Nutrition and Children
I am not a mother or a parent, so I completely understand that I am missing a piece of the puzzle. But I will say that after seventeen years of working with a majority of women and families, I have a significant amount of knowledge and empathy, not only with women but with children. I have helped families start their babies off with proper nutrition, I have worked with finicky children, and women postpartum. I also have a niece and nephew, and I feel as though I have and will continue to play a huge role in their lives.
It is so much harder on the parents if two different meals are made, one for the parents and one for the children. Doing this is not cost or time-effective. Children only know what they are given since birth. The ingredients they are given is what they will crave. If they are given highly palatable and addictive food from the beginning, it is tough to get them to consume nutrient-dense foods later on in life. It is possible, don't get me wrong, but it is tough.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, child obesity is exceptionally prevalent here in the United States.
For children and adolescents aged 2-19 years:
The prevalence of obesity was 18.5% and affected about 13.7 million children and adolescents.
Obesity prevalence was 13.9% among 2- to 5-year-olds, 18.4% among 6- to 11-year-olds, and 20.6% among 12- to 19-year-olds.
From birth, children have fantastic insulin levels. They have not yet experienced enough time to torture their bodies with processed foods. It takes a lot of processed foods and malnutrition for a child to become physically overweight.
Even if children are not showing signs of weight issues, we still need to be concerned about the alarming amount of children diagnosed with ADHD.
The National Survey of children’s health, version 2003-2011:
4.4 million in 2007;
5.4 million in 2007;
6.4 million in 2011
The National Survey of children’s health, version 2016:
6.1 million in 2016
Skin, gut, autoimmune, and other health issues can start at a very early age. Children today will rule this world someday. It is up to us to teach them how to be good humans, how to cook, how to take care of their health, how to take care of animals and the environment. Children are visual creatures; they are like sponges. They are always watching, and they are always watching our every move. Today is the day to make the change.
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