Teenagers’ view of calcium

Citation

(1999), "Teenagers’ view of calcium", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 99 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.1999.01799dab.002

Teenagers’ view of calcium

Teenagers’ view of calcium

According to new research commissioned by Nestlé and conducted among 500 15 to 19 year olds across the UK by the research company Audience Selection, only 7 per cent of teenagers are aware of the link between low calcium intake and osteoporosis in later life. The findings mark the launch of a new campaign to raise the importance of calcium in the teenage diet. Another finding from the research was that only 6 per cent of the teenagers were aware that the teenage years are an important time to boost calcium intake. Two-thirds of the teenage girls were more concerned about fat than calcium intake and less than half of them knew there was a recommended daily intake of calcium. Professor David Richardson, Head of Nutrition Science and Communications at Nestlé commented that although two-thirds of teenagers do believe they have a healthy diet, evidence suggests that their diets may be lacking in several of the essential nutrients needed for good health. Poor food choices and a lack of exercise could lead to an epidemic of osteoporosis in 50 years time. Talking to teenagers about calcium can be a postive step to reduce the risk of osteoporosis among older people. Nestlés Inner Stength campaign is targeting teenagers through the teen media with information leaflets, campaign t-shirts and other materials to create awareness of the importance of a high calcium intake in the diet.