Nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation to the body's dietary needs. Well-maintained nutrition includes a balanced diet as well as a regular exercise routine. Nutrition is an essential aspect of everyday life as it aids in supporting mental as well as physical body functioning. The National Health and Medical Research Council determines the Dietary Guidelines within Australia and it requires children to consume an adequate amount of food from each of the five food groups, which includes fruit, vegetables, meat and poultry, whole grains as well as dairy products. Nutrition is especially important for developing children as it influences every aspect of their growth and development. Nutrition allows children to maintain a stable BMI, reduces the risks of developing obesity, anemia and diabetes as well as minimises child susceptibility to mineral and vitamin deficiencies.
Dietary recommendations of a nutritional lifestyle The nationally defined standard diet for the average Australian child between the ages of four through to eighteen is one that requires variety and consists of sustenance from all five of the food groups. The nationally available ‘healthy eating pyramid’ contains information about portioning as well as the type of food that should be consumed, to allow parents and children to adhere to a healthy and nutritional diet. Nutrition has its strongest and the most important impacts on a person during the early stages of life; this is in regards to organ, bone, muscle and body development. The most common cause of poor development being an undernourished and inadequate diet, due to lack of dietary knowledge.
It is suggested that children between the ages of 4–13 should be eating 4–5 serves (75g) of vegetables a day. Vegetables are ‘nutrient dense’ and a good source of essential vitamins, antioxidants as well as fibre. 1–2 serves of fruit (150g) should also be consumed daily as it is essential in preventing early onset vitamin deficiencies. 1–2.5 serves of lean meats and poultry, such as fish, chicken, lamb, beef as well as legumes and nuts are also essential in a daily diet in order to maintain stable zinc and iron levels within a developing body. Whole grains should be consumed daily as they are high in fibre and low in saturated fats. Between 4–6 serves (40g) per day of rice, quinoa, rye, barley or pasta is critical to meet kilojoule requirements (8700kJ). 2–3 servings (250ml) of dairy products such as, milk, probiotic yoghurt or cheese is also beneficial for stable muscle and bone development.
It is common for children of the 21st century to indulge in consumer products that should be considered only as an occasional indulgence. Foods such as sweet biscuits, cakes, desserts, fast food as well as pastries and fruit juices are high in saturated fats as well as added sugars. Saturated fats are responsible for raising blood cholesterol levels and in turn could put children at a much higher risk of contracting heart disease or inducing a heart attack. Thus five or fewer servings of sweet indulgences should be consumed in a week, as a maximum.
Nutrition Australia ultimately seeks to help children "eat a rainbow" by encouraging them to consume a fruit and a vegetable of a different colour every day to ensure that all beneficial properties of both fruit and vegetables are embraced. Educating children and exposing them to a healthier diet earlier on in childhood can achieve this.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommends children aged three to five years eat nutritious foods from each of the five food groups every day.
The following daily serves are recommended for children across this age group: Recommended daily servesVegetables and legumesFruitGrainsLean meat, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds and legumesMilk, yoghurt, cheese and alternativesGirls and boys two to three years2.51411.5Girls four to eight years4.51.541.51.5Boys four to eight years4.51.541.52
Exercise recommendations
Exercise is a fundamental feature of every growing child's life. Physical activity is essential for bone, muscle and body development in children as well as important for its role in burning excess calories and ensuring there are no lipid build-ups around significant organs such as the heart, liver, stomach or lungs.
It is recommended that children between the ages of 5–18 years old participate in 60 minutes of moderate to rigorous exercise every day. Such exercise could consist of planned sporting activities or just the frequent usage of a gym.
However the defined exercise standards are not being met, with a survey in 2012 revealing that only one in ten Australian children carried out the recommended 60 minutes of exercise a day. A nationally conducted survey within Australia proved that in 2006, 974,000 children between the ages of 5–8 nationwide did not participate in a sport of any kind. This is a staggering number, which is vastly contributing to the poor nutritional lifestyle that many Australian children are leading.
It is essential for children to enjoy the physical activities they are participating in, if the recommended standard of exercise is to be maintained. In 2009 Wellington public school in NSW underwent a study to increase nutrition and encourage increased physical activity among children. The study focused on 37 children spanning from the ages of 4 through to 13, of which their attitudes and daily exercise routine was reviewed. The study documented that there was initially a lapse in willingness to participate, however, after introducing fun games and engaging recreational sporting activities to the school culture, children began to engage more in physical activity. The outcomes being an overwhelming increase in whole school sporting participation.
