Nutrition Chapter: Childhood & Adolescence

Nutrition Through the Life Span: Childhood & Adolescence

• This chapter focuses on the nutritional needs of children and adolescents.
• The structure mirrors the previous chapter, but with nuanced differences.
• The chapter emphasizes the importance of balanced nutrition in supporting physical and academic performance.
• Proper nutrition aids in preventing various adult-onset diseases.

Nutrient Needs Change

• Nutritional needs are contingent upon rates of growth, activity levels, and other factors.
• Children's dietary needs change as they progress through developmental stages.
• Adequate nutrition is crucial in promoting physical and academic performance.
• Proper nutrition is vital in preventing adult health issues like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Early & Middle Childhood

• Growth rate slows after age one, but body continues to change rapidly.
• Bones lengthen, and muscles gain size and strength.
• The body experiences significant changes in terms of fat distribution, muscle development, and bone growth during this period.

Energy & Nutrient Needs

• Children's appetites exhibit dramatic fluctuations, particularly after their first birthday.
• Daily energy needs vary based on age and activity level.
• Example energy needs:
  • 1 year: 800 kcal/day
  • 6 years: 1600 kcal/day
  • 10 years: 2000 kcal/day
• Inactive children are more prone to obesity.
• Vegans may face challenges meeting daily energy requirements.

Carbohydrate & Fiber

• The brain relies on glucose for energy.
• Glucose use by the brain remains relatively constant after age one.
• The average adult range of daily carbohydrate consumption applies to children, but fiber intake is adjusted based on energy needs.
• Fiber intake needs to be higher when a child/infant consumes high energy food.
• Children who consume a lower calorie intake require less fiber to prevent potential issues like constipation.
• Fiber needs increase with age. Examples:
  • Age 1-3: 19 g/day
  • Age 4-8: 25 g/day
  • Age 9-13 (boys): 31 g/day
  • Age 9-13 (girls): 26 g/day
  • Age 14-18 (boys): 38 g/day
  • Age 14-18 (girls): 26 g/day

Fat & Fatty Acids

• No Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) exists for total fat in children.
• Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) recommendations:
  • Children (1-3 years): 30-40% of energy from fat
  • Children (4-18 years): 25-35% of energy from fat

Protein

• Protein requirements increase slightly with age due to growth and development.
• Maintaining nitrogen balance is important.
• Protein quality is crucial for optimal growth.

Vitamins & Minerals

• Vitamin and mineral requirements increase with age.
• A balanced diet can often meet these needs without supplements.
• Iron needs increase for growing children (7-10mg/day).
• Vitamin D also needs to be considered (10mcg/day).

Supplements

• Supplements are generally not required for well-nourished children, except for fluoride, iron, and vitamin D.
• The safety of some supplements for children may not be fully investigated yet.

Children's Food Choices

• Children's food choices should be nutritious and appealing.
• Limiting too much candy, cola, and concentrated sweets is important for preventing deficiencies and obesity.
• Underweight children may need higher calorie-dense foods (ice cream, pudding, whole-wheat crackers, and pancakes).

Recommended Daily Amounts for Each Food Group

• This chart provides estimates for different calorie intakes of children.
• Recommended amounts of food groups including fruit, vegetable, grains, meat, and legumes are listed.

Iron Deficiency

• Iron deficiency causes an energy crisis, negatively impacting mood, attention span, learning, and causing conduct disturbances.
• Brain function is affected before anemia becomes obviously visible.
• Prevention involves adequate iron intake (7-10 mg/day).
• Dietary sources like lean meats, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes, whole-grain, or enriched breads and cereals are pivotal.

Other Nutrient Deficiencies

• Deficiencies in other nutrients can lead to a range of behavioral and physical symptoms, including irritability, aggression, sadness, withdrawal, and being labeled as hyperactive, depressed, or unlikable.

Childhood Obesity

• Childhood obesity rates have risen significantly.
• BMI-for-age charts categorise children as overweight or at-risk based on percentile values.

Genetic & Environmental Factors

• Parental obesity significantly increases the risk of childhood obesity (80%).
• High fructose corn syrup, especially in soft drinks, can contribute to weight gain.
• Convenience foods and sedentary behavior (TV viewing, video games) negatively impact children's health and weight.
• Children who experience earlier puberty, shorter stature, and stockier builds may be at an increased risk of obesity.

Other Characteristics

• High blood lipids, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes are potential complications of childhood obesity.
• Respiratory diseases like asthma may also associated with childhood obesity.
• Overweight or obese children may experience discrimination and rejection, contributing to poor self-image and a sense of failure which might lead to a passive approach to life.

Prevention & Treatment

• Limiting sugar-sweetened beverages and punches, consuming fruits and vegetables, controlling portion sizes, consuming nutrient-dense foods, and eating breakfast are effective preventive measures for obesity.
• Family meals encourage healthier eating habits.
• Limiting screen time to a maximum of 2 hours per day, and encouraging daily physical activity (60 minutes) for children are also necessary.

Preschoolers & Older Children Activities

• This section outlines appropriate activities for young children (preschoolers) and older children (6 to 12 years old) to support their physical development and encourage healthy lifestyles.

Other Treatment

• Psychological support and behavioral changes form a baseline for treating obesity in children.
• More radical treatments like drugs and surgery are considered for severely obese patients.
• Surgical intervention is a consideration in extreme cases where the BMI is above 50.
• Other necessary criteria for surgery include issues related to weight like breathing difficulty, or a failure to control weight loss through conventional means over a six-month period.

The Teen Years

• Significant physical changes necessitate increased nutrient needs in adolescents.
• Mental and social demands further complicate healthy eating habits, leading to challenges in meeting teens' emotional, intellectual, and social needs.
• Teens frequently make their own nutritional decisions.
• Peer influence during this period tends to be profound in shaping their dietary choices.
• They may experiment with alcohol and extreme body ideals, leading them to try latest fad diets for immediate results.

Growth & Development

• Growth spurts are marked by rapid changes in height and weight during adolescence.
• Timing for these growth spurts varies between males (12-13 years old) and females (10-11 years old).

Teen Years (Energy & Nutrient Needs)

• Nutrient needs during the teen years are highly variable, influenced by growth rate, gender, and physical activity.
• Vitamin D requirements increase to support calcium absorption.
• Iron needs peak during the adolescent growth spurt.
• Calcium requirements are at their highest, motivating teens to consume calcium-rich foods (milk).

Food Choices & Health Habits

• Teens often exhibit irregular eating habits, relying heavily on quick snacks, fast food, and soft drinks (instead of milk or juice), thus leading to nutritional deficiencies.
• This contrasts with healthy eating habits (nutritious, easy-to-grab foods).

Foods & Beverages That Meet Recommended School Food Standards

• Guidelines for foods and beverages that meet school nutrition standards, focusing on limits for fats, sugars, and sodium.
• Portion sizes for each food and beverage.

Teen Eating Habits

• Many teens derive a significant portion of their daily energy from snacks.
• Most snacks are typically high in saturated fats, sodium, but low in fiber and vital nutrients like calcium, iron, and vitamin A.
• Frequent consumption of soft drinks with meals and snacks.
• Excessive soft drink consumption has links to weight gain.
• There’s a tendency to decrease milk consumption.

Teen Nutrition

• Teens frequently eat away from home, impacting their nutritional intake.
• Peer influence significantly impacts their nutritional decisions and food choices.

This quiz covers the essential nutritional needs of children and adolescents throughout various developmental stages. It highlights the importance of balanced nutrition in supporting physical growth and academic performance, along with its role in preventing adult-onset diseases. Test your knowledge on how dietary requirements change as children grow.