TEENAGE girls’ lifestyle habits are putting them at less risk of developing chronic disease later in life, a leading Victorian heart and diabetes researcher suggests.
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Key contributing factors are also playing out among Ballarat teenagers, including those in specialised sport programs.
The study found girls aged 10-17 were twice as likely to meet daily fruit and vegetable requirements and then in early adulthood tended to exercise more and be less overweight than males the same age.
Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute researcher Sarah Dash said gender differences in healthy behaviours start to appear when young people gain a little independence, but it was important to consider possible influential social and cultural factors on the age group.
”Early life is an important window of opportunity, given that individual risk and protective behaviours are often established and refined during this age period,” Ms Dash said.
“If we don’t pay attention to lifestyle habits at this age it can increase our risk for to chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life.”
Ballarat High School runs a specialised sports program for talented young athletes. Specialised sessions are dedicated to diet, fitness and sleep habits.
BHS sports director Rob Simmonds said it was important to lay good foundations early in life but still, anecdotally, general trends between genders in attitudes emerged.
“Girls might tend to eat healthy but a lot has to do with the social side of the game. Girls tend to eat more poorly when in a group,” Mr Simmonds said. “Teenage boys at that age can eat a lot but if they’ve got bad habits, they need to be more careful when they get into their mid-20s when their metabolism starts to slow down.
“We’ve got senior rowers looking at nutrition...they can eat lots because they’re burning off so much but they’ve got to concentrate on eating lots of good stuff.”
The study looked at data from the Australian Health Survey to identify gender differences in risk factors for chronic disease from childhood to emerging adulthood. Dr Dash said findings could reflect gender-based expectations, like female body composition or ingrained roles in food preparation.
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