Proper nutrition in childhood can help them to grow up to their full potential and a healthy life. Children should supply all the nutrients, minerals, and vitamins needed for proper growth and development. Children need different nutrition than adult because young children only have small tummies and so need plenty of calories and nutrients in a small amount of food to ensure they grow properly.

Encouraging healthy eating in childhood is important to reduce the risk of diseases in the future. You must make sure that your kids get meals from four main food groups below

1. Bread, other cereals and potatoes – these starchy foods, which also include pasta and rice, provide energy, fibre, vitamins and minerals.
2. Fruit and vegetables – these provide fibre, vitamins and minerals and are a source of antioxidants.
3. Milk and dairy foods – these provide calcium for healthy bones and teeth, protein for growth, plus vitamins and minerals.
4. Meat, fish and alternatives – these foods, which include eggs and pulses, provide protein and vitamins and minerals, especially iron. Pulses also contain fibre.

Choosing foods from each of the four main food groups will help to ensure that kids receive all the vitamins and minerals they need for good nutrition and health. These healthy practices can also prevent many medical problems, including becoming overweight, developing weak bones, and developing diabetes. It will also help ensure that your child physically grows to his full potential.

Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are a common source of psychiatric and physical morbidity among young women in Western societies. Eating disorders are often not detected and they have a reputation for being difficult to treat.

There are a number of reasons why women with eating disorders are reluctant to seek help.

• Chronic low self-esteem is very common: sufferers feel the disorder is self-inflicted and that they do not deserve help, or that it is not severe enough to warrant help.
• Feelings of shame and guilt often prevent people with binge eating problems from confiding in anyone.
• People often hope the problem will go away on its own.
• Many find it very difficult to tell doctors about their eating. They may have consulted with problems secondary to the eating disorder in the past and feel awkward about admitting to a problem that they had previously not disclosed.
• If they do tell the doctor they may come across obstructive attitudes, often because they does not know how to help.
• They are often fearful that treatment will involve weight gain.
• In some cases, particularly with anorexia nervosa, the sufferer does not view the eating disorder as a problem and does not want to change.

What’s the big deal about breakfast? It’s the most important meal of the day, just as your mother probably said. Breakfast literally means breaking the overnight fast. Do not deprive your body of its first meal of the day just because you do not have much time. Instead, keep breakfast simple. Have a bowl of hot or cold cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit, toast, a smoothie, or eat leftovers from the night before.

Still unconvinced about the benefits of a good breakfast? Consider these facts about breakfast eaters: they control your weight better and consume fewer calories throughout the day. Their blood cholesterol levels are lower, potentially reducing heart disease risk. They also concentrate better and perform better on work tasks. So put out a bagel or a muffin tonight for tomorrow morning and let breakfast help you boost your intake of grains.

Anorexia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening disorder and requires effective intervention as early as possible in order to minimize psychological, social, and physical repercussions. The younger the patient, the more pressing the need. Family therapy, parental counselling, and individual therapy all have their place and there may be a need for a period of in-patient treatment. Treatment is likely to be prolonged and intensive and early referral for specialist help is generally indicated.

Treatment may take place as an in-patient, a day patient, or an out-patient. As things stand, good research evidence is lacking on which to base treatment for anorexia nervosa. Recovery involves regaining a healthy weight and a pattern of eating to sustain it. There also needs to be a psychological change to address the specific psychopathology of the disorder. Thirdly, patients need to be able to get on with their life in a positive way once they have recovered to reduce the risk of relapse.