In its information directed to teenagers, Giant says, What may surprise the dieter is that the body actually responds to crash dieting as it would to starvation. The body lowers its metabolic rate, the pamphlet explains, thus burning fewer calories. Findings from a recent, small study conducted by the National Dairy Council suggest that nutrition education in schools may encourage teenagers to improve their eating habits. However, as Teenage Research Unlimited's Peter Zollo acknowledges, the effect of large-scale nutrition education campaigns on teenagers has yet to be explored by market researchers. Teenagers like Jer and Di Onna seem to be most influenced by information they pick up from their families.
Nutrition can become a family concern.
Ellyn Satter, a family therapist and dietitian with the Family Therapy Center in Madison, Wis., points out that parents plan the menus for their young children and set an eating style for the family. Driver's License and Grocery Cart Teenagers most likely to be checking out the supermarket are from upper and lower income families in cities and lower income families in small towns, found Teenage Research Unlimited. That's where the greatest percentage of working mothers are. Of 35 percent of teens shopping one or more times a week, reports a recent issue of Food Processing magazine, the boys are shopping 8 percent more than the girls. Dale Blumenthal is a staff writer for FDA Consumer.