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2.0 Literature Review
2.1 Knowledge of Balanced Diet among Student
Children are always influenced with the current trends such as eating a lot of fast
food, lack of exercise and watching television also computer used ( Ayranchi, et al,
2010). According a study by Noble, (2010), teaching about balanced diet should be seen
in children since at primary school, so that they can adopt the concept of balanced diet
in their daily lives. This is because, food is the basic knowledge of the child to develop
and adopt a healthy lifestyle until they grew up. In addition, based on the observation
made on secondary schools, the food selection that chooses by the students are mostly
contain high amount of fat and sugar and also lack of nutrients such as zinc and
vitamins in the food that consumed by them. Therefore, the teaching of a balanced diet
is very important to us and as a guide for us to adopt a healthy lifestyle. There are three
major issues that can help us to find out the knowledge of students about balanced diet
which is the way that students get information about balanced diet, the sources that
students can refer and the appropriate time student should know about balanced diet.
The knowledge of balanced diet among students can be determined by us with
observed the practice of food intake by them. Ayranchi, et al, (2010) observes that only
22.2% of students in Turkey respond positively about healthy eating practice, such as
intake of milk and juices at breakfast. This shows that, students have a less knowledge
about balanced diet in their life. This is because, there are not give an exposure on the
adoption of proper balanced diet that suitable with their age and live for example,
parents should take care of their children’s nutrition since young and teach that the
numbers of student who them a balanced diet practices in their lives. Similarly Wolf, et
al, (1984) says maintain a balanced diet is very small. This is because, most of the
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students spend their time with outside activities, so they are easy to eat fast food such as
junk food and instant noodle from the search for a balanced diet food in order to avoid a
stomach-ache disease. In contrasts, unlike the two researches, Vidal, (2004) postulate
that from the first until fifth year, the knowledge about balanced diet were increased
among students in Portugal. This is because, the knowledge of balanced diet were
increased year by year when the education about it were absorbed in teaching at school,
for example in boarding school, canteen caterer been set a good and healthy food for
student.
There are many ways that can be used by students to learn and gain more
knowledge about balanced diet. A study by Noble, et al, (2000) conclude that at an
earlier age of children, we must focus on helping them make an appropriate food
selections. Besides, at that age, children are easy to accept and practice it in their live,
and indirectly make it as a habit until they were grew up as an adult. In others study, it
was suggested that public schools, private education and universities can be a sources
that student can make it as a reference (Ayranchi, et al, 2010). Besides that, mass media
also can be sources about nutrition education. All of the resources are appropriate
sources and very close to our live, therefore students can gain and improve their
knowledge by asking question to the resources. As an example, trough nutrition
education program, the appropriate forum can be held with the target of students attend
is large. Such programs may also provide a positive impact on their feeding styles and
provoke them to implement a healthy food choice.
Balanced diet should be known by students in an appropriate time. In a study by
Ross (1995) as cited in Noble, et al, (2000) was found children should be expose about
balanced diet such as classified the healthy or unhealthy food. This is because;
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classification is the most basic education in educating children about food, so that at the
age as 6 years old, the basic things that needs to be taught to them with the help of
family, especially parents. Besides, teacher can also play a role in the practice of a
balanced diet. As an example, thought the kinder garden students to classify a healthy
and unhealthy food such as between fruit and ice-cream. Similarly with study by The
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as cited in Murphy, et al, (1995) suggested that
children as early as two years old to adopt dietary practices in order to achieved
maximum self-health. Kindergarten teachers also agree that students at kindergarten
need to have an education about balanced diet. This is because; they think to obtain
excellent students, balanced diets are necessary to be practiced by students to provide a
healthy body and brain. Besides, word of nutrition was a teaching material that always
is used for young children and also provides an understanding of nutrition as a good and
healthy food to eat (Murphy, et al, 1995). This shows that, the students are understood
about balanced diet but did not practice it in their life.
The three major issues that can help us to determined the knowledge about
balanced diet among students which is the way that students get information about
balanced diet, the sources that students can refer and the appropriate time student should
know about balanced diet. In my opinion, the knowledge of balanced diet is very
important before we want to practice it in our life. This is because, knowledge is the
most important foundation in the adoption of a balanced diet, so that we do not missstep and as a guide for us to practice a good balanced diet. Furthermore, parents,
families and teachers need to provide education on balanced diet for children since at a
young age, so they can practice this good habit when they grew up.
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References:
Ayranchi, U. M. D. , Erenoglu, N. & Son, O. (2010). Eating Habits, Lifetstyle factors
and Body weight status Among Turkish Private, Educational Institution
Journal of Nutrition, 26, 772-778.
Murphy, A. S. , Youatt, J. P. , Hoerr, S. L. , Sawyer, C. A. , Andrews, S. L. (1995).
Kindergarten Students’ Food Preferences are Not With Their knowledge of The
Dietary Guidelines, Journal of The American Dietetic Association, 95 (2), 219223.
Noble, C. , Corney, M. , Eves, A. , Kipps, M. & Lumbers, M. (2000). Food Choice and
School Meals: Primary Schoolchildren’s Perceptions of The healthiness of
Foods and The Nutritional Implications of Food Choices, Journal of Hospitality
Management, 19, 413-432.
Wolf, T. M. , & Kissling, G. E. (1984). Changes In Life-style Characteristics, Health
And Mood of Freshman Medical Students, Journal of Medical Education, 59,
806-814.
Vidal, P. M. (2004). Vitamin Supplement Usage and Nutritional Knowledge in a
Sample of Portugese Health Science Students, Journal of Nutrition Research,
24, 165-172.
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