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![Young girls in a local market, smiling for the camera](/sites/default/files/styles/576_x1/public/2022-08/Girls_in_Market.jpg?itok=ZXf4V-4t)
Photo Credit: Peggy Koniz-Booher/JSI
Adolescence is a period of rapid growth between the ages of 10–19, presenting a “second window of opportunity” to influence an individual’s growth and development. Adolescents have a unique set of needs and behaviors, especially when it comes to nutrition and food choices; adolescence is a critical period to build long-lasting habits that will support healthy growth and development. Adolescents’ increasing independence makes establishing good nutrition and dietary habits particularly important for their current and future health.