Proper nutrition provides the energy and nutrients people need to meet their physical and mental potential. Poor nutrition is especially damaging to children because their bodies undergo many changes as they move through the different stages of development. The safest and most effective approach is to discuss an appropriate diet with a pediatrician or nutritionist, who can give you specific information about the caloric needs and nutritional requirements for healthy growth.
Normal Development
Typically, children grow rapidly in the first year. After age 2, they usually have a steady rate of growth of roughly 2.5 inches per year until they hit puberty, at which point their growth rate skyrockets for two to five years. Failure to eat properly at any stage of development could delay or diminish proper growth.
Growth
Poor nutrition can stunt growth of bones and muscles, causing children to be weaker, shorter or frailer than they otherwise would have been. Along with diminished size and strength, undernourished children might have trouble developing coordination and motor skills. Calcium is necessary for healthy teeth and bones, so malnourished children might develop osteoporosis. Children who don't have sufficient iron in their diet can develop anemia.
Energy
Proper nutrition fuels the body, which gives children the energy they need to play and exercise. Lacking energy, children might become lethargic and stop participating in healthy activities such as organized sports or neighborhood games. If their calorie consumption exceeds their energy use, they might become obese, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes as well as contributing to the risk of cardiovascular problems and other dangerous conditions later in life. A lack of energy also might decrease a child's willingness to participate in academic activities, so learning may suffer.
Malnutrition
In extreme cases, malnutrition leads to disease and death. The body's immune system needs the nutrients a healthy diet supplies in order to stave off infection and recover from illnesses. More than a quarter of children in developing countries have diseases and are underweight due to insufficient nutrition, according to a 2006 article in "The Independent" that outlined the findings of a United Nations report. The article adds that "10 children die every minute as a result of malnutrition" and "146 million children under 5 in the developing world are suffering from insufficient food intake, repeated infectious diseases, muscle wastage and vitamin deficiencies."
