Assessment of eating behavior

Edited by Doctor Izzo Lorenzo

An honest, complete and correct assessment of eating behavior is the first step to take. During the day there are one or more occasions to make independent food choices outside the home.

Away from home: the favorite destinations of young people are bars or fast food places and the choices are mostly oriented towards products which, despite being pleasant to the taste and practical in consumption, are inadequate from a nutritional point of view, both because too rich in calories, fat and salt, both because they are poor in fiber and vitamins.If this consumption becomes too frequent, risks due to nutritional imbalances can be determined.

In the family: even in the family, children often tend to eliminate or reduce the consumption of certain traditional foods, such as milk, yogurt, fish, vegetables and fruit. For this reason, it would be good to always have these foods available at home and instead avoid sweets, carbonated drinks, fried potatoes, snacks, etc .; all this in order to compensate for imbalances and fill gaps even outside main meals. Each person should be able to calculate the daily intake in terms of calories and nutrients, to verify the correspondence with energy and nutritional needs.

Self-regulation and critical conscience: it is not easy to succeed effectively in the self-regulation of food choices and lifestyle. This can only happen through the formation of a critical conscience that leads to food choices suited to one's nutritional needs, rather than dictated by type conditioning cultural, social, psychological or myths and / or fashions; this path also includes the adoption of an active and healthy lifestyle, possibly accompanied by the practice of a sport.

The feeding pattern followed by most children usually consists of a non-existent or almost non-existent breakfast, a hasty lunch and a "hearty dinner, often consumed in front of the television; often all this is also associated with a series of various snacks or snacks. between meals (snacks, pretzels, chips, fizzy drinks, etc.).
To change these incorrect eating habits it is first of all necessary to carry out a correct distribution of meals during the day. Breakfast is, for example, often overlooked and instead must provide at least 20% of the total daily calories. We must be aware that in the morning the organism needs to supply itself with energy.
Eating well every day means not only consuming food to satisfy one's appetite and sense of taste, but also ensuring the introduction of a correct amount of energy, nutrients, water and dietary fiber for the proper functioning of the " body.

The correct behavior:

1. Keep your weight within normal limits and, if it is above, do not postpone the adoption of an appropriate diet over time;
2.adopt a balanced diet in its components and varied choices (choose foods that are less rich in calories and prefer vegetables rich in fiber such as fresh fruit, vegetables and water);
3. rationalize the rhythm of meals;
4. Maintain a good level of physical exercise and adopt an active and healthy lifestyle.