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The Impact of Hunger on
the Health and Development
of the Child
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The Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children
outline
The Value of Nutrition and learning in children
The Major nutrients for brain development
and learning
Daily food intake for the child
Lack of nutrients and the impact on the child
Food deserts in the Country
Reduction of food deserts in Alabama
Conclusion
The Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children
• Nutrition is one of several great health influences on
human life, beginning with babies in the womb,
infancy, childhood, adolescence, and remains a
prominent and essential component throughout
adulthood for the rest of life.
• A proper balance of nutrients in the formative period
of life, during the development and growth periods
is critical for normal brain development and
continued optimal functioning.
Value of Nutrition and Learning in
Children
• Small changes in diet can have large effects on our
health. A well-balanced diet allows your child's brain to
develop properly.
• Scientists refer to the brains of young
children during the infant, toddler
and pre-school periods, as "plastic,"
meaning they are vulnerable and
impressionable.
• At birth, a healthy newborn has all the
brain cells he/she will need, but the brain cells are not
connected. Neuron connections need to be made to
allow him/her to learn about the world and
environment.
Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children
• Nutrition has a key role at
each of the developmental
stages and factors involved in
making these neuronal
connections and the proper
growth of your child’s brain.
• Vitamins, minerals and
phytochemicals contained in
fruits and vegetables may help
our memory.
Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children
• Proper nutrition provides the brain and body optimal
opportunity to grow and attain to optimal development.
• By the time a child is 3 years old, he/she will make around
1,000 trillion brain connections.
Value of Nutrition and Learning in
Children
• Nutrients in fruits, vegetables,
poultry, fish and nuts help protect
the memory and ability to learn.
• According to Oregon State
University's Linus Pauling
Institute, our brain requires
sufficient nutrients to function
normally. proper nutrition is
essential for normal cognition,
or thinking skills.
• A healthy diet low in fat and high
in essential nutrients boosts
learning and alertness.
Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children
Carbohydrates are energy/fuel
• Our body is similar to a car. A car
needs gasoline, oil, brake fluid and
other materials to run properly.
• Our body needs a steady supply of
glucose fuel, vitamins, minerals, fats,
proteins and other essential chemicals
to operate properly.
• The brain also needs special materials
to run properly: For example,
carbohydrates give our brain and body
the glucose needed as the primary fuel
for energy, ability to concentrate and
stay alert.
Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children
• The brain makes up only about
2% of total body weight, but
receives about 20% of the body’s
total blood supply at any given
time for maintaining cognition
and alertness.
• It also gets priority over all other
body organs both for oxygen
supply and an average minimum
of 90 grams of glucose a day as
fuel for daily metabolic energy
functions.
Value of Nutrition and Learning in
Children
• Glucose is obtained by eating
fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
nuts and seeds which contain
carbohydrates and other
essential food substances that
can be converted to glucose.
• Carbohydrates are also the best
source of glucose fuel for the
body’s energy and functions.
• Certain dietary minerals,
including magnesium,
manganese and iron, are needed
for the body to metabolize
glucose optimally.
Value of Nutrition and Learning in
Children
•B-complex vitamins , trace minerals and
other nutrients work within the cells to
produce ATP. The best fats to consume
are omega-3 oils from fish, nuts, Chia
seeds and flax meal/seeds and dark leafy
greens and monounsaturated oils.
•Fruits provide the carbohydrates and
fiber needed for a well-balanced, nutrientdense diet. Provide your children with a
well-balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables,
and whole grains to meet nutritional needs
without consuming empty calories.
Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children
• Infants and young children
have special nutritional needs
due to the fact that they are
growing and developing
neurologically and
physiologically at a rapid rate
• Lack of these nutrients can
cause retardation, slow
growth, poor cognition and
alertness in the child.
Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children and Teens
Protein – all foods
have some amount of
protein in them.
• Children’s developing
brains need protein,
especially amino acids, to
make neurotransmitters.
• Neurotransmitters are
chemical substances that
allow brain cells to
communicate with each
other.
Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children and Teens
• For example, the amino acid tryptophan makes the
neurotransmitter serotonin which helps your baby
and children to sleep.
• The amino acid tyrosine makes norepinephrine
which helps your child stay alert. Infants need 9 to
11 grams of protein daily, toddlers need 13 grams of
protein and preschoolers need about 19 grams daily.
• Protein is important for the growth, development,
maintenance, and repair of every system in the body.
Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children and Teens
Lipids (fats):not all fats are bad for
the body, in fact some fats are
essential (omega-3 and omega -6)
for proper brain function and other
metabolic functions for health and
life.
• The brain consists mainly of fatty
membranes, with about 60% of the
solid brain matter is fat.
