Living with IBD as a teen
Crohn's or UC alongside school, friends, exams and increasing independence. Nutrition, social life, and the practical realities of managing flares.
What changes in
Teens with IBD navigate things younger children don't. School trips, sleepovers, eating in front of peers, deciding what to share about their condition and what to keep private. The medical side of IBD doesn't change much from childhood, but the social context shifts dramatically. A flare at 8 means mum explains to the teacher. A flare at 15 means missing school, falling behind on coursework, and explaining to friends why you can't come out.
Nutrition matters in IBD at every age, but adolescence adds layers. Growth and pubertal development can be delayed in poorly controlled IBD, particularly Crohn's disease. Nutritional deficiencies are common: iron, vitamin D, B12, zinc, folate. As Crohn's & Colitis UK stresses, these need active monitoring and management, not just assumption that a 'healthy diet' will cover it.
In my clinic, I work with teens who have IBD to make sure their nutrition supports both their disease management and their growth and development. That includes flare management, remission nutrition, supplement guidance, and the practical realities of eating well when you have a chronic gut condition as a teenager.
Nutrition during
During a flare, eating can be miserable. Abdominal pain, urgency, nausea, poor appetite. The goal during flares is maintaining nutrition as best as possible, sometimes with modified texture or reduced fibre, and sometimes with exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) which uses a liquid formula diet to induce remission in Crohn's disease. EEN is evidence-based and effective, recommended in NICE guidelines for IBD, but it's hard for teens socially, so support around it matters.
In remission, the approach is different. The goal is a varied, adequate diet that supports growth and wellbeing, with awareness of individual triggers but without unnecessary restriction. Too many teens with IBD are told to avoid long lists of foods without good reason, leaving them with an inadequate diet and anxiety around eating. Proper assessment of what actually triggers symptoms, as opposed to what someone online said to avoid, is important.
Growth, puberty, and
IBD can delay growth and puberty, particularly when disease control is suboptimal or nutritional intake is inadequate. Monitoring growth velocity and pubertal development is part of IBD management in this age group, and nutrition plays a direct role. Adequate calories, protein, and micronutrients support both disease management and normal adolescent development.
Long-term nutritional monitoring, as outlined by the NHS, is important even in teens who seem well. Bone health (calcium, vitamin D, and the impact of steroid courses), iron status, B12 and folate in Crohn's affecting the ileum, and overall dietary adequacy all need periodic review. This is something I build into ongoing management plans rather than only addressing when something goes wrong.
The social side of
IBD affects social life in ways that adults sometimes underestimate. Needing to know where the toilets are. Not being able to eat certain things at a friend's house. The embarrassment of urgency. Missing school. Explaining medications to friends. Deciding whether to tell a new partner about your condition.
I address the practical nutrition side: how to eat at restaurants, what to take on school trips, how to manage EEN alongside a social life, what to do when a flare hits during exam season. The emotional side sits with the psychology team, but the practical and emotional are tightly linked, and good nutrition management reduces some of the unpredictability that makes IBD socially difficult.
Common questions
A clear plan,
built around your little one.
All consultations are online and you can self-refer directly. You'll receive a written plan after every appointment.
Thorough assessment & plan
Your first appointment is 60 minutes. It includes a full clinical and dietetic assessment, and you'll receive an agreed, written plan to take away.
Review & adjust
Follow-ups are 30 minutes. We review the plan, problem-solve anything that's come up, and adjust guidance as your child progresses.
Currently self-pay only. All fees are VAT-exempt as registered healthcare services. I provide receipts with my HCPC registration details which you can submit to your insurer.