Taking Stock of Children and Nutrition
Should we talk about nutrition with children?
The way children eat has a crucial impact on their daily life and future, on their health, and on their life expectancy. In Western countries, chronic diseases linked to lifestyle (obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc.) are appearing at an earlier and earlier age. The WHO considers that childhood obesity is associated with an increased risk of premature death and of disabilities during adulthood. If the situation does not improve, some experts estimate that, for the first time in history, today’s young people will have shorter lives than their parents.
After describing the nutritional situation of children in France and Europe, this monograph addresses new and established measures taken by public health actors to improve childhood nutrition.