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Show WHAT to EAT and WHY A- Feed Adolescent Correctly or Tragic Consequences May Result, Warns C. Houston Goudiss; Teeth Must Receive Special Consideration By C. HOUSTON GOUDISS OFFHAND, it may seem as if there could be very little connection between a deficient diet during adolescence and painful childbirth in later years. Yet it has been demonstrated demon-strated clinically that there is a definite link. It has likewise been determined that the kind of food which is fed adolescents has a significant and far- reaching influence upon their teeth in later life, and in the case of girls, upon the teeth of their children when they in turn become mothers. Preparation for Parenthood Adolescence is a difficult period at best. And if a girl takes an unbalanced un-balanced diet at rvw tnjs time, the re- - suit may be an un- ( yj stable nervous sys- ' ) ' ' isssul tem, poor physical ' "'fl development, low-I low-I Vs- Jj ereii vitality and I fl inability to fight 1 ' t 5 off infections. This k V I lack of strong re-p- - t sistance may open I 1 the way to dental Lfcu It kJ disease and to a variety of other serious se-rious infections as well. It has also been established that if a girl is poorly nourished during dur-ing these years of rapid development, develop-ment, there may not be the slightest slight-est indication of that fact until she first becomes an expectant mother. moth-er. Then she will pay for her mother's lack of nutrition knowledge. knowl-edge. Results of Calcium Deficiency If her diet has been deficient in calcium, for example, her pelvic bones may be imperfectly developed, devel-oped, so that she suffers unnecessarily unneces-sarily during the birth of her child. And if liberal amounts of calcium have not been stored in her body, she may be called upon to make needless sacrifices from her own body in the interests of her child. It is well known that if an expectant mother's diet is not abundantly supplied with calcium, the substance will be withdrawn from her own bones and teeth in an effort to meet the needs of the developing child. An Aid to Dental Health For although expectant mothers are not always aware of this important im-portant fact, it is true that the first or "baby" teeth are developed devel-oped within the jaw during prenatal pre-natal life, and the foundations for the second set are also laid at this time. Unless the expectant mother's diet is very generously supplied $ with calcium, so as to allow adequate ade-quate amounts for the baby's teeth and bones, nature will endeavor en-deavor to meet the child's requirements require-ments by sacrificing calcium from the mother's own body. If she has no adequate reserve, then she may be forced to lose "a tooth for every child," or suffer even more serious dental ills. Calcium-Rich Foods Required Leading nutrition authorities hold that the average American diet is more deficient in calcium, perhaps, than in any other single nutrient. This is especially likely to be the case in the diet of the adolescent. For at that time, boys develop prodigious appetites and a tremendous capacity for carbohydrates carbohy-drates or energy-producing foods, while girls become extremely finicky. fin-icky. Either they do not take enough food at meals, or they tend to eat too many rich mixtures between be-tween meals. As a result, the diet of both boys and girls is likely to contain an abundance of meat, fish, highly milled cereals ce-reals and other refined foods, with inadequate amounts of the foods rich in calcium. The Adolescent's Diet To balance the diet properly, these necessary protein and energy en-ergy foods should be supplemented supplement-ed by milk and cheese which are rich in calcium; by green leafy vegetables which are also a good source; by eggs and fruits, valued for their minerals and vitamins; and by bulky foods which supply sufficient cellulose to help promote pro-mote regular health habits. Mothers of adolescent children should make a conscientious and determined effort to feed them a diet rich in calcium and vitamins A, C and D the substances required, re-quired, especially, for maintaining sound, healthy teeth. If milk and succulent fruits and vegetables figure prominently in the daily menus of the adolescent girl, they will go a long way toward helping to correct the "choosy" attitude toward food from which many older old-er children suffer. And if careful attention to diet is coupled with careful attention to sound hygienic habits, the health of our 'teen-age boys and girls will be greatly improved, and they will be more adequately prepared to assume the duties of parenthood. Correct Dental Hygieno It is vitally important that the proper care be given to the teeth and mouth. But it is quite unlikely that a correct routine will be followed fol-lowed unless mothers offer tactful tact-ful advice and suggestions very frequently. For while the tiny child has his teeth brushed for him, and the young school child has his tooth-brushing ritual supervised, su-pervised, too often the adolescent is left to his own devices in this respect. That is a great mistake, as adolescents are sometimes careless in the care of their teeth. Mothers must see to it that there are two toothbrushes, one for night and one for morning, so that it is never necessary to use a soggy brush. They must watch when the supply of tooth paste or powder runs low, and see that it is replaced. For it is surprising how few children can be persuaded to brush their teeth properly without an agreeable dentifrice! Mothers should take care to choose a dentifrice den-tifrice that will preserve or restore re-store luster in the teeth. For adolescents ado-lescents are extremely sensitive about their appearance and they must not be allowed to permit dingy teeth to spoil their smiles. If mothers will feed their adolescents ado-lescents a correct diet and super-' vise their daily dental care, the . coming generation will not only V be more attractive to look' at but should enjoy more abundant health. |