Since I can remember I have battled with food and I have always felt I have poor eating habits. I have dieted all my life and have successfully lost weight and I have successfully gained weight. In my journey to be healthier, I have become more and more aware of nutrition and the value it has to one’s longevity and quality of life. I read labels, I try to eat more fruits and vegetables and proteins, and I avoid excessive sodium and preservatives. I try to be an informed eater as well as an individual who leads a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition is important for all aspects of growth, both physical and mental.
Unfortunately children and parents are ill informed about proper nutrition and exercise. We look around and find more and more obese children. I see it in my own program; children who are just not eating properly—we have 4 year old who will only eats crackers, chips and fruit juice. His parents say he is just a picky eater. I have shared information on nutrition and information on helping young children eat well, but to no avail. In addition, many children do not have access to proper nutrition at home, “over 31 million children receive meals through the school lunch program and many children receive most, if not all, of their meals at school” (The White House [WH], 2010). Schools and teachers alike have to take a more active role in assisting children not only with access to meals but information on proper eating habits. Thankfully, President Obama recently signed into law the Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The law will allow more children to participate in the school lunch program while also providing healthier more nutritious meals (WH, 2010).
In an effort to find more information on the topic of nutrition, I can across information on global malnutrition, specifically iodine deficiency. I came to find out some startling information about iodine deficiency that affects nations worldwide and “is the world most prevalent…cause of brain damage” (World Health Organization [WHO]), and is a “threat to the health and development of…preschool children” (WHO). More staggering is the fact that a deficiency of this nature could be detrimental to a pregnant woman, causing spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, and mental retardation, limiting a child’s ability to learn (WHO, 2004). Great strides have been made in the elimination of iodine deficiency simply by providing and using iodized salt.
It is fascinating to compare the two problems where the effects of both have such an impact on a child’s cognitive abilities and development.
Sources
World Health Organization. Micronutrient Deficiencies. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/idd/en/index.html#
World Health Organization. (2004, December 21). Eliminating Iodine Deficiency Worldwide is Within Reach. Retrieved from
The White House. (2010) President Obama Signs Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 Into Law. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/12/13/president-obama-signs-healthy-hunger-free-kids-act-2010-law
The White House. (2010) Child nutrition reauthorization Healthy, hunger-free kids act of 201. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/12/13/president-obama-signs-healthy-hunger-free-kids-act-2010-law
Very interesting! I had not known about iodine deficiency before. Are there other ways to get your iodine quota without salt? And now that sea salt is becoming more popular could this increase the population's iodine deficiency problems?
ReplyDeleteHealthy eating is always a struggle with children who go through food jags, but they generally get what they need if they are offered enough variety throughout the day. How do you feel about letting a child "go hungry" if they don't want what is put before them?
I actually don't have a problem with allowing a child to "go hungry" if they don't want to eat...within reason of course. Children know when they are hungry and their bodies tell them so. Often those children who are a bit more regulated by stubbornness are the one's who won't eat rather making the whole event about control. My daughter was a picky/stubborn eater and I was a nervous first time mom--not a great combination, but we managed; she ate and I calmed down allowing her body to tell me when she was in fact hungry. She will be 21 soon and she is still a picky eater--she will still not allow her food to touch!
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