Physical activity among children has slowly been increasing, since the 2007 National Preventative Health Task force, released guidelines for healthy eating and physical activity routines for children. The efforts of the NPHTF, as well as other nutritional organizations can be seen in the 52–58 (girls) and 66–69 (boys) percentage increase in organized sporting participation in 2009. Organised nutritional programs are essential if Australians are to become more balanced in their dietary and lifestyle choices.
Australian consumer diet Within Australia there is a broad spectrum of different diets that many children have adopted, as Australia is a country of many diverse cultures. However, without a doubt, there are trends reflecting a gross overconsumption of saturated fats and fast food being consumed habitually within Australia.
Fast food is consumed on a mass scale within Australia because it is convenient, cheap and widely available to the general public. Currently in Australia, 360 Dominos stores exist and as of 2005, 869 McDonald's chains stand established in Australia. Between 1987 and 2000, 2.77 meals ingested a week were from fast food franchises and in 2009 alone, an average of 127 dollars was spent weekly on fast food in Australia. This rise in the consumption of pre-prepared meals is because fast food has become culturally accepted and is ideal for the busy everyday Australian lifestyle.
A 2014 report by Emily Brindal explored the prevalence and nutritional consequences of a diet based on fast food. She specifically focused on the purchasing behaviors of 523 Australians over the age of 16. The Report revealed that 27.3% of the Australians tested, consumed ready-made fast food once a week and a further 81.3%, admitted to consuming fast food within six months of the survey taking place.
The food offered by franchises such as Hungry Jack's, McDonald's, Red Rooster and Dominos, which are among the most popular children's fast food venues, provide limited nutritional value but a high caloric intake. A standard Hungry Jack Junior meal, which consists of a Whopper Junior, small chips and a medium Coke, contains 3147 kJ and 30.5 g of fat. Other fast food options such as Sumo Salad, Grill’d burgers and Tex Mex are significantly healthier than their counterparts with a Beef Mini Me Pack burger, with water, containing 1730 kJ of energy, 18.7 g of fat and an added 22.4 g of protein. As fast food is forming a larger part of the Australian diet, it is essential that Australian parents become more nutritionally aware and start encouraging the consumption of healthy take out options for their children, if any, to accommodate busy schedules.
The Results of Poor Nutrition
Obesity
"Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight". "Obesity is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability". In 1995–2007 Australian children experienced a rapid 5–10% increase in child obesity and a further 23% of the child population in 2007 was considered overweight. In 2015, 25% of Australian children were deemed to be either obese or overweight. The 2% increase is substantial in relation to the whole population, whereby the weight gain can only continue to rise, if based on current Australian dietary trends. However, if adequate nutritional information becomes more extensively distributed and a wholesome lifestyle is adopted, the rise in obesity can be stopped.
A study conducted in 2013, further supported the proposed idea that a more widely distributed nutritional education, will act to reduce the rising levels of obesity within Australia. The study evaluated a sample of 59 pre school children throughout NSW and explored their attitudes towards exercise and obesity as well as their willingness to participate in child obesity preventative practices. Out of the study, 85% of the children expressed an interest in being involved in obesity prevention training. Thus by encouraging children to acknowledge the problem of obesity, Australians can significantly reduce the high levels of obesity that still currently exists in Australia. Furthermore, the study also documented the 2013 levels of obesity among pre schoolers in Australia as 20%, which was shown to have dropped by 3% since the 2007 recorded obesity statistic (23%), which links the increase in nutritional awareness and a decline in obesity.
Several factors are contributing to a rise in obesity within Australia, with a large factor being advancing technology. In 2012 just over 44% of Australian children aged between 7–12 owned some sort of electronic gadget, that's primary location was in their bedroom. A further 97% of children between the ages of 5–14 admitted to watching television for over 20 hours over the course of 2 weeks. The increased emphasis placed on electronic media for entertainment is significantly cutting into time that could be spent interacting with friends or being involved in physical activity. Children could be encouraged to ride bikes or play team sports in order to meet the one-hour a day exercise requirements.
Children are impressionable and often adopt habits they observe their parents performing. This means that it is essential for parents to demonstrate a healthy lifestyle in order to curb the national issue that is obesity. A 2013 study of 150 children, conducted in Germany revealed that the strongest influence on childhood obesity was the observation of parental obesity. Which caused children to adopt a lack of self-control and be less concerned with their thinness and prefer an enthusiastic feeding pattern to exercise. This study can be applied globally to the average child's eating mentality as parents act as a child's first and primary role model in early life.