• Most brain fats are polyunsaturated,
meaning their structure contains few
or no double bonds, making the
molecules flexible.
Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children
• According to an article in “The Journal
of Pediatrics,” fats are necessary for the
development of your young child’s
central nervous system, vision and
intelligence. Fats surround the nerve
cells in the brain to provide protection.
• Dietary fats help the brain maintain
flexible, dynamic membranes that are
able to transmit and receive
information, and maintain other cell
functions such as energy production,
and water storage.
Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children and Teens
• Two lipids important to the brain are the omega 6
and omega-3 fatty acids.
• Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in a diet can
cause visual problems especially by affecting the
retina.
• Studies in animals have shown that diets without
omega-3 fatty acids cause learning, motivation
and motor problems and may affect systems that
use the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin
in the frontal cortex, which also influence the
ability of neurons to use glucose properly.
Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children and Teens
Minerals and Vitamin
• A deficiency in iron also prevents adequate oxygen
delivery to the brain, as well as to other tissues in the
body.
• Inadequate oxygen delivery to the brain can cause fatigue,
light-headedness and poor mental performance. Iron is
found in both animal and plant foods (the type of iron in
animal foods is easily utilized by the body).
• Certain vitamins and minerals impact the development of
the young child’s brain. They include iron, zinc, copper,
iodine, selenium, vitamin A, choline and folate. Breast
milk and infant formula contain adequate amounts of
these nutrients and most young children need very small
amounts; they usually consume enough to meet their
needs.
Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children
• Choose myplate.gov
when planning foods
for young children
• Grain Group: 3 to 4
ounces of whole grains
per day
• I to 2 slices of whole
grain bread
• ½ cup cooked rice or
pasta
Value of Nutrition and Learning in
Children
• Vegetable Group:
• 1/2 cup raw or cooked
vegetables
• Variety is key
• Mashed sweet potatoes
• Steam broccoli
• Sliced carrots
Value of Nutrition and Learning in
Children
• Fruit Group:
• 4-6 ounces a day
• 1 cup fresh or frozen,
canned w/o sugar or
dried fruit
• Kids love grapes,
melon balls, bananas,
berries and mandarin
oranges
Value of Nutrition and Learning
in Children
• Milk Group:
• 2 to 3 cups a day
• Whole or Soy/almond
milk
• 4 to 6 oz Yogurt
• 1 slice Cheese
Value of Nutrition and Learning in
Children
• Protein Group:
• 2 to 3 ounces per day
• ½ cup beans (black, pinto,
kidney, lentils, nuts)
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 2 oz Fish, chicken,
meat alternatives
Value of Nutrition
and Learning in Children
• Oils/Fats:
• 3 teaspoons per day
• Olive oil
(monounsaturated)
• Mayonnaise**
• Margarine**
• Avocado
• Nuts and nut butters
**Caution: It is important to
learn to read food labels to avoid
foods containing Trans fats.
•Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats/oil
Value of Nutrition and Learning in
Children
• Trans and saturated fats: Trans and saturated
fats
in food are a problem because they actually
displace good fats, creating stiff membranes,
eliminating flexible brain membranes, impair
delicate changes in the shape of neurons
essential for cell communication, and
accumulate especially in synapses, impacting
all brain communication.
Value of Nutrition and Learning
in Children
• These fats are like sludge, disrupting oxygen
and blood flow in and out of the brain
circulation system. The presence of these fats
in a diet that is also low in magnesium, causes
plaque formation and further brain damage;
accumulate in the retina resulting in eye-brain
coordination, potential learning difficulties,
slow learning, making more errors, especially
with more difficult tasks
Value of Nutrition and Learning in
Children
Water – the forgotten nutrient
• Although water is a very important
nutrient and is needed for a nearly
unlimited number of uses, most
people still do not ingest enough
water.
• 1 to 2 cups for young children
• The body needs a water environment
for nearly every metabolic process
that occurs in the various systems.
• To remain properly hydrated, water
intake ought to equal water output.
Value of Nutrition and Learning in
Children
• Thirst is the driving force for water
intake, but the thirst mechanism is
poorly understood by most people.
• Thirst is quenched almost as soon as
you begin drinking water, even though
the water has not yet been absorbed
into the blood.
• The human brain is more than 80%
water, so it is very important for
children to drink sufficient amounts of
water between meals to stay hydrated.
Food Deserts and impact on
childhood obesity
• USDA Defines Food Deserts:
• Food deserts are defined as parts of the
country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and
other healthful whole foods, usually found in
impoverished areas. ...
• The Food Desert Locator is a part of the First
Lady's Let's Move initiative to end childhood
obesity.
