Nutrition and Childhood Development

Introduction to Health and Nutrition

• Public health focuses on nutrients, but a holistic approach is necessary in early childhood, considering emotional climate and teacher's attitudes.
• Nutrients are chemicals that provide energy, enable growth and maintenance, and regulate body processes.

Essential Nutrients and Malnutrition

• Essential nutrients are those that the human body cannot produce and must be obtained from external sources.
• Malnutrition and undernutrition refer to a lack of nutrients, which can affect people of all weight types, not just those who are underweight.

Energy and Nutrition

• Energy is measured in Calories or Kilojoules, with 1 Calorie equal to 4.186 Kilojoules.
• Energy intake varies by age, stage of life, and gender.

Food and Nutrition in Early Childhood

• Parents should check their Baby Blue Book and record advice for their child's nutrition.
• In NSW, it is required to provide 50% of recommended daily intake, but debates exist about this limit.

Food Preferences and Influences

• Aesthetic and cultural aspects of food can influence our preferences.
• Brightly colored foods are often perceived as fresher and more nutritious.
• The Western-style diet is higher in saturated fats and refined carbohydrates, linked to diseases and mental health problems.

The Mediterranean Diet and Hippocampus

• The Mediterranean diet has the best health outcomes.
• The Western diet has a negative impact on hippocampus development, which is involved in memory, learning, and appetite regulation.

Food Preferences and Sensitivities

• Some people have highly restricted food preferences due to taste, texture, or oral/facial hypersensitivities.
• Hypersensitivities are common in children with disabilities who may have had limited food experiences.

Tube Feeding and Advertising

• Tube feeding may be necessary for some children to receive nutrition.
• Food advertising to children can be misleading and promote unhealthy options.

Teacher's Attitudes and Food Education

• Teachers want children to eat well, but may struggle with their own healthy eating habits and nutrition knowledge.
• A golden opportunity exists to introduce food education and promote healthy eating habits.

Food Security and Representations of Childhood

• Food security can be affected by poverty, insufficient household income, neglect, and restrictive parenting practices.
• Different representations of childhood, such as the economic child or children as citizens, can shape policy and food security.

Introduction to Health

• In public health, the focus often is on nutrients, but in early childhood, a more holistic approach is important, considering factors like emotional climate at mealtimes and teacher's attitudes.

Nutrients and Energy

• Nutrients are chemicals that provide energy, enable growth and maintenance/repair of body tissue, and regulate body processes.
• An essential nutrient is one that human bodies cannot produce and must come from external sources.
• Energy is measured in Calories or Kilojoules (1 Calorie = 4.186 Kilojoules).
• Energy intake varies for different ages, stages of life, and for males and females.

Nutrition and Development

• Malnutrition/undernutrition refer to a lack of nutrients, which can affect people of all weight types.
• Even obese individuals may have restricted diets and lack essential nutrients.
• In NSW, it is required to provide 50% of recommended daily intake, but debates exist around this limit.

Influences on Food Preferences

• Aesthetic and cultural aspects of food influence our preferences, such as perceiving brightly colored foods as fresher and more nutritious.
• Western-style diets are higher in saturated fats and refined carbohydrates, linked to diseases and mental health problems.
• The Mediterranean diet has some of the best health outcomes.

Barriers to Healthy Eating

• Some children have restricted food preferences due to taste, texture, or oral/facial hypersensitivities.
• Tube feeding may be necessary for some children, and advertising to children can be misleading.
• Balancing eating time and physical activity time in schools can be challenging.

Teacher's Role and Food Security

• Teachers aim to promote healthy eating but may struggle themselves with personal nutrition knowledge.
• Creative ways to introduce food and encourage exploration can be effective.
• Food security can be an issue due to poverty, insufficient household income, neglect, or restrictive parenting practices.

Representations of Childhood

• Childhood can be viewed as an economic concept (children as consumers), developing beings (developmental psychology), citizens (children's rights), or from a global perspective (children facing war, famine, etc.).

Introduction to Health

• In public health, the focus often is on nutrients, but in early childhood, a more holistic approach is important, considering factors like emotional climate at mealtimes and teacher's attitudes.

Nutrients and Energy

• Nutrients are chemicals that provide energy, enable growth and maintenance/repair of body tissue, and regulate body processes.
• An essential nutrient is one that human bodies cannot produce and must come from external sources.
• Energy is measured in Calories or Kilojoules (1 Calorie = 4.186 Kilojoules).
• Energy intake varies for different ages, stages of life, and for males and females.

Nutrition and Development

• Malnutrition/undernutrition refer to a lack of nutrients, which can affect people of all weight types.
• Even obese individuals may have restricted diets and lack essential nutrients.
• In NSW, it is required to provide 50% of recommended daily intake, but debates exist around this limit.

Influences on Food Preferences

• Aesthetic and cultural aspects of food influence our preferences, such as perceiving brightly colored foods as fresher and more nutritious.
• Western-style diets are higher in saturated fats and refined carbohydrates, linked to diseases and mental health problems.
• The Mediterranean diet has some of the best health outcomes.

