Nutrition, Children Ages 4-13 HPE 320

POWER POINT ASSIGNMENT BY CHRISTOPHER J. ACKERMAN

Nutrition and Health of Children

Healthy eating contributes to overall healthy growth and

development, including healthy bones, skin, and energy levels. Obesity in children is without a doubt, a growing problem for youth in the United States. The prevalence of overweight children, ages 6-11, has more than doubled over the past 20 years. If children are overweight at a young age, they are more likely to be overweight as adults. One study revealed that children who became obese at the age of 8 were even more severely obese when reaching adulthood. This demonstrates the importance of the role of parents in monitoring and encouraging good health in their children at a young age.
(National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health, 2010)

Nutrition Recommendations for Children and Adolescents

Energy and Macronutrient Recommendations for Children

Total energy requirements in children increase

throughout childhood based on increasing size, and because they participate in higher levels of physical activity. Parents should offer children diets that promote normal growth and support physical activity minimizing unnecessary weight gain.

(Walter and Manore, 2009)

Fats
Nutrition experts believe that by the age of 5,

children should follow adult recommendations for the consumption of fat. (The George Mateljan Foundation, 2011)

25-35% of total energy

(Walter and Manore, 2009)

We can minimize by introducing lower fat dairy

products.
EAT THIS: 2% milk, string cheese, plain yogurt sweetened with fresh fruit, cottage cheese NOT THAT: Chocolate milk, ice cream, hot cheese dip, yogurt with fruit on the bottom

(Zinczenko,2008)

Fats
Eat these healthy fats: Not these unhealthy fats:

Olive oils Canola oil Monounsaturated fats

Stick margarine Lard Palm oil Anything with partially

from nuts Avocado Salmon

hydrogenated oil
(Zinczenko, 2008)

Carbohydrates
The RDA for carbohydrates for children is 130 g/day (45-65%

of total daily energy intake). Figure 16.1

Emphasize whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

EAT THIS: NOT THIS: Simple sugar Cookies, cake, through fruit and and candy fruit juices Limit fiber to an A1 of 14g/1000 kcal of energy consumed. Too much fiber is detrimental because it makes children feel full, which limits adequate food intake.
(Walter and Manore, 2009)

Protein
Protein recommendation for both boys and girls is 0.95

g/kg body weight per day. Figure 16.1 Protein builds, maintains and repairs body tissue. It is especially important for growth. It's important that parents encourage children to eat two to three servings of protein daily. Good sources of protein for children include meat, fish, poultry, milk and other dairy.
(Virtual Medical Centre, 2011)

On average, children in the United States consume

considerably more protein than is required for health.

(The George Mateljan Foundation, 2011)

Micronutrient Recommendations for Children

The need for micronutrients increase slightly for

children up to the age of 8 due to their increase in size. A sharper increase occurs in transition to full adolescence due to beginning of sexual maturation and preparation for an impending growth spurt. Children need to consume the recommended 5 or more servings fruits/veggies per day or they could become deficient in vitamin A, C, and E. Minerals of concern (calcium, iron, zinc).
(Walter and Manore, 2009)

Fluid Recommendations for Children

Fluid recommendations for children are

approximately 5-8 cups as beverages, including drinking water. Exact amount will depend upon weather and the individuals physical activity.

(Walter and Manore, 2009)

Helpful Rules of Nutrition to Teach Children

According to David Zinczenko, one major mistake we

make when watching our weight is assuming we should eat less. Doing this doesnt allow our body to receive the essential nutrients it needs. Parents first instinct when a child gains weight is to cut out their snacks. This makes kids hungry, leading to them indulging in the unhealthy snacks. Instead, expand on what he eats. Here are some helpful rules

 Rule #1 - DONT SKIP BREAKFAST

Children skip this meal more than any other. On a survey taken 8% of 4-7 year olds skipped, 12% of 8-10 yr olds, 20% of 11-14 yr olds.

