[originaltext] Sixty parents of youth athletes, ages 6 to 13, were interview

Sixty parents of youth athletes, ages 6 to 13, were interviewed in Minneapolis and its suburbs. It was found that parents brought post-game snacks for the team. The snacks typically included such items as candy, ice cream, pizza, cheese, chips. It was also quite normal for the parents to stop at fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s and Dairy Queen or grab a hot dog and a sugary sports drink at the snack bar during a meet.
    For growing teenagers, a big meal after a tough game or race is necessary to supplement the body. And since they bum a lot of calories, they also need a fair amount of fat and protein. An active teenage boy requires about 3,000 calories a day and an active teenage girl about 2,400 calories. Younger children require any where from 600 to 1,000 calories a day.
    Problems can arise, though, when young athletes are taking in calories after games. Very young athletes may be particularly prone to excess intake. Actually, they don’t exercise as much, and they don’t grow as much. They don’t need to be eating every two hours. The calories they take in are much more than they bum and do no good to their body.
    So parents are encouraged to pack healthy meals for their children so they can avoid fast food, and to leave fruit out and readily available in the kitchen. Schools and sports teams should also provide and encourage healthier options, including whole grains and nuts and other healthy protein sources, like lean meats and seafood.
16. What was found in the interview of sixty parents?
17. Why do growing teenagers need big meals after games?
18. What problem arose from young athletes’ taking in too much calories after games?
19. What should parents do for their growing children?