Does childhood nutrition affect height ?
Yes, you're right. Protein is the
most important nutrient
for children's final height. Height is influenced by minerals, mainly calcium,
as well as vitamins A and D. As a result, malnutrition in childhood has a
deleterious impact on height.
Poor nutrition can cause young children
to become stunted, that is, to be too short for their age. In fact, an
estimated 159 million children under five worldwide are stunted due to chronic
malnutrition. Linear growth retardation, resulting in stunting, begins in utero
and continues into infancy and early childhood.
Under nutrition during childhood leads children to have less energy and enthusiasm for studying, which has a negative impact on cognitive development and academic achievement. Physical growth and maturation are also affected by malnutrition, influencing growth rate, body weight, and, eventually, height. Overeating can prevent children from reaching their full height potential. Obese children experience an earlier beginning of puberty and, as a result, stop growing at a younger age.
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