Nutritional is an essential pillar of human life as it enhances an individual’s healthy development through his entire lifespan. Nutrition relates to the process of consuming food as per the dietary needs of the body (Cameron & Bogin, 2012). Good nutrition is considered necessary for physical growth, performance and productivity, survival, health and well-being, and mental development throughout an individual’s developmental phases which include fetal development, birth, infancy, childhood and adolescence, and all through adulthood. Human nutrition incorporates various aspects such as the accessibility and consumption of food and nutrients required for one’s well-being, development, growth, and overall health. Growth, on the other hand, is a complex fundamental physiological procedure which characterizes an individual’s life stages. Different factors impact an individual’s development and growth process through his life cycle; these factors may be categorized as environmental factors and hereditary factors.
Nutrition is among the environmental factors that influence an individual’s growth and development process. Other environmental factors include poverty, urbanization, migration, and climate. Nutrition influences the acceleration or retardation of the genetic potentials of individuals (Cameron & Bogin, 2012). An effective growth progression is often perceived as a harbinger of good health and adequate nutrition consumption. Growth deceleration, on the other hand, can be used as a useful indicator of inadequate nutrition even in instances where there is no deficit of body weight for height. NGR (Nutritional Growth Retardation) is highly prevalent in populaces at high poverty risks. There is a close interrelationship amid growth and nutrition. The process of cell multiplication and cell enlargement often requires the adequate supply of minerals, vitamins, lipids, water, amino acids, and energy. Through the proper consumption of food, an individual often receives approximately fifty essential nutrients required for growth (Cameron & Bogin, 2012). The quantity of food consumed by an individual usually acts as a primary determinant of growth among individuals.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Populations typified by increased food shortages often experience growth delays; children in these populations are usually lighter and shorter than the children in communities with the adequate food supply. Increased growth and development often characterize a person's early childhood stages and therefore, the provision of adequate nutritional supplies abundant in energy is deemed essential for the growth process. Macronutrients rich in energy include proteins, carbohydrates, and fats (Cameron & Bogin, 2012). Proteins such as milk and cheese are usually essential for the growth and development of human cells. Fats guarantee a correct and balanced level of energy among children, and it acts as a significant source of essential fatty acids in the body. Structural fats are a significant part of the neural fabric, cell membrane, and the cellular structure as a whole. Carbohydrates such as fiber and starch act as a useful source of energy for the human body, particularly the red blood cells, and brain.
Vitamins and minerals are also considered essential for child growth. For instance, vitamin A is considered essential in tissue differentiation, and the development of correct vision. Vitamin C enhances the optimum functioning of an individual’s immune system and the synthesis of collagen; it also contains antioxidant properties and is significant in the process of iron absorption (Cameron &Bogin, 2012). Further, according to Cameron &Bogin (2012), Vitamin B also plays a significant role in child growth. Vitamin D is essential in calcium metabolism, muscle functioning, immune system functioning, and cell maturation and proliferation. Among adolescents, somatic growth is often associated with rapid behavioral and psychological development, and this subsequently impacts their eating habits. The primary physical changes associated with rapid growth and modifications due to puberty are usually accompanied by the need for the qualitative and quantitative increase in nutritional needs.
Reference
Cameron, N., & Bogin, B. (2012). Human Growth and Development . San Diego, CA, USA: Elsevier Science.
