 cup

 raisin bran

Know your fats.

Fat is also an important nutrient. It 

helps your body grow and 

develop, and it is a 

source of energy as 

well––it even keeps 

your skin and hair 

healthy. But be aware 

that some fats are 

better for you than 

others. Limit your fat 

intake to 25 to 35 

percent of your total 

calories each day.

Unsaturated fat can be part of a 

healthy diet––as long as you do not 

eat too much since it is still high in 

calories. Good sources include:

❖ olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, and soybean oils 

❖ fish like salmon, trout, tuna, and 

whitefish

❖ nuts like walnuts, almonds, 

peanuts, and cashews

Limit saturated fat, which can clog 

your arteries and raise your risk for 

heart disease. Saturated fat is found 

primarily in animal products and in a 

few plant oils like:

❖ butter

❖ full-fat cheese

❖ whole milk

❖ fatty meats

❖ coconut, palm, and palm 

kernel oils 

Limit trans fat, which is also bad for 

your heart. Trans fat is often found 

in:

❖ baked goods like cookies, 

muffins, and doughnuts

❖ snack foods like crackers 

and chips
6 Take Charge of Your Health!

❖ vegetable shortening

❖ stick margarine

❖ fried foods 

Look for words like “shortening,” 

“partially hydrogenated vegetable 

oil,” or “hydrogenated vegetable 

oil” in the list of ingredients. These 

ingredients tell you that the food 

contains trans fat. Packaged food 

products are required to list trans fat 

on their Nutrition Facts.

Replenish your body 

with iron.

Teen boys need iron to support 

their rapid growth––most boys 

double their lean body mass 

between the ages of 10 and 17. 

Teen girls also need iron to support growth and replace blood lost 

during menstruation. 

To get the iron you need, try eating 

these foods:

❖ fish and shellfish 

❖ lean beef

❖ iron-fortified cereals 

❖ enriched and whole-grain 

breads 

❖ cooked dried beans and peas 

like black beans, kidney beans, 

black-eyed peas, and chickpeas/garbanzo beans 

❖ spinach

Control your food 

portions.

The portion sizes that you get away 

from home at a restaurant, grocery 

store, or school event may contain 

more food than you need to eat 

in one sitting. Research shows that 

when people are served more 

food, they eat more food. So, how 

can you control your food portions? Try these tips: 

❖ When eating out, share your 

meal, order a half-portion, or 

order an appetizer as a main 

meal. Be aware that some appetizers are larger than others and 

hydrogenated

enriched

saturated

red 

blood 

energy

cells

oxygen

calories iron

trans fat anemia

unsaturated

fat
A Guide for Teenagers 7

can have as many calories as 

an entree. 

❖ Take at least half of your 

meal home. 

❖ When eating at home, take one 

serving out of a package (read 

the Nutrition Facts to find out 

how big a serving is) and eat 

it off a plate instead of eating 

straight out of a box or bag.

❖ Avoid eating in front of the 

TV or while you are busy with 

other activities. It is easy to lose 

track of how much you are eating if you eat while doing 

other things.

❖ Eat slowly so your brain can get 

the message that your stomach 

is full.

❖ Do not skip meals. Skipping 

meals may lead you to eat more 

high-calorie, high-fat foods at 

your next meal or snack. Eat 

breakfast every day.

Read food labels.

When you read a food label, pay 

special attention to:

❖ Serving Size. Check the 

amount of food in a serving. 

Do you eat more or less? The 

“servings per container” line 

tells you the number of servings 

in the food package.

❖ Calories and Other Nutrients. 

Remember, the number of calories and other listed nutrients 

are for one serving only. Food 

packages often contain more 

than one serving. 

❖ Percent Daily Value. Look at 

how much of the recommended daily amount of a nutrient 

(% DV) is in one serving of 

food––5-percent DV or less 

is low and 20-percent DV or 

more is high. For example, if 

your breakfast cereal has 25-

percent DV for iron, it is high 

in iron. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 cup (228g)

Servings Per Container 2

Amount per Serving

Calories 250 Calories from Fat 110

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 12g 18%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Trans Fat 1.5g

Cholesterol 30mg 10%

Sodium 470mg 20%

Total Carbohydrate 31g 10%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Sugars 5g

Protein 5g

Vitamin A 4%

Vitamin C 2%

Calcium 20%

Iron 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on

your calorie needs:

Calories 2,000 2,500

Total Fat Less than 65g 80g

Sat Fat Less than 20g 25g

Cholesterol Less than 300mg 300mg

Sodium Less than 2,400mg 2,400mg

Total Carbohydrate 300g 375g

Dietary Fiber 25g 30g
8

Plan meals and 

snacks.

