Nutrition for 14 - 18 year olds

Dear reader, your concern for your niece is justified. The pattern of dieting, not being able to stick to the diet, and then consuming junk/processed items is extremely unhealthy. To make her understand about healthy eating, you could take the following steps:
1. Have family meals more frequently- at least once a day. Families who eat together are healthier- parents are also able to monitor what the children are eating and the portions. Also, avoid storing unhealthy food items such as sweets, chips, biscuits, and other processed items at home.
2. Avoid talking about weight and commenting on others' appearance.
3. Talk to her about healthy eating. Have ongoing conversations in the family about how all components of a meal- carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals- are important. Give her this Parent Circle article to read, which talks about why its important for a teen to have nutritious diet.
4. Involve her in meal planning, shopping for fruits and vegetables, and in cooking nutritious meals or baking healthy items.
5. Encourage some form of physical exercise- be it a sport or dancing.
6.Encourage being physically active, such as taking a walk after dinner, or using the public transport.
7. Give her an immediate goal, or reason to improve her eating habits- this can be motivating for the teen. For example, if she cares about her grades, discuss how eating healthy will help her think more clearly and improve her concentration. If she is into a sport, discuss how eating healthy will help her perform better on the field.
However, lecturing her on how she's making the wrong choices and forcing her to change her eating patterns because "its good for her" is likely to backfire.
8. It is also possible that underlying her unhealthy eating patterns are emotional issues, such as pent-up feelings of frustration, sadness, or anger. Create a non-judgmental space in which you can open up conversation with her about whether something is bothering her. Help her deal with her emotions in a healthier manner, such as by journaling, meditating, or problem solving. If her parents are unable to deal with this, it may be a good idea to take her to a counsellor or therapist.

Thanks a lot for such a concise and well-though out plan, Roopa. It will surely be of help to a lot of parents, especially those who are finding it difficult to squeeze in time to provide the best nutrition for their child due to a hectic schedule.