The overall health and vitality of an entire nation, in the long-term, is contingent upon the wellbeing of its children. In this regard, it is worth noting that nutrition and fitness are a critical aspect of the well-being of children (Cyr, 2016). Proper nutrition involves intake of adequate amounts of a well-balanced diet (Charlesworth, 2013). Fitness, on the other hand, is a state of optimal health and overall well-being within the physical, mental and emotional domains (Charlesworth, 2013). Proper nutrition coupled with regular physical exercise; a vital prerequisite for physical fitness, are essential for a healthy life. Good nutrition is undoubtedly necessary for everyone. However, it is particularly paramount for toddlers and preschoolers as it helps them to achieve their full potential for growth and development (Cyr, 2016). Seeing that unhealthy diets and a sedentary lifestyle are well-known global risks to health; therefore, provision of a well-balanced diet is essential as well as good feeding habits combined with frequent physical activities among toddlers and preschoolers. Also, it is crucial to note that currently, the world is faced with a double burden of malnutrition which entails both childhood obesity and undernutrition. Liu and Raine (2017) write that at present, childhood obesity is a global crisis affecting more than 40million children in the world. While obesity is associated with chronic diseases including hypertension, joint problems, asthma and type II diabetes among other conditions, undernutrition is known to hinder healthy development and life-long productivity in children (Cyr, 2016). The remedy to these problems, fortunately, lies in ensuring proper nutrition and fitness in all facets among toddlers and preschoolers. This paper sheds light on this topic by elucidating on how nutrition and fitness impact on the development of toddlers and preschoolers within several domains as discussed below.
Cognitive Development
Nutrition and fitness have a significant influence on cognitive development. During early childhood development, diet is mainly crucial as the body at this stage undergoes rapid growth which increases the child requirement for nutrients (Nyaradi, Li, Hickling, Foster, " Oddy, 2013). Nutrients are crucial in ensuring optimal brain growth and development as well as its functioning. Psychomotor delay, for instance, has been shown among toddlers with chronic anemia (Nyaradi et al., 2013). Iodine deficiency is also known to cause mental retardation (Nyaradi et al., 2013). It also includes other micronutrients such as vitamin B12, zinc, and folate whose deficiency is associated with impaired cognitive development in children. It is also notable that children who were breastfed for the recommended periods had higher intelligent quotients as compared to their peers (Ali " Dhaded, 2014). Physical fitness, on the other hand, is also correlated with cognitive development and functioning. Aerobic exercises, for instance, are associated with stimulation of neurogenesis among children (Charlesworth, 2013). Charlesworth (2013) also notes that aerobic exercises enhance the production of ‘brain-derived neurotrophic factor’ that is crucial for brain growth. Additionally, research showed that fit children have more brain mass in the hippocampal region which was associated with their enhanced memory retention (Nyaradi et al., 2013). Preschoolers who exercised regularly were also shown to perform better in spatial learning tasks.
Physical Development
Early childhood is usually a time of critical growth. Physical growth among toddlers and preschoolers translates to a need for more dietary nutrients (Ali " Dhaded, 2014). Poor nutrition has been shown to result in reduced physical growth in the cohorts mentioned above. They have a low height for age –also called stunting and often, they do not survive to adulthood (Ali " Dhaded, 2014). Additionally, these children have an increased susceptibility to diseases which sometimes persists even in adulthood. The vulnerability to diseases is due to decreased body immunity. In other cases, poor nutrition causes children to develop obesity. Obesity is not only associated with the risk of developing chronic diseases but is also responsible for social isolation, low self-esteem, eating disorders among others (Cyr, 2016). On this account, such children should be encouraged to into physical activity to improve their physical fitness. Physical activity helps children to build stronger muscles and bones and enhances the health of their heart and lungs (Charlesworth, 2013). Children's physical activities such as playing are also associated with the development of the other domains of child development as noted later.
Emotional Development
Besides intellect, nutrition and fitness also influence emotional development. Cyr (2016) notes that some nutritional imbalances predispose children to disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, autism, and anxiety. Caloric deficiencies are associated with the development of unstable emotions in children (Cyr, 2016). Cyr (2016) writes that in a research study, children who were well nourished were shown to display appropriate sad or happy emotions while malnourished children appeared more withdrawn, uninterested and easily irritable. Mealtimes also shape the attitudes of children towards particular food which is an aspect of emotional development (Cyr, 2016). Fitness, achieved through activities such as child play helps children to develop emotionally by providing an avenue for them to express and cope with their emotions (Charlesworth, 2013). For instance, in pretend play, a child enacting an unpleasant scene may learn how to control their emotional expression.
