Healthy
eating is essential at all stages of life. It is especially
important for the growth and development of infants, children,
and adolescents. Optimal nutrition can prevent health problems
such as iron-deficiency anemia, obesity, eating disorders,
undernutrition, and dental caries. Over the long term, it
can help lower the risk of developing chronic disease (e.g.,
heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes mellitus, stroke,
osteoporosis) and risk factors for disease(e.g., obesity,
high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels). Eating
healthy foods also helps children and adolescents feel good
and do well in school.
Unfortunately,
there are many barriers to healthy eating. High-fat, high-sugar,
and low-nutrient foods are plentiful, inexpensive, and
widely available. Viewed as quick and cheap, such foods
are attractive
to families facing time and money pressures. And with so
many media messages encouraging unhealthy eating, children
and adolescents may have more negative than positive influences
on their eating behavior. Too often, "healthy eating" carries
images of expensive and tasteless food that is time-consuming
to prepare.
Improving
the well-being of infants, children, and adolescents requires
that health professionals, families, and communities work
together to create opportunities for healthy eating and physical
activity. Multifaceted, communitywide efforts are needed
to combat negative images and to demonstrate that healthy
eating can be quick and delicious and that physical activity
can be fun. Using creative settings--such as recreation centers,
athletic facilities, libraries, restaurants, and supermarkets--to
deliver innovative nutrition education programs should be
explored.
Healthy
Eating
The food choices
people make depend not only on their nutrition needs but also
on their culture, access to food, environment, and enjoyment
of certain foods. Eating is one of life's greatest pleasures,
and a variety of factors play a role in how people select foods
and plan meals.
To
help children, adolescents, and families practice healthy
eating behaviors and become more knowledgeable about the
types and amounts of foods needed for optimal nutrition,
the federal government created the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans and the Food
Guide Pyramid.1,2 The
Dietary Guidelines provide general nutrition principles,
and the Food Guide Pyramid shows how to select different
types of foods for optimal nutrition. These tools can be
used for children ages 2 and older and for adolescents.
