How Current Dietary Patterns of Children and Adolescents Influence Health?

In recent decades, children's and adolescents’ eating habits have suffered dramatic changes. With the rise of convenience foods and an increasingly busy lifestyle, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become a central part of many young people's diets. This trend is driven by factors such as aggressive marketing, convenience, affordability, and the appeal of hyper-palatable flavours. In many cases, UPFs are displacing minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. (1) 

Childhood eating habits often continue into adulthood, that’s one of the reasons why organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) promote healthy diets early in life, to prevent chronic diseases later in life. (2) 

Dietary Patterns 

According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and WHO, healthy diets are those that: (3) 

In the first two years of life, proper nutrition is vital for healthy growth, brain development, and lowering the risk of obesity and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) later.  (4) 

A healthy dietary pattern is one that aligns with dietary guideline recommendations regarding food group intake. Following such a pattern helps ensure that all essential nutrient and energy needs are met. In contrast, poor adherence to healthy diets is associated with a growing prevalence of noncommunicable diseases, including rising rates of childhood obesity and cardiovascular conditions. (5) 

Health Impacts 

Adherence to healthy pattern is consistently associated with: lower body fat, waist circumference, and blood pressure. Conversely, western or ultra-processed food-rich diets correlate with increased weight, poorer diet quality, and metabolic risk. (5) 

Poor nutrition is linked to obesity and related conditions such as diabetes, fatty liver, and heart disease. Childhood obesity also affects self-esteem, academic performance, and quality of life, and increases the risk of adult obesity.  (2) 

Poor dietary quality is well established as a potentially modifiable risk factor for mental disorders. Several studies have found that the intake of ultra-processed food is positively associated with depressive, anxiety, trauma and stress as well as addiction-related parameters. A 2025 study found that healthy dietary patterns were inversely associated with depression in adolescents. This evidence shows us that having a healthy lifestyle can help preventing mental disorders in adolescents and all ages. (6,7) 

The use of social media has been linked to poor nutritional habits, often driven by exposure to junk food advertisements. This can contribute to unhealthy eating behaviours, weight gain, obesity, and dental issues. Additionally, increased screen time is associated with physical health concerns such as sedentary behaviour, obesity, and poor posture. Social media can also negatively impact body image, particularly among adolescent girls with low self-esteem. In their search for rapid weight loss solutions, they may encounter harmful content that promotes disordered eating, potentially exacerbating conditions like anorexia. (8) 

A study, in Spain, has conclude that dietary habits based on the low consumption of bread, cereals, and dairy products (mainly), simultaneously with the low intake of fruits and vegetables, are related to lower “health-related quality of life” in children and adolescents. (9) 

Conclusion 

Current dietary trends among youth, carry risks to physical and mental health. In contrast, adherence to healthy patterns, like the mediterranean diet, supports better metabolic, cardiovascular, and psychological outcomes. Efforts to promote healthy and sustainable diets, especially among disadvantaged groups, are vital for advancing child and adolescent wellbeing. 

At Oh!My Snacks we do our best to support healthier dietary patterns, not only by creating balanced snacks but also by taking scientific based health information to our customers, and the public in general, so you can make informed decisions.  

We have a lot of products that are fitted to children and adolescents, and that contribute to a healthy lifestyle, such as:

• Protein Balls with Orange and Cocoa Cream
• Raw Protein Bar with Nuts and Red Berries
• Fruit Balls Raspberry
• Protein Nuts Pure Mix with Dark Chocolate
• Dried Fruit with Apple and Mango Juice
• Nuts Raw Mix 

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