Why is Nutrition Important for Children?
Nutrition: Is it Important?
Nutrition is important for everyone. It is a combination of two of the most basic necessities: food and water. However, do we ever try to understand why is nutrition important? Nutrition comes from food that gives our body the nutrients it needs to grow, work properly, and stay fit.
Food is made up of micronutrients and macronutrients, and good nutrition means getting enough of these. Micronutrients include minerals, vitamins, and water, whereas macronutrients include carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Good nutrition does not mean particular foods or special diets. Instead, it is eating the right types of foods in right amounts. For example, underweight individuals should include more carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in their diet.
An average person should maintain a balanced diet that consists of all the essential nutrients needed by the body. Poor eating habits in childhood can lead to diet related illnesses later in life; therefore, it’s important to maintain healthy eating patterns. Consuming more packaged food and sugar results in eating smaller amounts of several vital minerals and vitamins. So in order to stay healthy, it’s important to provide the body with a fair amount of nourishment.
Nutrition Is Important for Children
Nutrition is especially important for children, as it is directly associated to all aspects of their development and growth. It is linked to the factors which influence their level of health as adults. During the growth years, children require particular nutrients like Omega 3, calcium, and fiber to help them grow healthy hair, strong bones, good eyes, and solid brains.
Without these essential nutrients, children are likely to develop health problems as they grow old. For instance, children who consume proper amounts of omega fatty acids in their daily diet have better chances of creating a sound foundation for their brain activity later. Similarly, children who eat low fat and low cholesterol diets considerably improve their chances of preventing a heart attack later in life.
If you instill good nutrition habits in your children by providing them with the correct nutrition, they learn at a young age what’s required for good health. This sets them up for a life of healthy eating and proper nutrition, while positively helping them to achieve a healthy lifestyle for lasting wellness.
Why is Nutrition Important for Adults
Adults need to balance food intake with their physical activities to avoid storing extra fat in their bodies. Food choices and dietary practices are related to health in adults, and these influence the well being, weight, fitness, and prevention of diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart diseases, and osteoporosis.
For adults between eighteen and fifty, maintaining weight is the key factor in achieving good health. As teens reach adulthood, their BMR (basal metabolic rate, or the energy required for the body’s functions) stabilizes and so does their energy requirements. Basal metabolic rate is directly related to gender, size and body muscle mass. Physical activities help in maintaining and increasing lean body mass. So in order to remain fit, adults must balance their food (energy)intake with their physical activity. At the onset of adulthood, one’s food (energy) intake should be reduced without compromising the nutritional needs of the body. Highly nutritious foods containing large amounts of minerals, vitamins and proteins should be consumed.
It is at this age that young adults start reducing physical activity and gaining body fat. This is due to bad dietary practices and over indulgence in fast foods. Obesity increases the risk of chronic ailments, like type II diabetes, heart diseases, and certain cancers. Another problem related to improper eating is constipation, due to the lack of fiber in the daily diet, which may also result in appendicitis, hemorrhoids, and diverticulosis. You can easily prevent these diseases by increasing vegetables, fruits, and whole grains in your diet.
Older adults who are not physically active or take medications, or who have poor eating habits will experience a change in their body composition, decline in BMR, and an increase body fat as they age. In addition, they will show the signs of aging and are more likely to develop chronic diseases. As for aging women, they may develop osteoporosis if they don’t intake the required amounts of calcium and vitamin D. For this reason, women should consume 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily up to the age of 35.
Conclusion
Children require nutrition for regular growth and development, and adults need it to promote well being and reduce the risk of illness. Proper nutrition prevents diseases and enhances the quality of life. Therefore, nutrition is extremely essential for all ages and genders, and it is important that we maintain a balanced diet to get the nutrition we require to maintain a healthy lifestyle.