Teenagers are not immune to the digestive troubles that plague many adults. In fact, research suggests that around 14% of high school students are impacted by the embarrassing and uncomfortable symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and the disruption it can cause to everyday life.
Teens Have Particular Needs
For a teen, IBS and other digestive disorders can equal missed days from school, lost time during exams, sitting on the sidelines during extracurricular activities (or skipping them altogether), and physical and emotional discomfort.
The rigidity of a school schedule – early mornings, lack of freedom regarding bathroom breaks – provides an added challenge that can exacerbate symptoms in young people.
As a parent, of course – of course! – you want to do anything you can to help a child in this situation.
Many parents are drawn to a low FODMAP diet for their teen with IBS since it is a non-invasive, medication-free approach to managing uncomfortable, inconvenient symptoms.
Around three-quarters of people who follow it are able to better manage their condition and may even completely eliminate symptoms.
While most of the research on the low FODMAPs plan has focused on adults, a more recent study shows that it can have a similar level of effectiveness in kids and teens. That doesn’t mean, however, that it’s for every young person struggling with IBS.
Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before helping your teen embark on a low FODMAP diet:
Has He or She Seen a GI Doctor?
The first step anyone with GI issues, young or old, should take when attempting to gain control of his or her symptoms is to see a specialist. As a parent, it is on you to make sure your child gets medical attention regarding his or her stomach problems.
The reason: A diagnosis of IBS requires ruling out several more serious conditions. Gut symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, pain, bloating and more can be red flags for any number of issues.
Seeing a doctor who specializes in this sort of thing will help you pinpoint what’s actually wrong so that you can know for sure if a low FODMAP plan is the right approach.
Please do not self-diagnose your child, nor should you decide that the low FODMAP diet might help. The low FODMAP diet is a medically directed diet that should be prescribed by a medical doctor, and overseen by a trained dietitian.
How Old is He/She?
There’s no age requirement for going low FODMAPs. However, the more mature or responsible your child is, the more likely he or she is to be able to manage an elimination diet like low FODMAPs.
In order to know whether or not limiting certain foods is helping your child’s symptoms, you need to trust that your child is able to stick with the plan even when you’re not there to supervise.
Can He or She Talk About Symptoms?
Not every teen wants to chat with his or her parents about what’s going on in the bathroom. If your child is hesitant, this may get in the way of your ability to communicate about what is going, and whether or not going low FODMAPs is having an impact on symptoms.
If frank discussion with you is difficult for your teen, see if he or she would be more willing to open up to a professional like a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) who can help navigate the plan. It’s OK to take yourself out of the conversation, as long as there is an adult involved who does know what’s going on (note: working with an experienced RD/RDN can be helpful in any scenario).
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Are You Ready?
If you’re the one who prepares a decent portion of your teen’s meals, are you prepared to alter your grocery shopping and cooking habits? Regardless of how self-sufficient your child is, much of the burden of trialing a low FODMAP plan will inevitably fall on you (unless you’re the parent of an older teen who lives on his or her own).
Are you willing to try out some new recipes and buy some different foods?
Does He/She Have a Smartphone?
Two of the best tools anyone can have when embarking on a low FODMAP elimination diet are the Monash University Low FODMAP app and the FODMAP Friendly app. These apps allow the user to search an extensive database of foods that have been tested for FODMAP content so he or she can know at any given moment what’s appropriate to eat, and what’s not.
Using them can help your teen eat away from home and maintain some sense of independence and normalcy.
Does He/She Have a History of Disordered Eating?
Then a restrictive plan like low FODMAPs may be a trigger, and therefore not be right for your family. Talk with your teen’s doctor and/or therapist about whether the possible benefits of low FODMAPs might outweigh the risks.
You can read more here: The Intersection of Gut Issues and Eating Disorders.
If your family decides that it does make sense, proceed only with a RD on board to supervise.
What If My Teen Is Away at School?
If your child is away at school, following the low FODMAP diet is still possible.
Please read: Can I Follow The Low FODMAP Diet While Away at School?
We also have articles from Jordan Faith who has created posts from a teen and young adult’s perspective. Check them out:
Meet Jordan Faith, one of our Contributors here.
- IBS Attacks & How to Re-set Your Gut
- Using Social Media To Navigate the Low FODMAP Diet
- How To Help Friends & Family Understand The Low FODMAP Diet
- How To Make The Low FODMAP Diet Work For You – A Teen’s Perspective.
References
Rasquin A, Di Lorenzo C, Forbes D, et al. Childhood functional gastrointestinal disorders: child/adolescent. Gastroenterology. 2006;130(5):1527-1537. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2005.08.063
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16678566/
Hyams JS, Burke G, Davis PM, Rzepski B, Andrulonis PA. Abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome in adolescents: a community-based study. J Pediatr. 1996;129(2):220-226. doi:10.1016/S0022-3476(96)70246-9
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8765628/
Saps M, Youssef N, Miranda A, et al. Multicenter study of the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in children and adolescents using the Rome III criteria. J Pediatr. 2009;155(3):376-381. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2009.03.006
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19540595/
Korterink JJ, Diederen K, Benninga MA, Tabbers MM. Epidemiology of pediatric functional abdominal pain disorders: a meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2015;10(5):e0126982. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0126982
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25992621/
Zhou H, Yao M, Cheng GY, Chen YP, Li DG. Prevalence and associated factors of functional gastrointestinal disorders and irritable bowel syndrome in adolescents: a school-based study. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2015;21(3):386-394. doi:10.5056/jnm14113
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26087767/
