Eating during adolescence and its relations with adolescent health

Abstract

This study aims to identify the contents of teenagers' representations about eating and to analyze the relations established among feeding, weight and health. Social Representations Theory was applied in combination with the Convergent-Care Method. The participants were 27 teenagers of both genders between 13 and 19 years old who attended a group of young people from an evangelical church. The thematic content analysis organized categories that clarified the contents of the representations about healthy and unhealthy eating, which influence the occurrence of diseases and overweight. Although typical of teenagers, fast food is not healthy. It was concluded that teenagers know about healthy food and the problems deriving from bad eating habits; thinness represents health and obesity is related to disease; and the food culture of adolescence influences their practices.