Poor Nutritional Intake | Healthmad

Who are the individuals at risk from poor nutritional intake?

People who are most prone to poor nutrition are infants, children, adolescents, elderly and pregnant women. In terms of infant malnutrition, mothers should be aware of the diet needs of their child. Youngsters depend on their mothers’ selection of foods therefore mothers should be cautious in the feeding their children with the right and balanced diet. Moreover,preschool children may face additional hazard because they tend to be particular about what they eat.

On the other hand, adolescents may eat at unusual hours. They may have the tendency to miss regularly scheduled meals thus they become hungry subsequently satisfying their hunger with foods that have low nutrient density such as chips, soda and candy. Crash diets are also common among adolescents. This diet sometimes results in form of malnutrition. This condition occurs because some nutrients are eliminated from their diet when the types of food eaten are restricted or not good for their health.

Pregnant women are also prone to malnutrition. It is inevitable that pregnancy increases a woman’s appetite and their need for certain nutrients such as protein, minerals and vitamins. Pregnancy during the adolescent stage requires utmost care in food selection. Young mothers require a diet that can provide sufficient nutrients for the developing fetus as well as her own growing body.

Last on the list are the elderly. They are often alone and may be ill or unwell. Their living conditions are not always conducive to forming a good and healthy appetite. One way to improve their appetite is sharing one’s food in pleasant company.

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