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ABSTRACTEconomic growth and urbanization have changed global dietary habits and caused nutrition transition
globally. Urban people, especially in developing countries, eat away from home, consuming more polished
grains, fats and animal product, refined sugar and processed foods compared to rural people (Helman,
2000). The change in consumption pattern which leads to nutritional change, in the long run, may be
harmful for health of the people, including adolescents. Some studies indicate the change in consumption
pattern among the adolescents worldwide. The change in eating habits among young people due to some
chronic diseases, are allegedly caused by adolescence’s unhealthy diet. A survey of middle and high school
students in Minnesota shows that the youth consume more calories from fast food meals; they have
difficulty getting healthy food as there is higher proportion of unhealthy food, therefore making them
prone to being overweight (Widome, Neumark‐Sztainer, Hannan, Haines, & Story, 2009). A qualitative
study that identifies barriers to healthy eating among second level schools across Ireland showed that
aggressive marketing by fast food franchises draw adolescents to these outlets although they know it is
unhealthy; youth have autonomy over their eating behaviour and tend to eat unhealthily once they are
independent (Stevenson, Doherty, Barnett, Muldoon, & Trew, 2007)."
