You should be educating your daughters now about the need to eat nutritious foods rich in calcium. The recommended daily calcium intake for girls of eight to eleven is 900 mg (boys need 800 mg), which is equivalent to three or four daily serves of calcium-rich food (one serve can be 250 mL milk, 200 g yoghurt or 35 g cheese). Girls aged twelve to fifteen years should have around 1000 mg daily (boys 1200 mg), which is four to five serves of calcium-rich food. For women aged sixteen to fifty, three serves daily or 800 mg of calcium-rich food suffice (the same for men of all ages), and from fifty onwards women should increase their intake of calcium-rich foods to four or five serves (1000-1500 mg).
It is also important to remember that the growth patterns of boys and girls vary, with girls starting their spurt at around the age of eleven and boys later, at around thirteen. So an eleven-year-old girl will probably be eating more than her twelve-year-old brother. It’s important to realise this, otherwise parents may be critical of a daughter’s appetite.
Girls also tend to be excessively concerned about the amount of body fat they acquire during adolescence. They need reassurance that fat on breasts, legs and hips is normal. Otherwise they may turn to fad diets or excessive exercise and quickly become deficient in energy, protein, calcium and iron. In extreme cases this may lead to anorexia nervosa. Regular moderate exercise will improve appearance, even if it means gaining weight in terms of muscle.
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