Food Choice and Dietary Intake
Adolescence is also a time when food choice and dietary intake moves from being almost solely
determined by parents/guardians, to one where adolescents take greater responsibility for their dietary
choices. Consistent with greater control over dietary choice is the potential for changes in food
preference [3] driven by lifestyle, hormonal, social or environmental alterations [3]. Adolescence is
often associated with an increase in sleep duration which may impact eating routines and the regulation
of food intake [45]. Hormonal changes may be implicated in a preference for salty, sweet, or high fat
foods [46–48]. Dietary preferences of siblings and peers, television advertising and social marketing,
can also influence food choices [49,50]. These changes, coupled with the ready availability of
inexpensive foods and beverages high in calories and low in nutrients [51,52] can lead to replacement
of healthy foods with those high in fat and sugar. Such dietary changes may alter energy balance,
be less nutritious and limit the ability to meet micronutrient requirements [53].