Obstacles to good nutrition

Although education about good nutrition is very important, there are various factors that contribute to the obstacle of achieving good nutrition. Among the obstacles of good nutrition include peer pressure and school programs. Many young children find it hard to change their eating habits because of the pressure they receive from their peers. Peer influence make s a child view the unhealthy foods and foods that bring comfort and that by eating what they want gives them control or power at the school environment (Robertson, 2012). School program is another obstacle that contributes to unhealthy nutrition among young children at school. The lack of an adequate nutrition education in learning curriculum contribute to children not being aware of origin of foods or their disease causing properties in them (Williams & Roth, 1997). Teachers conduct in relation to nutrition is an obstacle to good nutrition among children. Serving pizza, soda, or ice cream in class during special events or school parties teaches shows children that it is fine to have these unhealthy foods. School programs such as providing soda or candy vending machine to raise revenue for a school is another school program obstacle that hinders good nutrition among young children (Endres, Rockwell & Mense, 2004).

There are various cultural, socioeconomic and political factors that lead to these obstacles of good nutrition in children. Nutrition habits are closely tied to an individual’s social and cultural practices. For example, when young children see television commercials for high fat or sugary cereals foods, they pressure their parents to purchase them (Robertson, 2012). This factor is tied to social and cultural practices of families who are accustomed to purchasing and making food rich in sugar, salt or fat, which makes them unlikely to change this habit even when they know these foods are unhealthy (Coulston & Boushey, 2008).  According to Endres, Rockwell & Mense (2004), economical pressure can affect the quality and quantity of food that children eat as parents have to budget between various family expenses such as rent, school, medical care and food, which in many cases food becomes the flexible item in a family budget. Political aspects such as funding for supplemental food and nutrition programs have a significant effect on nutrition to low-income families, which ensure that families can afford nutritious food diets for their young children (Endres, Rockwell & Mense, 2004).

Early childhood advocates or professionals can help in offsetting these obstacles to good nutrition among children in various ways. They can involve children in food evaluation and change programs to assist in identifying the healthy foods that they like, and helping them to change their eating habits by creating incentives in these foods such as lowering prices of these healthy foods in the school cafeteria (Coulston & Boushey, 2008). Early childhood advocates or professionals can help change eating habits in young children through the use of health-oriented posters or take-home posters to develop good nutrition awareness in children and their families (Endres, Rockwell & Mense, 2004). Early childhood advocates and professionals can effectively assist in offsetting good nutrition obstacles by personally setting good eating habits example in children under their care such as avoiding to serve unhealthy foods in front of the children and encouraging eating healthy foods (Robertson, 2012).

  

Reference

Coulston, A. M., & Boushey, C. (2008). Nutrition in the prevention and treatment of disease.         Amsterdam: Academic Press.  

Endres, J. B., Rockwell, R. E., & Mense, C. G. (2004). Food, nutrition, and the young child.         Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

Robertson, C. (2012). Safety, Nutrition and Health in Early Education. Wadsworth Pub Co. 

Williams, S. R., & Roth, S. L. (1997). Nutrition and diet therapy. St. Louis: Mosby.