Nutrition and the Metabolic Health of Children

Overnutrition, expressed as overweight and obesity, sometimes combined with inadequate micronutrient intake, coexists together with undernutrition as the major threats of malnutrition in children. Appropriate growth and metabolism of children have been extensively studied as to their association with future metabolic diseases. It is appreciated that early growth is controlled via the biochemical pathways that support organ and tissue growth and development, energy release from dietary intake, and production and release of hormones and growth factors regulating the biochemical processes. Anthropometric measurements, body composition, and their trajectories have been the metrics to evaluate both age-appropriate growth and link to future metabolic disease risk. As factors associated with risk of metabolic disease like childhood obesity are fairly well known, a strategic framework that includes appropriate nutrition and healthy dietary habits, adoption of the right behavior, and healthy food choices from early infancy to childhood is necessary to decrease this risk. The role of industry in this is to provide foods rich in nutrients developmentally appropriate and to promote responsible consumption and age-adapted portion sizes.