According to Liu and Stein (2013), feeding is an important episode in the life of a toddler or an infant. Feeding mainly focuses on the attention of the caregivers and the parents in ensuring that the child is able to get proper food and proper social interface or interaction through non-verbal and verbal techniques. The eating incidence offers nutrition and provides an opportunity or a chance for learning (Liu " Stein, 2013). Nutrition not only affects the kid’s physical development and physical health but also it affects the toddler’s emotional and psychosocial growth. According to Liu and Stein (2013), the feeding correlations or connections are affected by health status, culture, and personality. According to a study conducted by Katherine, the nutrition of kids aged below 5 years is poor (Katherine, 2012). In her studies, there has been an increased rate of deaths among the kids due to poor nutrition (Katherine, 2012). Poor nutrition makes the kids to lack proper energy to fight back diseases such as malaria, measles, and diarrhoea. This illness afterward causes the high mortality rate among the toddlers, and the pre-schoolers. This paper will mainly discuss the effects of nutrition and fitness on the development of preschoolers, and toddlers. Various journal, books, and online materials will be used to come up with a precise idea about the topic.
Effects of good and bad nutrition and fitness on physical development
Nutrition dictates or speaks louder than an individual’s BMI (body mass index). The nutrition that a kid gets or obtains during his/her first few years in her life affects her health for decades to come (Karratti, 2017). Balanced nutrition is essential for the kid’s physical development or growth. This is because kids or toddlers require explicit nutrients to grow and thrive. Poor nutrition in toddlers and preschoolers is mainly due to the lack of food in addition to overeating, as nutrition is more than caloric eating or simple drinking. Proper child growth depends on a concrete dietary foundation that includes the proper quantity of every nutrient. According to a research conducted by Chase and Matin, kids who were hospitalized due to the undernutrition during their earlier years of life were many, and this brought a lot of concern (Karratti, 2017). According to their research, poor nutrition among the kids or the toddlers may cause weight issues in the kid’s life. On the other hand, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics have it that deprived nutrition, e.g., overfeeding may result in weight problems in the later years of the children's life.
Effects of good and bad nutrition and fitness on emotional development
Good nutrition can ensure proper psychological or emotional growth/development. On the other hand, poor nutrition may bring emotional or mental growth issues. According to Dr. Lawrence Wilson (studied psychiatric problems in association to hair sample mineral investigation in kids), some mineral deposits, i.e., calcium have attested to be tremendously significant for emotional growth. Children who take foods with nutrients such as calcium are likely to lack depression and hyperactivity (Karratti, 2017). According to Wilson's study, poor nutritional intake, e.g., taking food without calcium may cause emotional related issues such as depression, autism, bipolar disorder, hyperactivity, anxiety, and schizophrenia (Karratti, 2017).
Effects of good and bad nutrition and fitness on cognitive development
Another area that the bad and good nutrition affects is the development of the mind or cognitive development. According to the research, good nutrition plays an important part in the cognitive development or the development of the mind. Cognitive development mainly concerns many areas, i.e., social simulation, mood, behavior, etc. According to Kaplan (2014), nutritional conditions affect factors, i.e., the physical growth of the brain and the social stimulation. According to Kaplan, the areas that nutrition has great impacts or effects are the physical growth of the body and brain that mainly relate to plentiful other aspects that impact the cognitive growth or development. Nutrition has an incredible outcome for the kids. The growth of a kid’s mind is significant, and thereby proper cognitive growth is dependent on good nutrition.
During early childhood development, nutrition is largely important as the brain at this stage undergoes a key development spurt, thus escalating the child’s body requirement for nutrients. It is therefore essential for children to have proper nutrition or a balanced diet at this stage so that they can meet the demands of the body in developing their brains. According to Benton, children who take poor nutrients have the capacity to develop stunted brain (Benton, 2008). This may in long-run lead to the child’s mental retardation or impairment. According to Benton, “even though all nutrients take part in brain growth, a number of them are important as they play significant responsibility and are prone to be lacking” (Benton, 2008a). According to the research, iron is one of the important and essential nutrients that ensure proper cognitive or brain growth/development is iron. Without proper nutrients, oxygen may not flow well in the brains, and thereby the brains may not grow well. According to Gordon, a lack of iron in toddlers may cause deprived oxygen in the brain, and this may result in the learning impairment or a lack of memory (Benton, 2008a).
Effects of good and bad nutrition and fitness on social development
Children suffering from malnutrition have an impaired social behavior (Liu " Raine, 2016). Children with proper nutrition have better social interactions that include; active exploratory behavior, active social play, friendliness, etc. Early childhood proper nutrition ensures that the kid is able to play well thereby ensuring that a child leans more. According to Raising Children Network (2018), play is essential for toddlers as it ensures that they learn more. Proper nutrition’s ensures that the kid develops social interactions that can help him/her to be a good singer, story teller, etc. in future (Raising Children Network, 2018)
Effects of good and bad nutrition and fitness on personality development
Economists and Sociologists have studied on the much on the impact of the toddlers and preschoolers’ nutrition and diet on personality and academic outcomes. According to the researchers, higher quality nutrition in toddlers ensures better personality that guarantees enhanced performance on their exams when they grow up (David, 2014). A poor
affection may result from mental illness or substance abuse in the caregiver, a medical condition in the child, growth delay or and parent-child temperament or personality
conflict.
