Body Composition and its Relation to Dietary Habits, Energy and Nutrients Intake

Abstract

utritional assessment is the quantitative evaluation of nutritional status.It should be an integral part of the care for every pediatric patient.Good nutrition provides the energy and nutrients essential to sustain life and promote physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development Environmental factors, diet, lifestyle preferences, and cultural factors seem to play major role in the rising rate of overweight and obesity worldwide. Young children depend on their families and teachers to support their well-being and promote positive development, including eating behaviors. Children's food preferences and willingness to try new foods are influenced by the people around them. Eating behaviors of children practice early in life affect their health and nutrition which are significant factors in childhood overweight and obesity, and may continue to shape food attitudes and eating patterns through adulthood. Changes in body composition may occur independently from changes in weight or body mass index (BMI) which makes it clear that weight or BMI alone are not reliable markers of body composition. Body composition is more accurate than BMI as BMI can't differentiate between Fat mass and Fat free mass.