The Risks of Poor Nutrition
Good nutrition, based on healthy eating is one essential factor that helps us to stay healthy and be
active.
What causes poor nutrition?
Poor eating habits include under- or over-eating, not having enough of the healthy foods we need
each day, or consuming too many types of food and drink, which are low in fibre or high in fat, salt
and/or sugar.
These unhealthy eating habits can affect our nutrient intake, including energy (or kilojoules) protein,
carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals as well as fibre and fluid.
How does poor nutrition affect us?
Poor nutrition can impair our daily health and wellbeing and reduce our ability to lead an enjoyable
and active life.
In the short term, poor nutrition can contribute to stress, tiredness and our capacity to work, and
over time, it can contribute to the risk of developing some illnesses and other health problems such
as:
being overweight or obese
tooth decay
high blood pressure
high cholesterol
heart disease and stroke
type-2 diabetes
osteoporosis
some cancers
depression
eating disorders.
Steps to good nutrition - it’s easier than you think
A good place to start is to:
have a good variety of healthy foods from the five food groups each day. For more
information see the Healthy eating for different ages and stages and Healthy Eating tips
sections
aim for two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day
only occasionally eat sugary, fatty or salty food, and then only in small amounts
drink fresh, clean tap water instead of sugary drinks
switch over to healthy recipes that look and taste good
plan your meals ahead and shop for healthy ingredients
enjoy cooking and eating healthy food with family or friends and without distractions such
as the television.
Source: The Risk of Poor Nutrition
[Link]
isk/the+risks+of+poor+nutrition
(Accessed March, 2015)
Oral Health
Tooth decay is bad news. It can cause your child pain, need expensive treatment and lead to ongoing
problems. But it’s also pretty easy to avoid with good dental care and tooth-friendly eating and
drinking.
What is tooth decay?
Tooth decay is also called dental caries. It’s a disease that causes damage to tooth structure.
If bits of food are left on the teeth after a drink or meal, the germs in your mouth (called plaque) can
turn those tiny bits of food into acid. Over time, this acid eats away at the surface of the tooth,
creating holes or ‘cavities’.
Tooth decay can cause pain, infection and even affect children’s growth. Severe decay in baby teeth
can have serious consequences for your child’s speech and jaw development.
The longer tooth decay is left untreated, the more your child will experience:
pain and discomfort
a higher risk of new decay in other baby and adult teeth
more complicated and expensive treatment
anxiety when he does visit a dentist, because he might start to associate dentists with pain
loss of time at school.
Early signs of tooth decay
Early tooth decay can be hard to spot, especially if you don’t have special training.
The first sign of tooth decay is when the upper incisors develop a dull, white band along the gum line
(the area at the base of the tooth, near the gums). You might see brown spots on the teeth, and the
gums might be red and swollen. In more advanced stages of tooth decay, blackened areas show up
on the teeth, with the gums still looking red and swollen.
Source: Raising Children Network. [Link]
(Accessed March, 2015)