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Improving health through diet and exercise in children

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 72, pages 1251–1254 (2018)Cite this article

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For optimal health and growth, children need to start life as a healthy zygote and be continuously exposed to an environment that provides, in adequate quantities and quality, the many needs for life. Nutritious food and regular physical activity (PA) are two of the most fundamental requirements that support normal growth and development, with adverse early life experiences found to have lasting negative effects on health and wellbeing across the life course [1]. Breastfeeding [2] and early-in-life interventions [3] that improve the internal and external environment also have more positive influences on the life trajectory than those delivered later in life.

Provision of adequate nourishment is complex; too much or too little and timing of the essential and non-essential nutrients can cause harm across the life course. As a result, a focus on foods, rather than nutrients is necessary to inform population health, policy and planning. Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) are simple messages that provide a basic framework to the general public on what they should be eating to foster healthy eating habits and lifestyles [4].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child Health Research Centre, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand

    Elaine Rush

  2. Department of Sport, Leisure and Childhood Studies, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland

    Tara Coppinger

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  1. Elaine Rush
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  2. Tara Coppinger
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Correspondence to Elaine Rush.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Rush, E., Coppinger, T. Improving health through diet and exercise in children. Eur J Clin Nutr 72, 1251–1254 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0209-8

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