Nutritional Challenges of Girls and Women

Physical demands of females with regard to reproductive function and child-bearing affect nutrition, appetite, and weight regulation. Nutrition and reproductive interactions may have both acute and long-lasting affects on female health that are distinct from that of men. Cultural and social factors emphasizing gender-specific roles, body shape, and weight in females increase risk of disordered eating, eating disorders, and likelihood that women will seek medical and nonmedical management of weight. Neural and hormonal regulation of appetite varies between males and females and within females at different stages in the lifespan; it may affect success of nutritional and medical management of weight and appetite. The female “athlete” triad, a condition involving amenorrhea, disordered eating (usually restrictive), and osteoporosis, is most often recognized in female athletes due to activity-associated pain and stress fractures, but also occurs in more sedentary girls and women. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition often associated with overweight and obesity, insulin resistance and resulting glucose intolerance, carbohydrate craving, and eating disorders. This condition may benefit from nutrition-related lifestyle changes along with drug treatment (sibutramine, metformin, etc.). Women may seek advice regarding nutritional supplements for relief of peri- and postmenopausal symptoms in addition to or as surrogate for hormone replacement therapy.