The questionnaire provided some very interesting and refreshing findings. Such findings emerged, which showed a clear correlation of poor food habits for adolescents of both genders, as an overwhelming 95% in each case had not opted for the “well balanced” option. Fears of the author raised in secondary research were present as the figures showed adolescents are not placing a control on their food habits and evidently letting other factors influence food choice rather than their body’s health. The majority of females tend to have opted for high fatty foods with an outstanding 35% and 25% for sugary foods. Males like the females had a high fat intake with 25% coupled with a high processed food percentage. Males unlike females had a higher starchy food based diet (15%), however this may be a result of more sport driven males and a general concern for their health and fitness. These findings collaborate with figures in secondary research, that adolescents today have poor food habits and backs up the trend of obesity in this age bracket.
A recent survey carried out by Priory Clinic in 2004 showed evidently our food habits can reflect our moods. Also, a spokesman from the Eating Disorders Association concluded on this survey that “It goes to show that emotions affect the way that we eat. The author can therefore clarify, it is a well known turbulent emotional time for adolescents and having seen the eating habits/diets of adolescents, the author can suggest a strong link between the lack of structure, discipline and concern of emotions and their.
Furthermore, an alarming large majority of both male and female adolescents revealed to believe food’s function was paramount in the diet for health and for satisfying emotions. With a colossal 55% of females choosing this option, the author can suggest females may be more emotionally unstable and use food and their diet for other reasons such as comforting. It is no secret females are “perceived” to be more likely to having an eating disorder, which is evident as one woman in 20 will have eating habits which give cause for concern; most will be aged 14 to 25 years old. (http://www.disordered-eating.co.uk)
However, it is noteworthy that a quarter of female did opt for “food as essential to life and should not be abused and can have serious health implications” showing the author that not all females have less positive relationships with food and its function and showing that the author’s belief of little awareness is not unanimously true. It could be suggested more females tend to study Home Economics at school and so have a better understanding of what foods real function is and may give light to why only 15% of males choose this answer.
Moreover, males had a lower yet still high association of food is important for our health and emotions with 45% and suggests emotional eating is evident in both genders. However it is the suggestion of the author that males are less likely to admit to having emotional problems and this figure could be deemed inaccurate.
Further findings reinforce the authors belief that comfort eating may have been encouraged from a young age. With an expected 55% of females and 45% of males who chose yes to being comforted with food in an emotional situation at an early age, the author can suggest that parental influence and how children dealt with emotional situation from an early age, has an enormous part to play in the reason so many adolescents today feel the need to be comforted by food for comforting our emotions. An article from www.articlescnatch.com reinforces the authors beliefs raised in secondary research as they conclude “A child is even more likely to become an emotional eater later in life when food is used as compensation for the bad feelings associated with life’s hard knocks. The link between feeling victimised and eating can create life-long patterns of emotional eating.” The author can conclude…