Behavioral Development
The behavioral problems of poor nutrition range from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other associated disorders that are characterized by children with aggressive and antisocial behaviors (Cyr, 2016). Moreover, malnourished children are likely to exhibit behavioral problems for instance, when competing for the only food that is available to them. Nutrition further helps to model children’s behavior in that legitimate intolerance to certain foods may cause a child to change their behavior or mood (Cyr, 2016). Behavioral development can also be enhanced through activities related to child fitness. Charlesworth (2013) writes that children with ADHD often show improvement in behavior if a physical activity program is incorporated into their treatment plan.
Social Development
The influence of nutrition and fitness on social development cannot be overstated. Proper diet has positive effects on the social behavior and development of toddlers and preschoolers. Interestingly, Liu and Raine (2017) demonstrated that children with good social behaviors also often end up having a higher IQ than their counterparts with deviant social behavior. Children fed on adequate, well-balanced diets consistently show better social interactions including exploratory behavior, active social play, and friendliness among others (Liu " Raine, 2017). Activities which foster the fitness of a child also contribute to their social development by helping them to develop life-long social skills. For instance, interactive play with their peers helps them to build friendships and integrate into their peers (Charlesworth, 2013). Moreover, kids with social anxiety develop a sense of belonging and companionship through shared physical activities (Charlesworth, 2013). Within the process of playing, kids also learn sharing, cooperation, and self-advocacy skills among other crucial skills that might come in handy in their adulthood.
Personality Development
Personality traits develop from way early in childhood. Personality traits have a biological basis which is mainly influenced by a person's genetic make-up (Charlesworth, 2013). There has not been extensive research on the association between nutrition and the development of personality. However, it is indisputable that early life experiences contribute significantly to the development of personality traits as Cyr (2016) notes. Feeding, therefore, being among the first and most common experiences of childhood has a role to play in the shaping of personality. In that regard, research showed an association between breastfeeding and some personality traits included in the ‘five-factor model of personality’ (Charlesworth, 2013). Further, children who were bottle fed scored higher in hostility-related characteristics as opposed to breastfed children who had a lower score (Charlesworth, 2013). Child play, among the measures ensuring the fitness of children, inculcates skills such as leadership, increased self-esteem, resilience in children which are essential in building their personality (Charlesworth, 2013). Charlesworth (2013) also writes of a study which demonstrated a strong correlation between a physically active lifestyle and extraversion and conscientiousness personality traits. The study was however conducted in an adult population.
Conclusion
Indeed, the process of childhood growth and development is an intricate process that involves interaction of various factors within the multiple domains of development. This paper specifically looked at how nutrition and fitness affect the development of toddlers within the cognitive, physical, emotional, behavioral, personality and social domains. Both elements, nutrition, and fitness were found to have profound effects on the development of toddlers and preschooler. Importantly, it was noted proper diet is particularly important during the development of the age cohorts mentioned earlier because the body at this point usually proliferates which consequently increases a child's body requirement for nutrients. Hence, there is need to emphasize on an overall wholesome upbringing of children incorporating both healthy feeding and fitness to ensure that this age group achieves their maximum potential for growth and development.
References
Ali, S. S., " Dhaded, S. G. (2014). The impact of nutrition on child development at 3 years in a rural community of India. International journal of preventive medicine, 5(4), 494
This study evaluated the impact of nutrition on the developmental outcome of children. The authors found out that healthy feeding practices with a particular emphasis on the recommended exclusive breastfeeding were associated with better developmental results. They noted that malnutrition had adverse effects on the development of children at three years.
Charlesworth, R. (2013). Understanding child development. Cengage Learning.
In this book, the author places childhood developmental concepts in a practical perspective. The text primarily explains all that pertains young children ranging from theories of development, elements of child-learning among others all in a comprehensive manner. It is indeed an invaluable text in researches concerning child development.
Cyr, D. (2016). Nutrition and Child Development.
This paper talks about the effects of nutritional deficiencies on child development in all the six domains discussed in the paper.
Liu, J., " Raine, A. (2017). Nutritional status and social behavior in preschool children: the mediating effects of neurocognitive functioning. Maternal " child nutrition, 13(2).
This study investigated the correlation between a child’s nutritional status and their social development. The authors showed that proper nutrition has positive effects on the social behavior and development of children. They also showed that children fed on adequate, well-balanced diets had better social interactions including exploratory behavior, active social play, and friendliness among others
Nyaradi, A., Li, J., Hickling, S., Foster, J., " Oddy, W. H. (2013). The role of nutrition in children's neurocognitive development, from pregnancy through childhood. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 7, 97.
The study investigated the possible connection between nutrition and cognitive development in children with a particular interest in micronutrients. They noted that iodine deficiency causes mental retardation. Deficiency in other micronutrients such as vitamin B12, zinc and folate is also associated with impaired cognitive development in children.