You and your family have busy 

schedules, which can make eating 

healthfully a challenge. Planning 

ahead can help. Think about the 

meals and snacks you would like for 

the week––including bag lunches 

to take to school––and help your 

family make a shopping list. You 

may even want to go grocery shopping and cook together.

jumpstart your day 

with breakfast.

Did you know that eating breakfast 

can help you do better in school? 

By eating breakfast you can increase 

your attention span and memory, 

have more energy, and feel less irritable and restless. A breakfast that is 

part of a healthy diet can also help 

you maintain an appropriate weight 

now and in the future.

Bag it! Pack your 

lunch.

Whether you eat lunch from school 

or pack your own, this meal should 

provide you with one-third of the 

day’s nutritional needs. A lunch of 

chips, cookies, candy, or soda just 

gives you lots of calories, but not 

many nutrients. Instead of buying 

snacks from vending machines at 

school, bring food from home. Try 

packing your lunch with a lean turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread, 

healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, 

low-fat yogurt, and nuts.

Snack smart.

A healthy snack can contribute to 

a healthy eating plan and give you 

the energy boost you need to get 

through the day. Try these snack 

ideas, but keep in mind that most 

of these foods should be eaten in 

small amounts:

Take Charge of Your Health!

❖ fruit––any kind––fresh, 

canned, dried, or frozen

❖ peanut butter on rice cakes or 

whole-wheat crackers 

❖ baked potato chips or tortilla 

chips with salsa

❖ veggies with low-fat dip

❖ string cheese, low-fat cottage 

cheese, or low-fat yogurt

❖ frozen fruit bars, fruit sorbet, or 

low-fat frozen yogurt

❖ vanilla wafers, graham crackers, 

animal crackers, or fig bars

❖ popcorn (air popped or low-fat 

microwave)
A Guide for Teenagers

9

Eat dinner with 

your family.

For many teens, dinner consists of 

eating on the run, snacking in front 

of the TV, or nonstop munching 

from after school to bedtime. Try 

to eat dinner as a family instead. 

Believe it or not, when you eat 

with your family you are more likely 

to get more fruits, vegetables, and 

other foods with the vitamins and 

minerals your body needs. Family meals also help you reconnect 

after a busy day. Talk to your family 

about fitting in at least a few meals 

together throughout the week

.

Limit fast food and 

choose wisely.

Like many teens, you may eat at fast 

food restaurants often. If so, you 

are probably taking in a lot of extra 

calories from added sugar and fat. 

Just one value-sized fast food meal 

of a sandwich, fries, and sweetened soda can have more calories, 

fat, and added sugar than anyone 

should eat in an entire day. 

The best approach is to limit the 

amount of fast food you eat. If you 

do order fast food, try these tips: ❖ Skip “value-sized” or “supersized” meals. ❖ Choose a grilled chicken sandwich or a plain, small burger. ❖ Use mustard instead of mayonnaise.

❖ Limit fried foods or remove 

breading from fried chicken, 

which can cut half the fat.

❖ Order garden or grilled chicken 

salads with light or reducedcalorie dressings.

❖ Choose water, fat-free, or lowfat milk instead of sweetened 

soda.

Rethink your drinks.

Soda and other sugary drinks have 

replaced milk and water as the 

drinks of choice for teens and adults 

alike. Yet these drinks are actually 

more like desserts because they are 

high in added sugar and calories. 

In fact, soda and sugar-laden drinks 

may contribute to weight problems 

in kids and teens. Try sticking to 

water, low-fat milk, or fat-free milk.
10 Take Charge of Your Health!

Physical

Activity

Like eating well, physical activity 

may help you feel good. Being 

physically active may:

❖ Help you control your weight, 

build lean muscle, and reduce 

your body fat.

❖ Strengthen your bones. 

❖ Increase flexibility and balance.

❖ Reduce your risk for chronic 

diseases like type 2 diabetes, 

heart disease, and high blood 

pressure. 

Physical activity also has possible 

emotional and social benefits, 

including:

❖ Improving your self-esteem and 

mood.

❖ Decreasing feelings of 

anxiety and depression. 

❖ Helping you do better in 

school.

❖ Improving your teamwork skills 

through sports.

Be active every day.

Physical activity should be part of 

your daily life, whether you play 

sports, take P.E. or other exercise 

classes, or even get from place to 

place by walking or bicycling. Teens 

should be physically active for 60 

minutes or more on most, preferably all, days of the week.

Turn off the TV and 

get moving!