Barriers to Healthy Eating

• Some children have restricted food preferences due to taste, texture, or oral/facial hypersensitivities.
• Tube feeding may be necessary for some children, and advertising to children can be misleading.
• Balancing eating time and physical activity time in schools can be challenging.

Teacher's Role and Food Security

• Teachers aim to promote healthy eating but may struggle themselves with personal nutrition knowledge.
• Creative ways to introduce food and encourage exploration can be effective.
• Food security can be an issue due to poverty, insufficient household income, neglect, or restrictive parenting practices.

Representations of Childhood

• Childhood can be viewed as an economic concept (children as consumers), developing beings (developmental psychology), citizens (children's rights), or from a global perspective (children facing war, famine, etc.).

Introduction to Health

• Focus on nutrients in public health, but a holistic approach is necessary, especially in early childhood.
• Emotional climate at mealtimes and teachers' attitudes towards food can influence children's eating behaviors.

Nutrients

• Nutrients are chemicals that provide energy, enable growth and maintenance, and regulate body processes.
• Essential nutrients are those that the human body cannot produce and must come from external sources.
• Malnutrition/undernutrition refers to a lack of nutrients, which can affect people of all weight types, not just those who are underweight.

Energy and Nutrition

• Energy is measured in Calories or Kilojoules (1 Calorie = 4.186 Kilojoules).
• Energy intake varies depending on age, stage of life, and gender.
• In NSW, it is recommended to provide 50% of the daily recommended intake of nutrients, but there are debates about these limits.

Discretionary Eating and Food Preferences

• Discretionary eating refers to consumption of energy beyond nutritional needs.
• Empty Kilojoules refer to consumption of foods with low nutritional value.
• Aesthetic and cultural aspects of food, such as color and texture, can influence our preferences.
• Preferences, such as taste and texture, can be highly restricted in some individuals.

Diet and Health

• The Western-style diet is high in saturated fats and refined carbohydrates, linked to diseases and mental health problems.
• The Mediterranean diet has been linked to better health outcomes.
• A Western diet has a negative impact on the development of the hippocampus, which is involved in memory, learning, and spatial navigation.

Feeding and Nutrition Challenges

• Oral/facial hypersensitivities and tube feeding can be challenges in children, particularly those with disabilities.
• Advertising of foods to children can be misleading and promote unhealthy eating habits.
• Balancing eating time and physical activity time in schools can be difficult.

Teacher's Attitudes and Food Security

• Teachers want children to eat well, but may struggle with their own healthy eating habits and lack of personal nutrition knowledge.
• Food security can be an issue due to poverty, insufficient household income, neglect, or restrictive parenting practices.
• A child's food security can be affected even if they live in an affluent area.

Representations of Childhood

• Different perspectives on childhood, such as the economic child, developing beings, children as citizens, and the global child, can shape policy and inform our understanding of children's health and nutrition.

Introduction to Health

• Focus on nutrients in public health, but a holistic approach is necessary, especially in early childhood.
• Emotional climate at mealtimes and teachers' attitudes towards food can influence children's eating behaviors.

Nutrients

• Nutrients are chemicals that provide energy, enable growth and maintenance, and regulate body processes.
• Essential nutrients are those that the human body cannot produce and must come from external sources.
• Malnutrition/undernutrition refers to a lack of nutrients, which can affect people of all weight types, not just those who are underweight.

Energy and Nutrition

• Energy is measured in Calories or Kilojoules (1 Calorie = 4.186 Kilojoules).
• Energy intake varies depending on age, stage of life, and gender.
• In NSW, it is recommended to provide 50% of the daily recommended intake of nutrients, but there are debates about these limits.

Discretionary Eating and Food Preferences

• Discretionary eating refers to consumption of energy beyond nutritional needs.
• Empty Kilojoules refer to consumption of foods with low nutritional value.
• Aesthetic and cultural aspects of food, such as color and texture, can influence our preferences.
• Preferences, such as taste and texture, can be highly restricted in some individuals.

Diet and Health

• The Western-style diet is high in saturated fats and refined carbohydrates, linked to diseases and mental health problems.
• The Mediterranean diet has been linked to better health outcomes.
• A Western diet has a negative impact on the development of the hippocampus, which is involved in memory, learning, and spatial navigation.

Feeding and Nutrition Challenges

• Oral/facial hypersensitivities and tube feeding can be challenges in children, particularly those with disabilities.
• Advertising of foods to children can be misleading and promote unhealthy eating habits.
• Balancing eating time and physical activity time in schools can be difficult.

Teacher's Attitudes and Food Security

• Teachers want children to eat well, but may struggle with their own healthy eating habits and lack of personal nutrition knowledge.
• Food security can be an issue due to poverty, insufficient household income, neglect, or restrictive parenting practices.
• A child's food security can be affected even if they live in an affluent area.

Representations of Childhood

• Different perspectives on childhood, such as the economic child, developing beings, children as citizens, and the global child, can shape policy and inform our understanding of children's health and nutrition.