Tag: Early childhood nutrition

According to the World Health Organization, millions of children under five are either malnourished or overweight, emphasizing why it is important to eat healthy in early childhood for setting the stage for lifelong health. The first five years are a critical window of opportunity to establish healthy dietary patterns that have long-term consequences for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Globally, undernutrition is associated with a staggering 45% of all child deaths, highlighting a critical health issue. This grim statistic underscores precisely why is early nutrition intervention important for fostering proper growth, development, and overall well-being from infancy and beyond.

According to a 2012 study, dietary patterns dominated by processed foods at age 3 were associated with a decrease in IQ scores at age 8.5. This raises a critical question: does diet affect IQ, or is the relationship merely coincidental? While genetics play a major role in intelligence, a growing body of evidence shows that nutrition significantly influences cognitive function throughout a person's life.

According to the World Health Organization, suboptimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices contribute significantly to infant mortality rates. This highlights precisely why is a healthy balanced diet important for babies, laying the foundation for lifelong well-being.

According to UNICEF and WHO, over 149 million children under the age of five are stunted, a condition often resulting from chronic protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). The major effect of early life PEM is its severe and often irreversible impact on neurological and cognitive development, fundamentally altering a child's future potential.