Nutrition Across the Lifespan: Impact on Health and Growth

This essay discusses the impact of nutrition on health and growth across the lifespan. It covers the influence of food choices at key stages of life, critical evaluation of factors affecting nutrition, and the impact of inequalities between population groups.

Healthcare
nutrition across the
lifespan
Student’s Name

Nutrition across the lifespan 1
Introduction
Nutrition is the source of the supplies foods, which is vital for every cell of the body in order
to stay active. In science and anthropological medication, nourishment is the repetition of
consuming and using foods. Hence, by the consumption of the balanced and healthy diet
leads to the avoidance of many common diseases, helps in fulfilling the specific nutrients
such as vitamins and minerals of an individual’s body. Along with this, It also emphasis on
how health issues, various health situations, and diseases that can be prevented or reduced by
the adoption of a healthy diet (NIH, 2018).
The human life cycle and the nutritional diet which they intake for their future health and
growth. In terms of a newborn, minerals such as calcium and iron are needed for the strong
bones and immune system through breastfeeding. In terms of a toddler, having vegetables,
fruit in the form of baby cereals provides zinc and iron. In the teen aspect, they should focus
on a balanced diet and should focus on exercise for a lively healthy lifestyle in the future
without this, the risk of getting obese will get higher. Then, in terms of adult nutrition, both
younger and older need to focus on their diet in order to prevent healthiness issues such as
diabetes and heart disease (Parizkova, 2016). With the increase in vitamins, minerals people
have to cut down their sugar and unhealthy fats from their diet. Along with this, exercise also
plays a major role in remaining healthy. Lastly, older adult nutrition metabolism is slow as
per the age. Regular exercise and a healthy diet with cut down of sugar and unhealthy fat,
food with higher nutrients for maintaining metabolism are must for a healthy future (Johnson,
and Schoeni, 2011).
Influence of food choice at key stages of life

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In terms of adolescence age, which comprises of girls and boys whose age is of about (11
year old) this age highlights the puberty, adolescents who need more calories to support
increased growth and the changes of the adolescents. In this age, calcium and vitamin D is the
most important nutrients for their development and growth in their height and overall having
a major impact on their long-term health. Hence, this age demand for the well-balanced diet
for encouraging them towards the long-term healthier lifestyle (Better health, 2018).
Other than this, scientific advisory committee on nutrition (SACN) states that the early life
nutrition has long-term effects over the risk of chronic diseases. Moreover, they are also
concern about the later health effects and the consequences if the dietary plans are not
appropriate or not according to the needs of the adolescences. SACN also give emphasis over
the current dietary patterns especially girls. This all can be recovered by improving the
nutritional status of adolescence and especially girls, which has the potential to improve their
future health (Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, 2012).
Hence, from above readings it generate the clear understanding of about life course
perspective on nutritional diet of the various ages of individuals and its overall effect on the

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future health of the persons. Secondly, what all food choice are made or selected by the
individuals at the various stages of life along with their effects and influence on health are
also the part of discussion of this essay. Other than this, effects of certain factors such as age,
size, and gender have also affects the life of the adolescence and their future health plans.
Lastly, certain environmental factors such as personal, socioeconomic and cultural factors
have also major effect over growth of the adolescence, overall development and health.
Critical evaluation
In term of size, individual requires the quantity of nourishment vitality in order to generate
constant motivation in order to uphold the body size, body alignment and the level of
essential and desired physical action, which is reliable with the long-term moral wellbeing. In
terms of BMI (Body mass index), which helps in measuring the accurate body fat of the
individuals and how much of nutrition intake should be done for being perfect in terms of
body and generates proper dietary charts for following up. Nevertheless, in the absence of the
dietary charts, individually shifts or switch over to convenient, easy for them to intake food
without any special attention to the nutrients values of the consumed food (MacDiarmid,
2013).

