Diet problems related to children

GCSE: Biology

Health and diet related problems were not always associated with a child as young as four, but recently there has been a dramatic increase in the number of children with serious health problems related to diet. These can include dental caries, obesity, diabetes, anaemia, food allergies and development of weak bones.

The dramatic increase can be blamed by the unhealthy and unbalanced diet a 4 year old has in today’s society. The incorrect quantities of certain foods, or too much of a certain food over a long period time can have serious effects on a child’s health. The recent figures (from www.foodcomm.org.uk) have showed that more than one in five are now overweight, if not obese and one in three have tooth decay before they have even started primary school. Also a poor diet can mean lack of concentration in school, mood swings and hyper-activity.

I think the three main issues for a child of this age are:
• Obesity,
• Dental caries
• Diabetes

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