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WHAT ARE UNCONSCIOUS DIETS PRESCRIBED TO CHILDREN?
Child nutrition is separated from adult nutrition at many points. In particular, the growing needs for energy and nutrients for the growth and development of children differ from adults.
Unconsciously made diets and food restrictions in childhood will hinder the development of children. Especially parents in their children’s diet bread, pasta weight by foods such as outlawing or restricting the weight of trying to control portions overly rapid weight loss on children in the short term in addition to providing short-and long-term growth and stunted development, and the formation of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, as well as in children can lead to a deterioration of the feeding behavior. The following are some effects of unbalanced diets that were made unconsciously in childhood on children;
Turkey Medicals member Dietitian in Istanbul, gave information about the subject.
1- Bone growth continues under normal conditions until the age of 20. During the diet process, which is not carried out by a pediatric dietitian without paying attention to the balance of protein, energy, calcium and phosphorus in childhood, your child’s bone development may also stop due to lengthening. Your child may be prone to advanced bone diseases such as bone resorption, bone softening.
2- Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy in the human body, and when they are taken insufficiently, the fat and protein stores in the body are spent on energy. Adipose tissue has the function of an endocrine organ in the body, just like the thyroid gland, adrenal gland. For this reason, children are more susceptible to rapid weight loss than adults, since sudden and unstable loss of adipose tissue can also disrupt the hormone balance. Children should lose 2-3 kg per month much more slowly than adults. There should not be a large energy deciency between the energy received and the energy expended. A pediatric dietitian also pays attention to this when preparing a proper nutrition program for children.
3- As in adults, carbohydrates are the first restricted food group in case of overweight or obesity in children. But restricting carbohydrates leads to malnutrition of both fiber and vitamins of group B. In addition, different cereals are transplant important source of different minerals. Although there is weight control in children’s nutrition, the carbohydrate group should not be restricted alone; it should be consumed in a balanced way during meals.
4- The process of dieting in children proceeds more sensitive psychologically. Instead of words such as ”diet, restriction, prohibition“, words such as ”healthy eating, portion control” should be chosen. Children should be emphasized on healthy foods that can be consumed, not prohibitions and foods that should not be eaten. However, it is also not correct to constantly emphasize healthy and label each food as ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’. All excessive behavior about nutrition can lead to nutritional disorders in adolescence and adulthood.
5- Most adults are motivated by strict diets, lists full of prohibitions, because in childhood there was no awareness of healthy eating. Since children are given healthy eating habits as well as weight control by dietitian monitoring, the weight gained during this period is usually permanent and the weight problem does not move into adulthood with the child. Remember, the tree bends when it is young!
6- Metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol that are in the mother and father are transmitted genetically to the child, although they depend on their eating habits. For this reason, Turkish children whose parents are overweight or have metabolic diseases also become prone to these diseases at an advanced age. For this reason, overweight children should reach the weight they should be by eating healthy accompanied by a pediatric dietitian.
The decency of physical activity for children is too important to ignore the reality of healthy eating for children growing up healthy in an obese world where screen time such as TV, tablet, computer is increasing. Children can apply healthy eating routines to their daily lives much more than adults if they combine the nutrition practices they observe from their parents in their infancy with proper education about healthy eating. Therefore, do not hesitate to seek support in case of need from a children’s dietitian who is competent in planning a nutrition program that meets the needs of all ages.
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