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Gender influence- Gender bifurcation is done in between the males and females who need a
nourishing diet from long-term fitness. Consuming the correct amount of nutrients aids the
individuals to accomplish their heaviness and assistances in the body’s working. The major
difference comes in calories needs and it all depends on age, height, sex, and strength mass
and action level. While comparing adolescence girls to boys, girls get started with their
menstruation in which they need more of nutrients for body in comparison to adolescent
boys. Even in boys, the pubertal growth spurts hence, they too need nutritional diet but less in
comparative to adolescent girls (Byrnes, and Hayes, 2015) In terms of nutritional diet,
adolescent girls need more iron nutrient in comparative to boys. This is all due to major
change in hormones as menstruation at particular age spurt. Hence iron helps in fulfilling the
deficiency in body and helps in maintaining energy while menstruation.
Adolescence girls need more attention to their nutritional status and correcting their poor
nutritional practices. As puberty sets or a growth spurt, growth is very fast in this period.
Throughout this time, a body change shook the body nutritious requirements, while variations
in one’s routine may disturb the eating ways and the nourishment choice (SFGate, 2018b).
Teenage nourishment is, therefore, the most significant for supporting the physical progress
of the body and avoiding individuals’ healthiness complications. Hence, majorly it is Childs
parent responsibility to give particular attention to the nutritional needs of the children
(Blissett, 2011).
.Growth and age factor- Growth rate is one of the main natural causes of the nutrients
wants. Throughout rapid development, protein and the vitality requirements of the youngsters
are higher. Likewise, if we talk about the adolescence age their more need of nutrients as
compared to the other age parts. As adolescence, age is the growing age of the children in
which they need higher energy, proteins, minerals and much more (SFGate, 2016). All this is
needed because in this age children do many physical activities; changes in the body need
more nutrients in the form of energy for the maintenance of long-term good health. In
addition, if there is a reduction in vitality and the nutrients obligation, it will reflect the
slower growth according to the age (Csikszentmihalyi, 2019).
Other factors- In this, other factors include physical activities, disease and health,
medications and the overall development has a major effect over the nutrient growth of the
individuals and adolescence in major.

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 Physical activity- It represents one of the most important components and having a
major influence over the nutrients requirement of the individuals or the adolescence.
As the effect of physical action on heaviness and health and has generated the risk
factor for cardiovascular diseases. In adolescence age, if girls and both are doing
regular physical activity there will be more requirements of the nutrients in the body.
As a while, doing any physical activity a lot of energy is required and that energy can
be gained from the intake of nutrients (Tilman, and Clark, 2014)
 Disease states- Disease and infection are also the major effects over the nutrients of
the adolescence. As the mobilization of energy, which is stored, is to fight off with the
infections and makes energy available for growth and development. Genetics diseases
also influence the nutrients requirements. The disease also has added sound effects on
nutrients requirements. Many infections lesser the hunger and hence lower the
nutrients intake at the time (Sahoo, et al, 2015)
 Water safety- The major problem also arises when their an issue of unclean, unsafe
drinking water which is also one of the causes of major effect over the nutrient growth
of the individuals and adolescence in major. Drinking unclean water majorly results in
many health issues, which cause malabsorption and nutrient loss. Hence, this loss
increases the necessity for the nutrients and the vitality to withstand usual
development and expansion (Ventura, and Worobey, 2013)
 Micronutrients Deficiencies- Nutrients deficiencies are also one of the major causes
of differences in nutrients needs. The decrement in these, resultant in a decrement in
nutrient consumption, diminished nutrient absorption, decreased nutrient
consumption, decreased absorption, Hence, this also has a major impact over
increases need of the nutrients and the vitality to withstand normal development and
expansion (Newman, and Newman, 2017).
 Media- In media concern, in today’s time browsing internet and watching movies is
the most favoured media by the adolescents. Moreover, due to over usage of these
have a major impact over the dietary aspect likewise, whatever unhealthy eatable
items are seen in media which are endorsed by celebrities are consumed by them
affects their health. In addition, by eating unhealthy and not be active in physical
activities tends to increase their health risk at the early stage of lifecycle.
 Peer pressure- Family and peer pressure environment are one of the vital reasons
over the adolescents. Likewise, parents are the strongest influence on children’s
health beliefs and behaviour and their dietary intake. As there is the growing evidence

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that children and adolescents are majorly influenced by what their peers eat and
whether their peers are physically active are not.
Factors influencing positive growth and development
In terms of health, there are numerous factors, which majorly affect the overall growth and
the development of the adolescence. Likewise, personal, socioeconomic, and cultural factors
having a major influence overgrowth, development, and health
Socioeconomic factor- In recent times, it was noticed that the young generation and
adolescence, that the consumption of the snack foods are relatively high in comparison to the
nutrition food. In addition, fat intake has also increased steadily. As the higher socioeconomic
status includes higher income which results in better nutrients, better child growth, and social
services but today’s generation is running after those food intakes which are low in nutrition
and are rich in unhealthy aspects. Other than this, nutrition as a meditator has an effect over
socioeconomic status, health, and socio-behavioral factors and motivation (Maguire, and
Monsivais, 2015). All these factors are related to human happenings such as teaching, social
prestige, and prosperity and affect the capability of the household to procurement of goods
and services, which are vital for the wellbeing of the individuals. The effects such as long-
lasting undernutrition drain the energy possessions of both parental and children, which make
the person more sluggish and majorly affect the health (Hallström, Carlsson-Kanyama, and
Börjesson, 2015).
Cultural factors- Communal and cultural factors affect what individuals reflect as food and
what individuals will eat. Faith plays a major role in defining food varieties. Numerous other
nutrients such as iron and zinc may also be low in nourishment lacking of animal foods.
Thus, the true vegetarian will generally have an enlarged need for vitamin B12 and the
reserves of iron and zinc (Fieldhouse, 2013).
Other than this parenting, practices are also influenced by the culture factor, as the ethnic
group, values, and the tradition affect adolescent upbringing. Culture has a resilient effect on
expansion, conduct, morals, and opinions. Personal ceremonials and decent communiqué
have a optimistic outcome over puberty. Paternities who involve optimistic social and
cultural morals and principles in their children help increasing their confidence and overall
achievement (Adamo, and Brett, 2014).

