ECH130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Muesli, Wicked Problem, Food Marketing

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Nutrition
Social determinants of health and wellbeing regarding Nutrition in Early Childhood
and beyond into adolescence and adulthood, in relation to:
o Nutrients for brain development and function
o Social inequality
o Causes of social inequality
o Social inequality and stress
o Ways in which preschools and schools can promote food and nutrition
literacy to early years learners
o Ways in which parents and caregivers can promote heathy food
preferences to early year learners
Good nutrition is the balanced eating of variety of foods
Food we eat should provide our bodes with the nutrients needed to stay
healthy
Good nutrition is especially important for children because they need extra
nutrients for growth and development
Along with these high requirements, children have small stomachs and cannot
eat a lot of food in one sitting
This means that children need to be provided with healthy meals and
nutritious snacks
Most children have formed lifelong eating habits by the time they go to school
This makes it important to give young children a good start in healthy eating
A child’s rate of growth is one indicator of adequate diet and health
If you feel a child may be developing a weight problem (over or underweight),
you may suggest that the parents take the child to their family doctor or a
dietician for review
Educators and carers must thus be aware of, and responsive to, the
development of nutritional needs of children
Encouraging a healthy diet and regular physical activity is important to avoid
extremes of obesity and underweight The Munch and Move program which
is a combined initiative between NSW Department of Health and University
of Sydney
Variety is important from the moment a child is first introduced to solids
Menus should contain a range of foods but also vary from the different food
groups day to day variation
The early years are important to learn about and experience a wide range of
food
Since end of 20th century, children have been faced with a rapidly changing
world that is having significant influences on their health and wellbeing
including alterations to our food supply, marketing and other lifestyle factors
that influence children’s food consumption
Early years are pivotal for establishment of food and nutrition literacy that is
dietary education, behaviours and preferences, when children are forming their
tastes and food preferences and are most receptive to food messages
Early childhood educators are well positioned to assist early year learners to
develop positive attitudes towards and knowledge of healthy food
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Relevant to schools as healthy children are better learners evidence suggests
that a holistic approach to education that includes health and nutrition has
wide reaching benefits for children and educators
Furthermore, lifestyle factors including diet-are critical issues in developed
countries that are facing alarming rates of childhood obesity, earlier onset of
chronic diseases, and learning and behaviour problems
A good supply of essential nutrients, from fresh, minimally processed
wholefoods, is a major contributor to optimal development of children’s
growing bodies and brains
Of equal relevance, food preferences and dietary patterns established at this
time can track into adolescence and adulthood, having a significant influence
on children’s physical and psychological health and wellbeing throughout
their life
Early childhood educators and carers, teachers and families can play a crucial
role in influencing children’s knowledge about healthy foods and food choices
by creating a positive food environment with healthy food options
Involving children in gardening, food preparation, role modelling healthy food
choices and contextualising the adoption of healthy eating habits within a
warm, encouraging approach to education and child rearing with clear healthy
boundaries-thereby contributing to a healthy start to life for children and
addressing a key Australian government national priority
The latest Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity
Survey, released in 2007, identified that the majority of children are not
meeting Australian Dietary Guidelines for healthy eating
Including excessive consumption of non-core foods (high in fat, sugar, and
salt with low nutritional value) and low intakes of essential whole foods such
as fruit, vegetables and foods containing omega-3 fatty acids-for example, fish
These poor eating patterns, combined with excess sedentary activities and
insufficient physical activity, can contribute to greater risk of obesity and
associated chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Previously seen only in adults, these are now starting to appear in children
(Lobstein et al., 2004)
On average, one in four Australian children is overweight or obese, carrying
an elevated risk of becoming an overweight or obese adult
Overweight and obesity in children and adults is also associated with a myriad
of psychological consequences, such as low self esteem, stigma, reduced
employment opportunities and poor mental health
Conversely, consumption of nutritious wholefoods, including fruits,
vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and fish, is associated with better physical
and mental health, and can significantly reduce the risk of developing chronic
diseases
Healthy lifestyle is the most ideal and effective approach to preventing chronic
disease onset, as established habits are difficult to break and chronic disease is
more difficult to address than maintaining good health
Early childhood is the ideal time to develop healthy lifestyle habits when
children are receptive to learning and developing their attitudes and
preferences
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Those habits and views developed during the early years are most likely to
track through to adolescence and adulthood
Nutrients for brain development and function:
Not only do poor eating patterns affect physical health, they also have an
impact on children’s cognitive and emotional development
The adage that ‘you are what you eat’ reflects the fact that our brain, as well as
our body, comprises essential nutrients that are required for its development
and on-going performance
Studies in malnourished children have established that nutrition and
stimulation interact to produce optimal education outcomes
It is important to stress that diet quality has been associated with academic
achievement in a number of cross sectional studies
It is now well established that food additives and colourings can have a
detrimental effect on children’s learning and behaviour, and in some cases
associated with developmental problems like ADHD
According to the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (2013)
Australia is presently ranked in the lowest third of all OECD countries on a
range of health and wellbeing indicators for children
According to Moore (2011) such variances in regards to health and wellbeing
outcomes are now widely acknowledged as being of major concern due to
severe complexities and the subsequent difficulties addressing such related
issues
The United Nations has acknowledged this and as a result formed an exclusive
association whose main responsibility is to take the lead in addressing these
social determinants (Who, 2013)
We will now focus on social inequality, principally in relation to health and
wellbeing
Internationally we see significant declines in population health and well-being,
and increasingly large gaps between the rich and poor
In addition I will be exploring how governments are attempting to address
issues of social inequality
Whilst generally speaking early childhood educators are rarely involved at the
policy level it is nonetheless very important that we advocate at this level to
gain an understanding of the context, as this influences daily experiences
We will also be focusing on some practical suggestions for some actions early
childhood educators can take to contribute to managing this problem
Social Inequality:
Looking at social inequality it is interesting to see living conditions have
improved across the Western world, and these better living conditions are
associated with better outcomes
We have an increased life expectancy compared with a century ago, better
health and improved wellbeing
Yet, despite all of these better outcomes, within each society we still see some
people living in poorer conditions than others
As nations get richer, inequities in health and wellbeing grow larger, creating
a gap between those who have and those who have not: this is known as a
social gradient
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