Child Health

Diet is really important for everyone’s general health, but a good diet is essential for children because their immune system is not fully developed and this can make them susceptible to illness and infections.

A healthy diet

A healthy diet should include a large range of different foods and preparing food from scratch is usually much healthier than buying ready-made or fast food. Nowadays, people eat a lot of processed, ready-made foods and these have little nutritional value, as well as being high in fat, salt and sugar.

A healthy diet should include foods from the following food groups:

• Carbohydrates: carbohydrates, along with fruit and vegetables, should provide the bulk of your daily calories. Try to introduce your children to wholegrain carbohydrates from an early age, as these foods, including brown rice and wholemeal bread, are high in fibre and low in fat. Carbohydrates provide fuel for the body; try to go for complex carbohydrates, such as pasta and cereals, rather than simple carbohydrates, such as biscuits and cakes, as they release energy slower.
• Protein: protein is essential for growth and development. Good examples of protein include eggs, meat, poultry and fish.
• Fruit and vegetables: fruit and vegetables are essential for good health because they provide a range of important nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Try to introduce your child to a range of different fruit and vegetables from a very early age.
• Fat: fat is essential but it should be moderated very carefully. Try to avoid fast food and processed foods as these are often high in saturated fats. Instead go for foods which are low in saturated fat, such as margarine and olive oil.
• Calcium: calcium is really important for children because it helps to make bones, teeth and nails stronger. All children should take in plenty of calcium until the age of 18, and good sources of calcium include milk, cheese and yoghurts.

Child obesity

In recent years, rates of child obesity have soared and, in the last decade alone, figures have doubled and now it is estimated that between 1 in 5 and 1 in 6 children aged between 2 and 16 are obese. The main reasons behind the shocking increase in child obesity are poor diet and lack of exercise. Many children have swapped going out to play for sitting in front of a games console and more parents are feeding their children processed, ready-made food rather than healthy, home-made food. Children are also snacking and eating foods like sweets, chocolate and crisps on their way home from school or when they are with their friends, rather than eating healthy snacks.

Childhood obesity is a very serious issue, as it can lead to several serious health issues, including an increased risk of heart disease, strokes, cancer and diabetes. Children who are obese are also much more likely to become obese adults than those who were a healthy weight during their childhood years.

In order to cut rates of obesity, the government has introduced the Change 4 Life scheme to promote exercise and encourage parents and children to keep an eye on their calorie intake.