Breakfast eaters were 30% less likely to be overweight. Rule #2 SNACK WITH A PURPOSE Reinforce good habits, keep metabolic rate high, and filling gaps between meals w/ nutrients children need. Rule #3 BEWARE OF PORTION DISTORTION Portion sizes are continuing to grow (drinks, foods, snack, etc.), making it easier to consume too much. BUY SMALLER BOWLS AND CUPS to assist in consumption of too many calories. Rule #4 DRINK RESPONSIBLY Watch not only what you eat, but also what you drink. One study showed sweetened beverages constitute 51% of beverages consumed by 4th to 6th graders. This led to 330 extra calories per day. Possible solutions Keep cold filtered water in fridge. Be a good example for kids. They are more likely to consume sodas if you (the parents) do.

Rule #5 SET MORE WHOLE FOOD, FEWER SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS The shorter the ingredient list, the healthier the food. Rule #6 SET THE TABLE Children in families with more structured mealtimes exhibit healthier eating habits. Another strategy: Get kids involved in cooking. Then pack the most healthful ingredients into your meals. Rule #7 KICK THE HABIT Eliminate foods with HFCS (High fructose corn syrup) and other forms of sugar at the top of the ingredients. Rule #8 EAT THE RAINBOW Teach kids to eat as many colors as they can. RED (tomato, grapefruit, watermelon, red peppers, apple) ORANGE (oranges, carrots, Sweet Potato) YELLLOW (Pineapple, Squash, Corn, Bananas) GREEN (zucchini, avocado, asparagus, broccoli, lettuce, peas, spinach) BLUE/PURPLE (eggplant, radish, beet, blackberry, grape, plum)
*Not everything will appeal to Kids, but enough options to squeeze 1 in*

(Zinczenko, 2008)

Encouraging Nutritious Food Choices

Peer pressure can make it very difficult to assure

proper nutrition for our children. If their peers they consider cool drink colas and eat chocolates, they want to do the same. As parents, we should attempt to find healthy compromises.

Possible strategies include:

Involve children in food choices Use cool role models who endorse healthy foods. Act as a role model through maintaining a healthy diet.

(Walter and Manore, 2009)

Schools Effect on Nutrition

There are many things about school that can negatively affect

a child consuming a nutritious meal.

If kids try to rush out the door to arrive at school on time, it

can cause them to eliminate breakfast. If hungry all day, they may perform poorly on work, have behavior problems, or have a decreased attention span. Although schools have federal guidelines they must follow when it comes to preparing nutritious lunches, sometimes a child may not consume all the items included. This denies the child from consuming all the nutrients available to him. They also may have vending machines where kids may have access to sodas/snacks that lead to nutrient deficiencies.
(Walter and Manore, 2009)

Healthy Vending Machine Choices

Many times, children see their friends indulging in

snacks from vending machines. As a result, they want to do the same. Here are a couple healthy alternatives to suggest.
Instead of: Potato Chips Candy Bars Fruit Roll Ups Sodas Whole Milk Ice Cream Cookies
Suggest: Baked Tortilla Chips Granola Bars, trail mix Dried or Fresh Fruits Water, 100% Fruit Juice Skim Milk/Yogurt Sherbet, pure fruit popsicles Graham Crackers/ Fig cookies

(Dietz and Stern, 1999)

Sports Effect on Children

Children should be getting lots of exercise. Involving

themselves in sports available to them is a good way to assure they get the necessary exercise. Children playing sports feel more comfortable performing after eating low fat, high carbohydrate meals. High performance supplements and weight training programs have no place in children. It will only harm them and will not improve their performance.
(Walter and Manore, 2009)

Conclusion
It is important for children to maintain a diet that is

healthy for them and assures they receive the proper nutrients their body needs. There are many foods children can consume to receive these valuable nutrients. It is not important what foods they consume, only that they consume the necessary nutrients. In my opinion, the best possible way to teach our kids proper nutrition, is to live it out in our own lives. When they see us maintaining a healthy diet, they will be likely to do the same.

References
Dietz, W., & Stern, L., (1999). Guide to your childs nutrition. New York: Villiard. The George Mateljan Foundation., (2011, June). Early childhood and school age. Retrieved from http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=specialneed&dbid=4#phys factors. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health., (2010, June). Healthy youth. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/nutrition/facts.htm. Thompson, J., & Manore, M., (2009). Nutrition. An applied approach. 2nd Edition. San Francisco, CA: Pearson. Virtual Medical Centre., (2011, June). Nutrition for school children. Retrieved from http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/healthandlifestyle.asp?sid=89 #C7. Zinczenko, D., (2008). Eat this, not that. New York: Rodale.