For a number of years,the health of adolescents has not been a major concern and research has consequently been limited,as they are less susceptible to disease and suffer from fewer life-threatening conditions than children and elderly people.Indeed,adolescence is generally described as a period of relatively good health with low prevalence of infection and chronic disease(Senderowitz 1995).Mortality and morbidity trends among adolescents are quite similar in developing and developed countries(Blum 1991;Maddaleno and Silber,1993).It is noteworthy that health services in developing countries focus on preschool-age children and pregnant women,with the consequence that health needs of adolescents may not be adequately met. However,adolescents are very vulnerable to major social and economic changes,with resulting behaviours that threaten health,including:increased and unprotected sexual activity;substance use;and propensity to risk-taking.The costs and effects develop over a lifetime(Burt 1996).Reproductive health is understandably a major concern,with the human immunodeficiency virus(HIV),other sexually transmitted diseases(STD)and early pregnancy as main issues.One third of new STD cases,more than half the new HIV infections and one third of all births are among youth.While the five leading causes of death,illness and disability among young men are depression,traffic accidents,alcohol use,war and schizophrenia,in young women they are depression,obstructed labour,suicide,chlamydia and iron- deficiency anaemia' Since the International Youth Year of 1985 with its focus on participation,development and peace, world interest in adolescent issues in general and in the area of health in particular,has grown dramatically, as reflected in official policies and programmes.The United Nations General Assembly adopted in 1995 an international strategy:the World Programme of Action for Youth in the year 2000 and beyond3. Within the United Nations system,the Youth Unit has been set up as the focal point on matters relating to youth'.The World Programme recognizes that the situation of youths worldwide remains precarious and that,both in developed and developing countries,needs and aspirations of young people are still largely unmet.It is intended to address more effectively the problems of young people and to increase opportunities for their participation in society.Retaining the three themes of the International Youth Year,it identifies ten priority areas for action aimed at improving the situation and well-being of young people:education,employment,hunger and poverty,health,environment,drug abuse,juvenile delinquency,leisure time activities,girls and young women,and participation of youths in the life of society and in decision making,which cuts across the other issues3.Under health priorities,actions that are relevant for nutrition are not only nutrition education,but also preventive health programmes,the promotion of healthier lifestyles in cooperation with youth organizations,programmes to ensure universal and non-discriminatory access to primary health care,and school programmes of health knowledge and practices.Food security,a major determinant of nutritional health,is also addressed under the hunger and poverty'priority area. The First World Conference of Ministers responsible for youth was held in Lisbon in August 1998 and the Lisbon Declaration on Youth,Policies and Programmes was adopted.It focuses on national youth policy development and implementation,enhanced participation of youth,action for education, development,peace,health and prevention of drug and substance abuse.The only health commitment directly addressing nutrition consists of improving access to malnutrition-prevention programmes as part of basic health care.The Braga Youth Action Plan was later adopted by the Third World Youth Forum of the United Nations held in Braga(Portugal),also in 1998.Recommendations are under youth policies and participation.Those that are of more direct relevance to health and nutrition are:that national youth policies,coupled with action plans,be cross-sectoral,comprehensive and formulated with long-term vision;and that integrated national youth health policy be formulated/reviewed and implemented,to address all major issues,including sexual and reproductive health,nutrition and hygiene, with the active participation of youth and youth-related organizations 3 Web site:www.un.org/events/youth98/backinfo/yreport.htm,18/04/99 Web site:www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin,18/04/99 Web site:see footnote 4 NUTRITION IN A DO LES C E N C E /3NUTRITION IN ADOLESCENCE / 3 3 Web site: www.un.org/events/youth98/backinfo/yreport.htm, 18/04/99 4 Web site: www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin, 18/04/99 5 Web site: see footnote 4 For a number of years, the health of adolescents has not been a major concern and research has consequently been limited, as they are less susceptible to disease and suffer from fewer life-threatening conditions than children and elderly people. Indeed, adolescence is generally described as a period of relatively good health with low prevalence of infection and chronic disease (Senderowitz 1995). Mortality and morbidity trends among adolescents are quite similar in developing and developed countries (Blum 1991; Maddaleno and Silber, 1993). It is noteworthy that health services in developing countries focus on preschool-age children and pregnant women, with the consequence that health needs of adolescents may not be adequately met. However, adolescents are very vulnerable to major social and economic changes, with resulting behaviours that threaten health, including: increased and unprotected sexual activity; substance use; and propensity to risk-taking. The costs and effects develop over a lifetime (Burt 1996). Reproductive health is understandably a major concern, with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), other sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and early pregnancy as main issues. One third of new STD cases, more than half the new HIV infections and one third of all births are among youth. While the five leading causes of death, illness and disability among young men are depression, traffic accidents, alcohol use, war and schizophrenia, in young women they are depression, obstructed labour, suicide, chlamydia and iron￾deficiency anaemia3 . Since the International Youth Year of 1985 with its focus on participation, development and peace, world interest in adolescent issues in general and in the area of health in particular, has grown dramatically, as reflected in official policies and programmes. The United Nations General Assembly adopted in 1995 an international strategy: the World Programme of Action for Youth in the year 2000 and beyond3 . Within the United Nations system, the Youth Unit has been set up as the focal point on matters relating to youth4 . The World Programme recognizes that the situation of youths worldwide remains precarious and that, both in developed and developing countries, needs and aspirations of young people are still largely unmet. It is intended to address more effectively the problems of young people and to increase opportunities for their participation in society. Retaining the three themes of the International Youth Year, it identifies ten priority areas for action aimed at improving the situation and well-being of young people: education, employment, hunger and poverty, health, environment, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, leisure time activities, girls and young women, and participation of youths in the life of society and in decision making, which cuts across the other issues5 . Under health priorities, actions that are relevant for nutrition are not only nutrition education, but also preventive health programmes, the promotion of healthier lifestyles in cooperation with youth organizations, programmes to ensure universal and non-discriminatory access to primary health care, and school programmes of health knowledge and practices. Food security, a major determinant of nutritional health, is also addressed under the ‘hunger and poverty’ priority area. The First World Conference of Ministers responsible for youth was held in Lisbon in August 1998 and the Lisbon Declaration on Youth, Policies and Programmes was adopted. It focuses on national youth policy development and implementation, enhanced participation of youth, action for education, development, peace, health and prevention of drug and substance abuse. The only health commitment directly addressing nutrition consists of improving access to malnutrition-prevention programmes as part of basic health care. The Braga Youth Action Plan was later adopted by the Third World Youth Forum of the United Nations held in Braga (Portugal), also in 1998. Recommendations are under youth policies and participation. Those that are of more direct relevance to health and nutrition are: that national youth policies, coupled with action plans, be cross-sectoral, comprehensive and formulated with long-term vision; and that integrated national youth health policy be formulated/reviewed and implemented, to address all major issues, including sexual and reproductive health, nutrition and hygiene, with the active participation of youth and youth-related organizations