Food Deserts in America
Food Deserts in America
• FOOD DESERT or LOW-ACCESS COMMUNITY =
at least 500 people and/or at least 33 percent
of a population resides more than one mile
from a supermarket or large grocery store
• Lack of grocery stores is not the only factor,
the surplus of fast food and corner stores is as
much if not more to blame.
Obesity/ diabetes rates are high
Food Desert Solution
• FOOD SWAMP = A geographic area where the
superabundance of high-energy foods (for
example, caloric snacks sold at convenience
stores) inundate healthy food options
• The Healthy Food Financing Initiative, launched
by the Obama administration, is a partnership
between the U.S. Departments of Treasury,
Agriculture and Health and Human Services to
provide financing for developing and equipping
grocery stores, small retailers, corner stores, and
farmers markets selling healthy food .
America’s worst 9 Urban Food
Deserts
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America’s Worst 9 Urban Food Deserts
1) New Orleans, LA
2) Chicago, IL
3) Atlanta, GA
4) Memphis, TN
5) Minneapolis, MN
6) San Francisco
7) Detroit
8) New York
9) Camden, NJ
Food Deserts in Alabama
• More than 1.8 million Alabama residents live in
areas with no grocery stores, according to a 2015
report by The Food Trust, the Alabama Grocer's
Association and VOICES for Alabama's Children.
• Some grocery store chains had promised to open
locations in underserved areas across the country
by 2016 as part of the Partnership for a Healthier
America, a national anti-obesity initiative
affiliated with former first lady Michelle Obama.
Solution to reduce Food Deserts in
Alabama
• According to the federal data, 156 Alabama
census tracts are considered food deserts, and
41 of them are in Jefferson County. Publix,
Winn-Dixie, Piggly Wiggly, Cash Saver, Aldi,
Save-a-Lot and Food Giant have opened stores
in food deserts in Jefferson, Mobile,
Montgomery and Lowndes counties, among
others.
Solution to reduce Food Deserts in
Alabama
• The Alabama Legislature passed the Healthy
Food Financing Act in 2015 to incentivize
grocers to open or expand stores to widen
access to healthy foods. The financing
program administered by the Alabama
Department of Community and Economic
Affairs is expected to offer grocers federal,
state and private grants, loans or tax credits.
Solution to reduce Hunger in
Alabama
• The Food Bank of North Alabama, based in
Huntsville, Alabama, works to end hunger by
offering hunger relief programs that
immediately feed people in need.
• Addresses hunger’s root causes through local
food initiatives that foster:
• 1. Entrepreneurship
• 2. Healthy food access.
Solution to reduce Hunger in
Alabama
• 5 Feeding America Food Banks that serve
Alabama
• The Food Bank of North Alabama in
Huntsville, feeds the hungry today and creates
solutions that will end hunger tomorrow
Solution to reduce Hunger in
Alabama/ America
• The Feeding America nationwide network of
food banks secures and distributes 4 billion
meals each year through food pantries and
meal programs throughout the United States
and leads the nation to engage in the fight
against hunger.
• Contact your local community food bank
(FBNA) to find food or public assistance
programs or to Contribute funding
Solution to reduce Hunger in
Alabama/ America :Education
• Produce For Better Health PBH,(prior 5 a day)
• Oakwood was awarded a grant 2014-15 to
teach Millennium students how to shop for
fruits and vegetables
• Dietetic interns were trained to conduct
supermarket shopping tours in Huntsville
Alabama
Solution to reduce Hunger in
Alabama/ America :Education
Solution to reduce Hunger in
Alabama/ America :Education
Solution to reduce Hunger in
Alabama/ America :Education
Daily Servings of Fruit & Vegetables
0
1
2 or 3
4 or 5
More than 5
Solution to reduce Hunger in
Alabama/ America :Education
• The findings include:
• When asked, “Do you consider yourself a healthy eater?”
36% replied yes, 37% replied maybe, and 11% said no.
• 80% eat fruit and vegetables 2-3 times per day.
• The majority of the participants visited a grocery store once
per week.
• 75% of the participants enjoyed tasting fruit and vegetables
during the tour.
• 45% stated that they tasted a variety of fruit or vegetable
for the very first time.
• 68% of the participants agreed that the store tour would
make a difference in how many fruit and vegetables they
would eat in the future.
Solution to reduce Hunger in
Alabama/ America :Education
Solution to reduce Hunger in
Alabama/ America :Education
• Grocery store dietetics is a growing field of
employment for nutrition professionals. The
training of nutrition and dietetics students in
this area is invaluable.
• In the future, there may be numerous
dietitians walking alongside consumers in
supermarkets across the nation