A Study On Food Habits And Its

Awareness Among Adolescents Students

In Bangalore
Abstract:

Background:

Today,the alarming increase of chronic diseases at even young ages has

fostered the global attention and concern for the health worldwide. Adolescence
(10–19 years) is a vulnerable period of life as health-related behaviors that drive
the major chronic degenerative diseases start or are reinforced during this time .
Adolescents’ health habits are important determinants of both their present and
future health . The objective of this research paper was to identify these key
lifestyle trends that are emerging and understand the way they are changing the
food habits using a qualitative research design.

Methods

Data collection was done via a face-to-face interview based on a structured, pre-
tested questionnaire. The Dietary and Lifestyle survey was conducted among the
secondary and higher secondary school students and their parents attending
different private schools in Bangalore urban area.

Results

The results overwhelmingly show that there is a shift from opting to eat at home
to opting to eat out. Also interestingly awareness about harmful effects of
processed foods was high but the reason for consumption was attributed
primarily to ease of purchase. The purpose of the research is an attempt to
ensure that key steps are taken by public officials: such as a tax on unhealthy
foods, subsidies for healthy food, and promotion of healthy norms. Also FSSAI
guidelines need to strengthen to ensure that customer awareness increase and
food companies opt for a more transparent communication platform.

Key Words:

Nutrition, Food Habits, Chronic diseases, Processed food, Ready-To-Eat,

Convenience Foods ,Life style,Adolesent.

Introduction:

One of the oldest yet common saying is Health is Wealth.Body metabolism, which
is influenced by what we eat and do, contributes to either healthy being or illness
in the body. Unfortunately the globalization has impacted us with unhealthy
lifestyles impacting physical and psycho-social health. Health does not simply
mean ‘absence of disease’ or ‘physical fitness’. It could be defined as a state of
complete physical, mental and social well-being. When people are healthy, they
are more efficient at work. This increases productivity and brings economic
prosperity.

Eating Behavior In Adolescent Students:

A wide range of foods has penetrated the market. Lifestyle trends in the India
(rising incomes, longer working hours, more working mothers) tend to support a
convenience food culture. Ready-To-Eat Foods include frozen foods, packaged
foods have seen a huge market.According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates, by 2030 67 percent of all deaths in India will be due to such causes on
people suffering from non-communicable diseases like diabetes and
cardiovascular diseases. . These food behaviours may set in train unhealthy eating
trends for adult life , and contribute to a number of health problems including
overweight and obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and a number of cancers .
Improvement of the food habits of adolescents is therefore one avenue to reduce
the prevalence of these health problems.
The eating habits of the adolescent school children was assessed by asking them
to tick the foods which they consume at least 3 times per week. As is evident from
the Figure 1 with respect to foods, 50% of the population consumes soft drinks
at least 3 times a week. Chocolates and Chips are also being consumed by almost
the same amount of the population. On the other hand, as far as nutritious eating
is concerned, around 70 to 80% of the respondents consumed foods like Green
Vegetables, Dal, Fruits, Vegetables and Milk at least 3 times a week.

Figure 1-Eating Habits Of Adolescent Students

120

100

80

60

40 Consuming atleast 3 times per week

Consuming lessthan 3 times per week

20

Around 80 to 90% children knew that Green Vegetables, Dal, Milk, Fruits and
Vegetables are good for health. Almost 95% knew that Pizzas, Burgers and French
Fries are bad for their health.
On being asked how they come to know what is good for their health and what is
bad, at least 60% said that parents and family were the most influential source of
information. School education was also an important source of information as
agreed by 52 % of children. Only 20 % and 10% of children said media and friends
were the source of information respectively. Nearly
65% agreed that they bought or often buy food items on seeing the
advertisements.
The factors influencing their eating behavior can be represented as below :

Figure 2-Factors influencing the eating behavior

Physical Environment Macro Environment
•Availability and accessibility of •media and advertising
foods and cooking supplies •culture and values
•Appeal of foods
•Food prices

Social Environment Individual

•Parental control •Food preferences(taste)
•Social Support (friends and family) •self_decipline
•Peer pressure •Values and beliefs
•Stress , state of mind
•Body image
Adolesent •time and convenience
•Physical activity level
student's eating
behaviour

Parents have a crucial role in influencing the dietary habit of an adolescent.The

result from the study of factors they give maximum attention for food purchase is
given below :
 Figure 3 -Maximum Attention To Category For Food Purchase

Parent's Food selection pattern

Easy to cook/convenience

Cost

Organic

Serving Size
Parent's Food selection pattern
Packaging

Information on ingredients

Information on calories

0 5 10 15 20 25

The study clearly shows that the knowledge of serving size and ingredients are
inadequate , which may lead to overconsumption .

Conclusion:

1. Overall, adolescents demonstrate unhealthy dietary patterns. Their

frequent consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods and sugar-
sweetened beverages and the omission of a variety of healthy foods from
their daily diets puts them at risk of developing chronic degenerative
diseases.
2. In the light of the increasing prevalence of obesity and diet-related
diseases, actions should be taken to enable adolescents to eat more
healthily.
3. The awareness level of consumers definitely has room for improvement.
Also – it is clear that consumers want more transparency from food
companies.
4. It is also seen that consumers are open to different pricing and packaging
approaches which enable them to keep a tighter control over their eating
habits.
 5. There is also lack of clarity of terminologies; customer knowledge is very
important

Suggestions and Recommendations

1. The three key things that might be considered are: tax on unhealthy foods,
subsidies for healthy food, and promotion of healthy norms.

2. Detailed and descriptive nutritional information on product packaging is vital in

gaining the consumer trust.

3.Necessity of developing nutritional interventions and education strategies

aiming promotion of healthy eating habits in children is indispensable.

References :

[1]. Abend, L. (2008, November 24). Is Slow Food slowly changing? Christian
Science Monitor. Retrieved December 18, 2014 from Ebscohost Database.

[2]. Shepherd R, Raats M. Egham, UK: CABI; 2007. The Psychology of Food Choice

[3]. Story M, Neumark-Sztainer D, French S. Individual and environmental

influences on adolescent eating behaviors. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002;102(3
Suppl):S40–51.

[4]. WHO Technical Report Series. Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of
chronic Diseases. Geneva, WHO. 2003.