The Importance of Nutrition Among Young Children
Every parent wants to keep their child happy and healthy, which starts with good nutrition. Because a baby’s brain and body are constantly growing, they have a higher demand for energy than adults, and need a large amount of calories. While heredity mostly controls the rate of physical growth and height, a child can not develop properly without proper nutrition. If a child’s brain is developing slower than normal because of a deficient diet, they can fall behind in learning and fine-motor coordination, develop behavioral problems, or have emotional difficulties. Another interesting connection between nutrition and development, is the effect of diet on sexual maturation. It has actually been shown that a degree of obesity has been associated with earlier sexial maturation(Alan D Rogol, Pamela A Clark, James N Roemmich).
There are a few key aspects of nutrition that parents can follow to make sure their child is getting what their body needs. The first is that while not every baby has to breastfeed, there are significant benefits for those that do. For example, breastfeeding can offer protection against illness, it is easily digestable, it provides nutrients necessary for a baby, and helps to smooth the transition to solid foods. Another important aspect about children’s nutrition is that their diet is balanced and they are being encouraged to eat healthy foods. The rise of obesity among adults is largely due to the fact that unhealthy eating is promoted so strongly to toddlers and children. Lastly, a very important aspect of nutrition is that without the correct food, children are very susceptible to illnesses. A growing body can not fight off disease without energy and calories. Malnutrition can lead to disorders and syndromes such as anemia, osteopenia, and other deficiencies of vital nutrients(Alan D Rogol, Pamela A Clark, James N Roemmich).
A major strategy to help families apply practices for healthy nutrition is classical conditioning. This will help young children make connections between stimuli so that they learn to have reactions by themselves.
Alan D Rogol, Pamela A Clark, James N Roemmich, Growth and pubertal development in children and adolescents: effects of diet and physical activity, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 72, Issue 2, August 2000, Pages 521S–528S, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/72.2.521S