From the time of being a fetus, birth to old age, humans go through many stages such as: fetus in the womb, the stage under 24 months old, ..., then to adolescence, adulthood and old age (in other words, people call it the life cycle). One of the most important stages that determines the physical and mental development of each person's future is the fetal stage, children under 2 years old and adolescence (10-18 years old). According to many studies in the world and Vietnam, children who are malnourished when they are young, especially in the first 2 years after birth, will have a high risk of becoming stunted adolescents and will not be able to catch up with their peers who were not malnourished when they were young. Stunted adolescent girls will be at risk of developing into short, underweight women and as a result, give birth to children with fetal malnutrition (low birth weight). Children with low birth weight (under 2500 g) are at risk of malnutrition. Therefore, proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle should be encouraged at all ages.

In nutrition intervention programs in Vietnam, currently only two groups of priority are focused on mothers and children. In recent years, nutritionists have paid attention to adolescents, to help their bodies develop and improve before becoming mothers, which is part of the issue of "Early Nutrition". Nutritional intervention during adolescence is extremely important, because this age group develops very quickly in both height and weight, with changes in psychology, physiology, endocrine, and reproductive health. The average weight of adolescents increases from 3-5 kg/year, and height increases from 4-7 cm/year, with boys growing more than girls. Therefore, the nutritional requirements of adolescents are also very high for development and activity, so children often eat without knowing when they are full. To ensure nutritional needs for the development of this age, first of all, the energy issue is from 2100-2200kcalo/day/female and 2100-2900Kcalo/day/male depending on the age, the needs are different. To meet the needs, children need to eat 3 meals/day, eat enough and have enough nutrients. Adolescents are at the age of studying for exams, if they have to stay up late to study a lot, they need to eat extra meals such as: milk, fruit, etc. Some girls often eat less to maintain their body shape, which limits their development.

To meet the body's development needs, the need for protein at this age is extremely important, the daily protein requirement is about 70 grams/male and 60 grams/female. Daily protein needs are from 70-100 grams/day, the proportion of animal protein accounts for 35-40%, energy from protein accounts for 15% of the energy of the diet. The need for protein at adolescence is necessary for the growth rate, because protein helps create the structure of cells, create hormones and meet the body's immune system. Animal protein sources for meals include: meat, fish, eggs, milk, shrimp, crab, ... vegetable protein sources from beans, sesame, peanuts, ...

Daily fat requirement is 40-50 grams, fat sources from animal and vegetable sources with a balanced ratio of 70% and 30%. Energy provided by lipids in the diet is about 20%. Fat is a source of energy, helps dissolve and absorb fat-soluble vitamins: vitamins A, E, D, K. In addition to vitamins, the need for minerals also needs attention.

* Iron: Iron is a component of hemoglobin, participates in the process of transporting oxygen and is an important component of hemoglobin. Iron in the body, together with protein, forms hemoglobin, transports oxygen, CO2, prevents anemia and participates in the composition of oxidation-reduction enzymes. The iron needs of adolescents are met through a diet rich in high biological value iron. However, in our country, the ability to access animal food sources with high biological value iron from the diet is very low. Therefore, from adolescence, it is necessary to take additional iron tablets or multivitamin tablets every week. Adolescent boys need 12-18 mg of iron/day, girls need 20 mg/day. Foods rich in iron of animal origin such as: beef, beef blood, chicken eggs, duck eggs, pig heart, chicken liver, etc.

* Vitamin A: necessary for normal growth and development, enhances immunity, reduces infection and mortality rates. Vitamin A is found in animal foods: liver, eggs, milk,... in addition, plant foods provide sources of carotene such as green vegetables, carrots, and yellow fruits. The vitamin A requirement for adolescents is 600 mcg/day.

* Calcium: very necessary for puberty, because at this stage height growth is very fast, calcium is needed a lot, calcium and phosphorus are needed to maintain and form strong bones and teeth. Calcium is abundant in milk, aquatic products, and seafood. Vitamin D requirement for adolescents is 5 mcg/day.

* Vitamin C: Vitamin C helps absorb and use iron, calcium and folic acid. In addition, vitamin C also has the function of preventing allergies, increasing immunity, stimulating bile production, and protecting blood vessel walls. Vitamin C is abundant in green vegetables and ripe fruits. The vitamin C requirement for adolescents is 65 mg/day.

Adolescent nutrition is a decisive factor for children to develop in height, weight and develop optimally when they are adults. When they grow up, being healthy and strong without malnutrition is a condition for becoming fathers and mothers who give birth to healthy children in the future. Adolescents with good health are a condition for working and studying well, helping their families and society in the future.                                                       

Dr. Nguyen Van Tien - Institute of Nutrition