Content provided in partnership with

Health Care Industry

Nutrition

Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence

Good nutrition in childhood lays the foundation for good health throughout a person's lifetime. With the proliferation of fast food restaurants, the number of junk food commercials on television, and the increased trend toward eating out, it is more difficult than ever for parents to ensure that their children maintain a nutritious diet. In recent decades, increasing affluence and the widespread availability of vitamin-enriched foods have shifted the focus of nutritional concerns in the United States from obtaining minimum requirements to cutting down on harmful elements in one's diet. According to a 1988 report from the office of the U.S. Surgeon General, health problems are more likely to be caused by nutritional excesses and imbalances than by deficiencies. In other words, parents need to be as concerned about high levels of fat, cholesterol , sugar, and salt as about adequate intake of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Recommended restrictions

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Heart Association, and other nutrition-oriented organizations agree that fat should not account for more than 30% of the calorie intake of children over the age of two, and saturated fat should account for under 10%. The main dietary sources of saturated fat include whole milk, cheese, hot dogs, and luncheon meats. Recommendations for dietary change include switching to 1% or skim milk, low-fat cheese, and meats from which the fat can be trimmed. (Since fat is important for growth, experts also caution that fat intake should not be lowered to under 25% of daily calorie intake, and that parents of children under two should not restrict fat in their diets.) Hardening of the arteries and heart disease have been linked not only to the conversion of saturated fats into cholesterol but also to cholesterol that comes directly from food (dietary cholesterol), often found in the same foods that are high in saturated fat. Egg yolks are the primary source of dietary cholesterol, and their consumption should be monitored in children as in adults.

The amount of refined sugar in children's diets--typically accounting for 14% of calorie intake by adolescence--is another cause for concern. Although sugar is known to cause tooth decay and also may be associated with behavior problems, the greatest danger in consuming foods high in added sugar is that these "empty calories" will replace the more nutritious foods that children need in order to maintain good health. (Soft drinks, perhaps the single greatest source of refined sugar in the diet of children and teenagers, get virtually all their calories from sugar and offer no nutrients whatsoever.) Children can only eat large amounts of sweets in addition to more nutritious foods by overeating, which leads to excess weight and, potentially, obesity.

Most Popular Articles in Health: Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy ...; Soothe a dry, itchy scalp: 5 easy expert solutions; Cocktails and calories: Beer, wine and liquor calories can really add up. ...; The sour truth about apple cider vinegar - evaluation of therapeutic use; The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can ...; More »

Another element that needs to be restricted in children's diets is the intake of sodium through salted foods. Sodium has been closely linked to hypertension (high blood pressure), which increases a person's risk of heart disease and strokes. It has been determined that 18-year-olds need only 500 milligrams of sodium daily. However, the average two-year-old already consumes more than five times that amount (2,670 milligrams), and this figure rises to 3,670 milligrams by the age of 17. The National Academy of Sciences recommends limiting sodium intake to 2,400 milligrams daily (if possible, 1,800 milligrams). Contrary to what most people might think, the vast majority of sodium enters a person's diet through salt that is added in food preparation rather than table salt used when a person is eating. The best way for parents to cut down on the amount of salt in their children's diets is to reduce their consumption of processed foods and increase the proportion of daily calorie intake that comes from such natural foods as fruits, vegetables, and grains.

In addition to limiting the amounts of fat, cholesterol, salt, and sugar in their children's diets, health authorities also recommend that parents concerned about nutrition ensure that children obtain a generous supply of complex carbohydrates (found in such foods as beans, potatoes, whole-grain foods, and pasta) and have at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily.

Obtaining adequate nutrition and eating a balanced diet involve different concerns and challenges at every stage of a child's development.

Infancy

The first nutritional decision that must be made for a child is whether to breastfeed or bottle-feed. Breast milk is generally considered the best food for an infant up to the age of six to nine months. A 1994 report by the office of the U.S. Surgeon General called breast milk "the food of choice for infants." It has virtually all the nutrients that babies need, and in the right balance. In addition, it contains important antibodies that help protect infants from infection at a time when their own immune systems are not yet fully developed. Not only does breastfeeding lower the likelihood of certain infectious diseases, such as meningitis, in infancy, it has also been found that older children and adults who were breastfed have a lower incidence of a number of chronic conditions, including diabetes mellitus , celiac sprue disease , and inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, it is virtually unknown for a baby to have an allergic reaction to breast milk, and breastfed babies are less likely to develop other allergies later on. Today over half of all American women breastfeed their babies at birth, compared with only about 25% in the early 1970s.

Health Care Industry

Nutrition

Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence

Recommended restrictions

Infancy

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Autos

Most Popular Articles in Health

Most Popular Publications in Health