THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 26, 1994 TAG: 9408260058
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E14 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: TEENSPEAK
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
FOR BETTER OR for worse, many teens frequently chow down on fatty, salty food - much of it from fast-food restaurants.
Aren't teens aware of health risks posed by a smorgasbord of high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar food? Haven't they heard about clogged arteries? LDL(the cholesterol that's bad for you)? Or high blood pressure?
``I try not to think about it because then I don't enjoy it,'' said 16-year-old Cynthia Urich, who will be a junior at Norfolk's Granby High School this fall.
Urich was one of four Norfolk teens - all burger flippers or sellers for a major burger chain - who shared their views this week on why many teens eat too much of the wrong foods, particularly fast food.
Fast food is habit-forming, they said. But at the same time, they expect to kick the dietary fix as they grow older and look for ways to save money and stay in shape.
``You're raised on it starting from Happy Meals,'' said 16-year-old Vorando Mack, referring to the popular children's meals at McDonald's.
``It's fast, and it tastes good. No matter where you live, there's a fast-food restaurant close to you. And they're cheap,'' added Mack, who's entering his junior year at Norview High.
Nutritionists say that although young people tend to be more physically active than their elders and burn off calories easier, they're still at risk from heavy consumption of fast food.
Recent studies showed that school lunches don't help, either, because they're loaded with many of the fatty foods youths love: hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries and pizza.
But the students sang the praises of fast food. It's quick, inexpensive, filling, tasty and convenient at a time when both parents often work and teens themselves are constantly on the go, they said. Several also figured that exercise would save them.
Mack stressed another point: ``They don't tell you about the bad stuff in commercials.''
Said 17-year-old Mike Simmons, who's entering his senior year at Norview: ``I'd rather have all the foods that I want and die happy than have all these vegetables.''
Simmons said he would take health issues more seriously when he's older.
``Right now, I'm not really worried because I'm on the swim team, and it keeps me active,'' he said. ``But once I get out of high school and college, then I'm really going to be worried.''
Maricia Gonzalez, an 18-year-old 1994 graduate of Granby High, isn't worried about health risks from fast food because she prefers to eat meals prepared at home.
But even those meals often contain lots of salt, said Gonzalez, adding that she still considers herself more healthy than many girls her age because she typically shuns food that comes in wrappers or paper cartons.
Can much be done to get teens to take personal nutrition more seriously and cut back on fast food?
The students offered a resounding ``no.'' On the other hand, they said, maturity probably would curb steady diets of fast-food fare.
``I think teenagers will think more about cooking at home and stuff once their lives slow down,'' Urich said. by CNB