Can too much TV contribute to 

weight problems? Several research 

studies say yes. In fact, one study 

noted that boys and girls who 

watched the most TV had more 

body fat than those who watched 

TV less than 2 hours a day. 

Try to cut back on your TV, computer, and video game time and get 

Choose activities you like 

and stick to them.

competitive sport. Y

Being physically active does not mean you have to join a gym or play a 

or even turn up the music and dance. T

ou can take a brisk walk around your neighborhood 

❖

ry some of these ideas:

 Play volleyball ❖ Swim laps ❖

❖

 Jump rope

 Shoot baskets ❖ Ride your bike ❖ Run
A Guide for Teenagers 11

moving instead. Here are some tips 

to help you break the TV habit.

❖ Tape your favorite shows and 

watch them later. This cuts 

down on TV time because you 

plan to watch specific shows 

instead of zoning out and 

flipping through the channels 

indefinitely.

❖ Replace after-school TV watching and video game use with 

physical activities. Get involved 

with activities at your school or 

in your community.

Making It 

Work

Look for chances to move more 

and eat better at home, at school, 

and in the community.

It is not easy to maintain a healthy 

weight in today’s environment. Fast 

food restaurants on every corner, 

vending machines at schools, and 

not enough safe places for physical activity can make it difficult to 

eat healthfully and be active. Busy 

schedules may also keep families 

from fixing and eating dinners 

together. 

Understanding your home, school, 

and community is an important step 

in changing your eating and activity 

habits. Your answers to the questions on this checklist can help you 

identify barriers and ways to change 

your behavior to support your success.

Home

1. Is the kitchen stocked with 

fruits, vegetables, low-fat or 

fat-free milk and milk products, 

whole-grain items, and other 

foods you need to eat healthy?

2. Can you get water and low-fat 

or fat-free milk instead of soda, 

sweetened tea, and sugary fruit 

drinks?

What you can do at home.

Talk to your family about making 

changes that encourage healthy eating 

and regular physical activity. Dance to 

music, run around the park, or play 

basketball together. Help your family 

plan weekly menus and shopping 

lists. Get involved with shopping and 

cooking too. See the Other Resources section for recipe lists.

3. Do you pack healthy lunches to 

take to school?

4. Does your family eat dinner 

together a few times per week?

5. Do you have sports or exercise 

equipment at home, including 

balls, bikes, and jump ropes?

6. Do you limit the hours you 

spend watching TV or playing 

video or computer games?
12 Take Charge of Your Health!

School

1. Does the cafeteria offer healthy 

foods such as salads and fruit?

2. Are there vending machines 

in school where you can buy 

snacks and drinks like baked 

chips, fig bars, and bottled 

water?

3. Do you take gym class on a 

regular basis?

4. Are there after-school sports or 

other physical activities available 

aside from gym class?

What you can do at 

school.

Form a group of students and ask the 

principal for healthier food choices in 

the cafeteria or in vending machines. 

You can also ask for more P.E. classes or 

school-sponsored physical activities. 

Community (Where You Live)

1. Are there bike paths, hiking 3. Are there grocery stores

trails, swimming pools, parks, or that offer fruits, vegetaopen fields that are safe to use? bles, and other healthy 

foods?

2. Is there a community center, 

church, or other place that 4. Do the streets have 

offers classes such as dance, sidewalks so you can 

self-defense, or other physical walk safely? 

activities? 

What you can do in your 

community.

Write to local politicians and newspapers 

about the need for more places to play 

and exercise in your community. Also, be 

creative. Locate programs or places that you 

can get to by bus or train. Stay after school 

for activities or join local youth groups 

(such as church groups) and encourage 

them to offer opportunities for physical 

activity. The YMCA, 4-H, and the Boys 

and Girls Clubs of America are examples 

of organizations that offer youth 

health programs. 
A Guide for Teenagers 13

Change Occurs Slowly

Old habits are hard to break and ❖ Look at your current eating tive most days of the week? Do 

new ones, especially those related and physical activity habits you eat when you are stressed? 

to eating and physical activity, can and at ways you can make Can you substitute physical 

take months to develop and stick them healthier. Use a food and activity for eating at these times? 

with. Here are some tips to help activity journal for 4 or 5 days, For tips on keeping a food and 

you in the process: and write down everything you activity diary, check out the 

eat, your activities, and your website of the American Acad-

❖ Make changes slowly. Do not emotions. Review your journal emy of Family Physicians at 

expect to change your eating or to get a picture of your habits. www.familydoctor.org. You can 

activity habits overnight. Chang- Do you skip breakfast? Are you also buy inexpensive journals at 

ing too much too fast can hurt eating fruits and vegetables ev- grocery stores, discount stores, 

your chances of success. ery day? Are you physically ac- or online bookstores.
14 Take Charge of Your Health! ❖ Set a few realistic goals for 

yourself. First, try cutting back 

the number of sweetened 

sodas you drink by replacing a 

couple of them with unsweetened beverages. Once you 

have reduced your sweetened 

soda intake, try eliminating these 

drinks from your diet. Then set 

a few more goals, like drinking 

low-fat or fat-free milk, eating 

more fruits, or getting more 

physical activity each day.