Effects of good and bad nutrition and fitness on behavioral development
According to the research conducted by Dr. Barrett, behaviors such as social behaviours were more vulnerable to the pessimistic outcomes of poor diet. According to the study, children who had poor diet in their childhood years appeared less active, withdrawn, and were less cooperative than their counterparts, i.e., the well-nourished (Karratti, 2017). The links between the eminence of a person’s diet and her behavior are apparent in childhood. Kids who receive sufficient diet are less expected to have stress as they do not require being anxious about what to eat. As a result, the kids with lower stress levels exhibit less behavioral problems as compared to those with imbalanced diets. Nutritional imbalance or malnutrition affects an individual’s moods, and this affects the kids.
Conclusion
During early childhood development, nutrition is largely important as the brain at this stage undergoes a key development spurt, thus escalating the child’s body requirement for nutrients. The nutrition that a kid gets or obtains during his/her first few years in her life affects her health for decades to come. Balanced nutrition is essential for the kid’s physical development or growth. Good nutrition can ensure proper psychological or emotional growth/development. On the other hand, poor nutrition may bring emotional or mental growth issues. Poor nutrition makes the kids to lack proper energy to fight back diseases such as malaria, measles, and diarrhea. This illness afterwards causes the high mortality rate among the toddlers and the pre-schoolers. A good nutrition and healthful diet are important in avoiding issues that are as a result of insufficient nutrition. Insufficient nutrition causes poor academic performance, delayed puberty and short stature, poor bone health, dehydration and nutrient deficiencies, increased risk of injuries, and menstrual irregularities. There is the need for the caregivers and the parents to be educated on the need to ensure proper nutrition for their toddlers.
References
Benton, D. (2008a). Micronutrient status, cognition and behavioral problems in childhood. European Journal of Nutrition, 47, 38-50. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database
David, J. (2014) 3 Ways Nutrition Influences Student Learning Potential and School Performance Retrieved from http://articles.extension.org/pages/68774/3-ways-nutrition-influences-student-learning-potential-and-school-performance
Kaplan, B.J. (2014). The relevance of food for children’s cognitive and behavioral health. Canadian Journal of Behavioral Health, 20(4), 359-373.
Karratti, D. (2017). How Poor Nutrition Affects Child Development retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/338611-nutrition-for-6-year-old-kids/
Katherine D. A. (2012). “The Bicultural Approach in Nutritional Anthropology: case Studies of Malnutrition in Mali.” Medical Anthropology, 15 (1), 17-39.
Liu, J " Raine A. (2016). Nutritional status and social behavior in preschool children: the mediating effects of neurocognitive functioning. Maternal " Child Nutrition; DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12321
Liu, Yi Hui " Stein, M. (2013). Feeding Behavior of Infants and Young Children and Its Impact on Child Psychosocial and Emotional Development, University of California San Diego, USA, 1-6
Annotated References
Benton, D. (2008a). Micronutrient status, cognition and behavioral problems in childhood. European Journal of Nutrition, 47, 38-50. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database
This journal mainly deals with the cognitive behavior in childhood. According to Benton the author “even though all nutrients take part in brain growth, a number of them are important as they play significant responsibility and are prone to be lacking”
David, J. (2014) 3 Ways Nutrition Influences Student Learning Potential and School Performance Retrieved from http://articles.extension.org/pages/68774/3-ways-nutrition-influences-student-learning-potential-and-school-performance
This journal mainly deals with the personality development in childhood. According to the researchers, higher quality nutrition in toddlers ensures better personality that guarantees enhanced performance on their exams when they grow up.
Kaplan, B.J. (2014). The relevance of food for children’s cognitive and behavioral health. Canadian Journal of Behavioral Health, 20(4), 359-373.
This journal mainly deals with the behavioral and cognitive development in childhood. According to Kaplan, the areas that nutrition has great impacts or effects are the physical growth of the body and brain that mainly relate to plentiful other aspects that impact the cognitive growth or development.
Karratti, D. (2017). How Poor Nutrition Affects Child Development retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/338611-nutrition-for-6-year-old-kids/
This article talks about the poor nutrition. People who take foods with nutrients such as calcium are likely to lack depression and hyperactivity. According to Wilson's study, poor nutritional intake, e.g., taking food without calcium may cause emotional related issues such as depression, autism, bipolar disorder, hyperactivity, anxiety, and schizophrenia.
Katherine D. A. (2012). “The Bicultural Approach in Nutritional Anthropology: case Studies of Malnutrition in Mali.” Medical Anthropology, 15 (1), 17-39.
This journal is about the bicultural approach in nutritional anthropology. In Katherine studies, there has been an increased rate of deaths among the kids due to poor nutrition. Poor nutrition makes the kids to lack proper energy to fight back diseases such as malaria, measles, and diarrhoea.
