Child Health: Problems Caused by Poor Nutrition

Proper nutrition is critical to a child's life. A child's body needs a high-quality diet because research shows that growth rates need to be stable during childhood. During this time, children need an adequate supply of nutrients to maintain a healthy weight and shape. Sufficient energy, protein, and other nutrients are also needed to maintain bodily functions. You must have noticed that children behave differently. Some kids do well in school while others don't. Likewise, some children are more active than others. A good diet has been found to affect the psychological, social, physical and behavioral development of young children.

Sadly, many children still eat a poor diet which affects their health. New generation kids often prefer foods with excess fats, sugars and salt while the intake of vitamins and minerals is compromised. Besides, it has been discovered that inadequate nutrition also lowers a child resistance to infectious disease. Parents must realize that some of the diet-related chronic diseases that some adults face today result from poor nutrition during childhood. The first to raising healthy kids is to guide your child's eating with healthy food choices. Below are some health problems children face due to poor nutrition.

Effects of Poor Nutrition on Children

1.Weak Bone and Stunted Growth

Toddlers consume nutrients at a very high rate, which is why young children grow very quickly at an early age. Children depend on adequate nutrition to form strong bones and teeth, and they also need nutrients like essential fatty acids for vision and brain development. For example, vitamin A deficiency can impair a child's growth, eyesight and immunity. Zinc deficiency can also cause stunted growth and predispose children to infectious diseases, and children whose diets are deficient in vitamin D are at greater risk of stunted growth and weak bone formation. Therefore, if a child's diet does not include the proper amount of essential nutrients, their growth and development will be poor.

2.Tooth Decay

The pain of untreated tooth decay can lead to serious problems among kids. It can cause difficulty in eating, speaking, and responding to learning. Nowadays, many children have unhealthy snacking habits. They prefer starch-containing snacks, which contribute to tooth decay. In addition, these processed foods contain high sugar and sweeteners, which affect the teeth. Some of these snacks include wafers, chocolate and candy with high fats and sugar. Studies also suggest that too many soft drinks, sports drinks, and fruit juices cause tooth erosion. This is because these drinks have acidic content. Thus frequent intake of acidic foods and beverages weakens the tooth and exposes it to tooth decay. Parents are therefore advised to practice proper dental care for their children. This begins with discouraging the intake of snacks with too much sugar and fats. Secondly, parents should buy quality toothpaste and teach kids to brush their teeth thoroughly.

3. Obesity

Childhood obesity has been steadily increasing, especially over the past 20 years. Obesity can result when children consume large amounts of nutrient deficient food over a long period of time. It's a serious condition that can affect blood sugar and blood pressure levels, and most obese children also struggle with breathing problems. If you have an obese child, your child needs appropriate attention and dietary changes. It is recommended that you work with a professional children's doctor to ensure that your child receives the best medical care.

4. Impaired learning ability

Eating junk food is not proper for a child brain development. Junk foods contain additives like artificial colours and flavours, preservatives, sugar and bad fats. As a result, they lack vital nutrients needed for brain development. The brain of toddlers develops at a faster rate from the stage of pregnancy. That is why adequate breastfeeding is always advised for toddlers.

Children also need essential nutrients, such asomega-3 fatty acidsandIRONTo promote brain development. The human brain is mainly composed of fat.omega-3 fatty acidsIt is a fat that is good for brain development. Iron is essential in a child's diet. Unfortunately, iron deficiency is the leading nutritional deficiency in the world. Iron-deficient children often have behavioral and learning problems in school. As a result, children who are deficient in these nutrients often suffer from attention deficits, dyslexia, and writing disabilities.

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