Health Focus: Dairy products and teenage health

23 March 2010 Teenage girls could be causing serious damage to their health by not having enough calcium in their diet. For the first time Northern Ireland's been included in a UK diet and nutrition survey which found too many girls here are deficient in calcium. The survey showed that there is a worrying perception among teenagers that dairy products, which are rich in calcium, are fattening and, as a result, they cut them out of their diet. Here are some of the facts and figures on the role of dairy products in teenage health: - New research shows that teenage girls are only consuming the equivalent of half a glass of milk per day. - The research also found that around 1 in 10 teenage girls had very low intakes of calcium. - The teenage years are a crucial time for bone building - calcium requirements are greater during these years than at any other time. Around 90% of the adult skeleton is formed by the age of 18. Not getting enough calcium means that our bones may not be as strong as they could be. - A glass of milk (200ml) could provide a teenage girl with around one third of her calcium needs in addition to a range of other vital nutrients. - Milk is also low in fat. Semi-skimmed is only 2% fat and less than 100 calories per glass. Levels of calcium are not reduced in lower fat milks. - The Dairy Council for Northern Ireland is running a major campaign, 'Get the milk in, Mum' to encourage everyone in the family to enjoy more milk. Source: BBC News (bbc.co.uk/news)