❖ Identify your barriers. Are 

there unhealthy snack foods at 

home that are too tempting? Is 

the food at your cafeteria too 

high in fat and added sugars? 

Do you find it hard to resist 

drinking several sweetened sodas a day because your friends 

do it? Use the tips that start on 

page 11 to identify changes you 

can make.

❖ Get a buddy at school or 

someone at home to support 

your new habits. Ask a friend, 

sibling, parent, or guardian to 

help you make changes and 

stick with your new habits. 

❖ Know that you can do it! Use 

the information in this booklet 

and the resources listed at the 

end to help you. Stay positive 

and focused by remembering 

why you wanted to be healthier––to look, feel, move, and 

learn better. Accept relapses–

–if you fail at one of your nutrition or physical activity goals 

one day, do not give up. Just 

try again the next day. Also, 

share this information with your 

family. They can support you in 

adopting healthier behaviors.
A Guide for Teenagers 15

Other

Resources

Websites

http://www.mypyramid.gov is 

your access point for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 

food guidance system. This website 

contains general guidance on food 

and healthy eating, with tips and 

suggestions for making smart dietary 

choices. The site also features 

interactive tools that can customize 

food and calorie recommendations 

according to your age, gender, and 

physical activity level.

http://www.health.gov/ 

PAGuidelines is where you can 

learn about the benefits of physical 

activity. The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, from 

the U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services, provides general 

information on physical activity for 

teenagers, including how often you 

should be active and which activities are best for you.

http://www.fitness.gov, run by 

The President’s Council on Physical 

Fitness and Sports, provides regular 

updates on the Council’s activities 

as well as resources on how to get 

involved in its programs. 

http://www.girlshealth.gov, developed by the Office on Women’s 

Health, provides girls with reliable 

health information on physical activity, nutrition, stress reduction, and 

more.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn is the 

USDA’s Team Nutrition website, 

which focuses on the role nutritious 

school meals, nutrition education, 

and a health-promoting school environment play in helping students 

learn to enjoy healthy eating and 

physical activity. 

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/msy 

is the National Institute of Child 

Health and Development’s MediaSmart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be 

Active! program. This interactive 

after-school program is designed to 

help young people become aware 

of the media’s influence on their 

food and physical activity choices. 

http://www.cdc.gov/powerfulbones is part of the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention’s 

(CDC) Powerful Bones, Powerful 

Girls, which is a national health 

campaign that provides tips on 

healthy eating and physical activity. 

http://ndep.nih.gov/teens/index.

aspx, from the National Diabetes 

Education Program, provides teens 

with information about diabetes. 

The website offers publications 

and resources on how teens can 

prevent and manage diabetes. 

http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/portion/

keep.htm is a quiz from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 

that tests your knowledge of how 

food portion sizes have changed 

during the last 20 years.

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/

dnpa/physical/index.htm, a site 

sponsored by the CDC’s Division 

of Nutrition and Physical Activity, 

addresses the importance of physical activity and provides recommendations on how to get started on a 

fitness program. It includes links to 

websites that offer health information for teenagers. 

NIH Publication No. 09–4328 

August 2009
Weight-control Information Network

1 WIN Way

Bethesda, MD 20892-3665

Phone: (202) 828-1025

Toll-Free number: 1-877-946-4627

FAX: (202) 828-1028

Email: WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet: http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov

The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is a national information 

service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney 

Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health, which is the Federal 

Government’s lead agency responsible for biomedical research on 

nutrition and obesity. Authorized by Congress (Public Law 103-43), 

WIN provides the general public, health professionals, the media, and 

Congress with up-to-date, science-based health information on weight 

control, obesity, physical activity, and related nutritional issues. Publications 

provided by WIN are reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside 

experts. 

Special thanks to the teens who helped with this publication. 

This publication is not copyrighted. WIN encourages users of this 

brochure to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.

This publication is also available at http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov

16

NIH Publication No. 09–4328 

Updated August 2009

U.S. Department of 

Health and Human 

Services