Proper nutrition has significant effect on longevity as well as on quality of life. When coupled with regular, moderate physical exercise, the right diet is of immense importance to the prevention of serious diseases, such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, or even numerous forms of cancer. Regrettably, research carried out by the Institute of Mother and Child in 2011 proved that a mere 45.5% of sample […]

Proper nutrition has significant effect on longevity as well as on quality of life. When coupled with regular, moderate physical exercise, the right diet is of immense importance to the prevention of serious diseases, such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, or even numerous forms of cancer.

Regrettably, research carried out by the Institute of Mother and Child in 2011 proved that a mere 45.5% of sample children had the correct Body Mass Index (BMI), 27.5% overweight if not directly obese. Body mass deficiency was identified in case of a similar group (approximately 27%). It was further found that the children’s daily vegetable, fruit, and dairy product intake was insufficient.

Meal frequency and composition are of particular importance to children’s nutrition. Young children should have 4-5 meals a day: 3 basic and 1-2 additional meals. Portion size and the calorific and nutritional values should obviously reflect the child’s age. A balanced and healthy diet for children over 2 years of age should be diverse and include products from different food groups, in the following proportions:

4-5 portions of protein products (3 portions of milk and dairy products, 1-2 portions of meat, fish, eggs),
5 portions of cereal products,
5 portions of vegetables,
4 portions of fruit,
1-2 portions of fats.
Balancing a proper diet and energy expenditure can be considerably difficult. To that end, it is recommended to focus on high nutritional value foods, engage in moderate physical exercise (a minimum of 1 hour per day most days of the week), and reduce time spent in front of the TV or computer to less than 2 hours a day. It has been observed that as children grow, they tend to attend fewer physical education classes at school; yet as commonly known, insufficient physical activity is a fundamental factor in the risk of obesity.

Agnieszka Sobocińska MD

Literature: 1. Dietary recommendations for children and adolescents.  A guide for practitioners. Consensus statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 2005; 112: 2061-2075  2. Whitaker R.C., Wright J.A., Pepe M.S. et al.: Predicting obesity in young adulthood from childhood and parental obesity. N. Engl. J. Med., 1997; 337: 869-873