Teen girl making a smoothie with protein powder Protein is part of a healthy diet, but it can be hard for parents to tell if their child is consuming the right amount of protein. The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked a national sample of parents about protein intake and supplements for their teens 13-17 years old.
Two in five parents, and more parents of teen boys than parents of teen girls, say that in the past year their teen has consumed protein supplements (46% boys vs 36% girls; 41% overall), including protein bars (31% boys vs 27% girls; 29% overall), shakes (28% boys vs 19% girls; 23% overall), or powder (20% boys vs 10% girls; 15% overall), or followed a high-protein diet (7% boys vs 2% girls; 4% overall). Among those who report their teen takes supplements, more parents of boys than girls report their teen consumes protein supplements every or most days (31% boys vs 15% girls; 23% overall).
More parents of boys say their teen consumes protein supplements to build muscle (56% boys vs 18% girls; 38% overall) and improve sports training/performance (54% boys vs 36% girls; 46% overall), while more parents of girls believe supplements are used to replace a meal when they are too busy to eat (18% boys vs 34% girls; 26% overall), eat a balanced diet (14% boys 26% girls; 20% overall), and help with weight loss (6% boys vs 11% girls; 9% overall).
Among parents whose teen consumed protein supplements, 44% say they or another family member encouraged protein supplements, along with coaches or trainers (26%), other students (21%), social media (10%), and healthcare providers (9%). Parents are more likely to say their teen uses protein supplements if they also perceive any of the following are very important to their teen: getting in shape, losing weight, looking attractive, improving sports performance, and being healthy in general.
Two-thirds of parents think the amount of protein their teen is taking in is about right (67%), while others think it is too little (18%), too much (1%), or are unsure (14%). Over half of […]
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