Healthy Eating in Children: Problems Caused by Poor Nutrition

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Topic Overview

Children who eat poorly are more likely to develop certain long-term health problems and complications, including:

Complications of being overweight include liver problems, problems with hip development (slipped capital femoral epiphysis) or bone growth in the legs, gallstones, early puberty, and polycystic ovary syndrome.footnote 1

Your child's doctor regularly screens for signs of these health problems. If your child needs treatment, work with your child's doctor to ensure that your child is getting the best medical care possible, both at home and at medical checkups. Keep your child's relationship with food separate from his or her medical condition. And guide your child's eating with healthy food choices. Avoid putting your child on a weight-gain or weight-loss diet.

References

Citations

  1. Gahagan S (2011). Overweight and obesity. In RM Kliegman et al., eds., Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 19th ed., pp. 179-188. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.

Credits

ByHealthwise Staff

Primary Medical ReviewerJohn Pope, MD - Pediatrics

Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine

Specialist Medical ReviewerRhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator

Current as ofMay 4, 2017