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Personal factor- Personal factor comprises of consciousness, self-awareness of individuals.
If we talk about today’s adolescence age children are not at all aware of the diet and this
major hamper their healthy lifestyle, their growth, and overall development. In order to
maintain healthy and maintainable lifestyle children need to focus on their diet, exercise
daily, joining of any particular any physical activity so get engage in maintaining their
healthy lifestyle and for also continuing their overall development(Hallström, Carlsson-
Kanyama, and Börjesson, 2015).
The impact of inequalities between population groups
In terms of education, it offers opportunities in order to learn more about health and risk
associated with it. In general, terms it was seen that people are the children who are educated
are more probable to have a vigorous diet and workout daily. Even the analysis states that
knowledge of vitamin A, C, calcium as well as general diet superiority is connected with
edification. Grownups with a advanced level of teaching tens to have inferior contact to stress
connected to financial deprivation. However, who are inferior levels of schooling adopts
corrupt coping performances for anxiety. Persons with more teaching tend to have superior
socioeconomic incomes for a healthy lifestyle and having better relative aptitude to live and
work in that situation with the resources and built plan for vigorous living (Health line,
2019).
Knowledge: Healthy eating behavior is most important for children, this helps in preventing
undernourishment, growth obstruction, and youth nutrition problem and long-term problems.
All, this can be happen when the mother will be having factual nutritious information and
would favour the right food for themselves and for their kids. In research, also it was found
that nutritious boldness and information scores in the mother are definitely connected to the
nourishment tallies of their kids (Röös, et al, 2015). For all this, parents create an
environment for their youngsters that may stand-in the expansion of vigorous eating
conducts. Likewise, replacement of junk food to healthy food style and behavior working out,
more of physical outings and exercise (Larsen, et al, 2015).
Conclusion
From the above report, we can conclude that from different life stages there are different food
intake and nutrition diet, which majorly affects the health of the individuals. It is natural that
the poor intake of nutrition is a part of one behavior. Poor nutrition habits majorly affect how

Nutrition across the lifespan 8
one individual feel, look, think and act. Development and the growth of the body are directly
linked and are concerned with nutrition and diet. By the use of a balanced diet, helps in
staying healthy and helps in performing the social activities in a behavioral manner. Lack of
balance diet has the major adverse effects on the overall structural and functional capacity of
every individual whether it’s an adult, adolescence or an older.
This report majorly highlights about the adolescence age, their dietary plans, and certain
social, and personal and socio-cultural impact of nutrition over the adolescence age. As in
this age their lot of physical changes which affects the figure’s nutrition requirements, while
the change in one’s existence may shake up the eating ways and the food selections. Hence,
youth nourishment is therefore compulsory for supporting the bodily development of the
figure and for avoiding and one saving from future health problems. Hence, Parents, in this
case, need to be more aware of the health, diet intake, physical exercises and above all the
nutrition is taken in form variety of food has to be taken into consideration. Hence, by this,
several factors influence the nutritional diet and the need of the adolescence, which are need
to be considered as ignoring them has a major influence over the nutritional needs and
intakes. In addition, difficulties such as deficiency and low socio-economic position, absence
of education and knowledge about the nutrition diet also have a major influence over the
maintenance of adolescence diet.
Recommendations
In this aspect, parental knowledge about the certain diet and nutritional intakes is must as
without the knowledge and education about the nutrition will generate the worse effects over
the adolescence. Moreover, with the increment in the age of the adolescence, they need more
careful in terms of nutrition diet, likewise, the growing girls have many changes, for the same
more of vitamins, minerals and fibre diet should be adopted in order to reduce the risk, which
associated with the health of the adolescents.

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