This section introduces the concept of balancing food and physical activity in order to maintain a healthy weight, thus helping to prevent and manage diabetes. Information on making healthy food choices and getting started with exercise are given in this section.

Caloric Balance

For adolescents, calories need to be adequate for growth and development. Calories needed will depend on their age, gender, height, weight, and also their physical activity level.

The Institute of Medicine provides a range of calories for girls of the age 11-14 from 1,513 to 2,806, depending on activity level and using a reference height (11 years: 56.7 inches; 12 years: 59.4 inches; 13 years: 61.8 inches; and 14 years: 63.0 inches) and a reference weight: (11 years: 81.8 pounds; 12 years: 91.6 pounds; 13 years: 100.9 pounds; 14 years: 108.8 pounds).

The range for boys is 1,666 to 3,258 calories depending on activity level and using a reference height of height (11 years: 56.7 inches; 12 years: 58.7 inches; 13 years: 61.4 inches; and 14 years: 64.6 inches) and a reference weight: (11 years: 79.1 pounds; 12 years: 89.2 pounds; 13 years: 100.4 pounds; 14years: 112.3 pounds).

Food Choices 

All foods can fit into a healthy diet. As introduced in the previous section, some foods can be considered "every day" foods, and others should be eaten less often. Every day foods are usually more "nutrient dense." This means they have more vitamins, minerals, or fiber per calorie than calorie-dense foods.

Calorie-dense foods can fit into a healthy diet as well. Often this means eating smaller portions of these foods. Strategies to eat smaller portions include sharing the serving with someone else; storing the rest for a later time; or ordering or making foods with fewer calories.

Lowering the calories in foods include:

• Using mustard or catsup instead of mayonnaise or sauces on burgers or sandwiches
• Adding lettuce or vegetables to sandwiches instead of more meat or cheese
• Choosing thin crust pizza over thick crust pizza
• Choosing salsa over cheese or avocado-based dips for chips
• Choosing baked chips over fried chips
• Choosing pretzels over fried chips

Staying in Balance

All foods can fit in a healthy diet, but some foods should not be eaten every day. Those foods would be those that are high in calories and low in other nutrients. Nutrient-dense foods are those that are lower in calories and high in other nutrients. These should be eaten daily or more often.

Foods that aren't every day foods include:

• Most desserts
• Doughnuts and higher fat/calorie muffins
• Higher fat meats such as sausage and bacon
• Higher calorie hamburgers/sandwiches
• Higher calorie side dishes such as French fries
• Sugar-sweetened beverages

Getting Started

Beginning a new habit is often hard. Having a regular physical activity routine may be easier if friends are involved.

Supplemental Activity: If the teacher has discussed height and weight, have students estimate their height: student A places hand on top of the head of student B. Student A keeps hand at that height while student B spreads arms, places the tip of the left hand on the floor, the tip of right had towards student A’s hand in the air. These should be equal.

Discuss other things in life that have to be balanced: checkbooks, activities with school-work, work and relaxation.