Health is categorized three ways: physical, emotional and mental. How people feel about their physical health will often determine their mental and emotional states– self-esteem.

Physical education teacher Sham Sidhu has some advice for helping teens getting physically fit for better self-esteem. He suggests that teens go on a Basic Zone Diet, which the eater takes in 33 percent fat, 33 percent protein and 33 percent carbs. He also recommends that teens constantly move for 20 to 30 minutes a day,  seven days a week.

Others agree. “I encourage all people trying to lose weight to do strength training,” said health teacher Kay McAleer. She suggests eating lots of green vegetables, protein, complex carbs and drinking lots of water. Some exercises she recommended were lunges, bench press, bicep and triceps workouts and lap pull-downs.

Don’t be mistaken, though. Eating healthy is not the same as dieting. “There is no diet. Diet’s are bad,” said Lisa Johnson, physical education and Sports Medicine teacher.  What she means is that people who want to lose weight shouldn’t stop eating, but instead start eating healthier.

And as important as eating healthy might be to your weight, where you really lose the fat and weight is through constant movement. A person can have  poor diet, but not be overweight because of movement and physical training.

“…overweight teens should decrease their calorie level and increase their activity level,” said Johnson.  She recommended that overweight teens  use aerobic exercises to get oxygen through the body and help reduce fat.

What could you eat when you’re on the go? McAleer has some choices of what you could eat. “Almonds, the raw kind, and organic would probably be the best, cashews, water, fruit and carrots.”

Teen physical health is vital to how they feel about themselves and how they react to their bodies. They should try diets that best suit their bodies and lifestyles that can give them the results they hope to get.