Every human being has different nutritional needs, depending on age and the process of growth and development. At school age children, nutrition becomes very important because it can affect the growth and development of the child's potential. Thus, if their needs are not met, nutritional problems can arise in school-age children.

In order to avoid this, see the explanation from dr. Dyah Arum K., M. Nutrition below, come on, Moms! She is a medical nutritionist as well as a lactation and complementary feeding counselor.

What are the nutritional problems?

Based on Riskesdas (Basic Health Research) in Indonesia, there are still many school-age children who experience nutritional problems. There are six most common nutritional problems, ranging from underweight, overweight (obesity), Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDA), lack of vitamin A, anemia, and stunting.

Nutrition problems can affect school-age children, what are the causes?

As explained above, there are six kinds of nutritional problems in school-age children. Of the six diseases, the causes also vary. However, basically, children do not get the nutrition they should. In this case, it can mean a lack or excess of nutrients.

In children who are thin, the cause is a lack of balanced nutritional intake, while in obese children, the cause is, among other things, because children are overweight and do not move. In addition, there are also children who suffer from Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDA). The cause of this disease is the lack of consumption of iodine which can be found in salt

Another nutritional problem that can hit school-age children is vitamin A deficiency. As the name implies, this nutritional problem is caused by a lack of vitamin A intake, which can be found in fruits such as carrots. In addition, there are also children who suffer from anemia or lack of blood and iron which can cause a decrease in the child's immunity, concentration, and absorption.

Finally, there is the problem of stunting nutrition or what can be called growth failure, because children grow below the average of other children. This nutritional problem not only affects the child's growth, but also on the development of his IQ which can drop by 5-10%. All nutritional problems in children are basically caused by unbalanced nutrition.

What should parents do to prevent nutritional problems in school-age children?

Seeing the phenomena above, what can you do to prevent your children from nutritional problems? dr. Dyah explained that actually Moms just need to make sure their children get a balanced nutritious diet. In addition, Moms can also pay attention to their children's physical activity so that they stay active and don't stay still.

After making sure that your child has a balanced nutritional intake and adequate physical activity, you should also pay attention to your child's sleep or rest pattern. Make sure your child gets enough sleep, 8-10 hours a day. Sufficient sleep is not only at night, but also collectively from a child's nap and night.

What are the effects/impacts on school-age children if they have nutritional problems? Will this have an impact on the development of its potential as well?

The golden time of child growth is at the age of 0-2 years and when the child enters adolescence, which is 12-18 years. During this time, children still need balanced nutrition for their cognitive growth so that they can concentrate well, socialize, and can solve the problems they face.

If a child already has nutritional problems, can it be cured?

If the child already has nutritional problems, parents are obliged to check their child to the doctor, because actually these problems can be cured with medication and programs run by doctors. However, usually the most severe nutritional problems for school-age children are obesity and malnutrition. This is because both require portions of food and physical activity which is quite tricky for school-age children.

How is the portion of balanced nutrition for school-age children?

To avoid nutritional problems for school-age children, every child must consume a balanced diet that meets the needs of carbohydrates, protein, and vegetables and fruit. Simply put, one dinner plate should contain carbohydrates, protein, and vegetables and fruit. In addition, school-age children should also eat their main meals 3-4 times a day.

In addition, children must also have physical activity to avoid nutritional problems of obesity or excess nutrition. Then, children are also required to have sufficient hours of sleep so that the body can trigger growth hormones that help regulate other hormones so that it is not excessive or even less and causes nutritional problems in children.

Given the importance of nutrition for the development of children's potential, make sure Moms always meet these needs by providing balanced nutritious food so that children avoid nutritional problems. In addition, Moms can also give Indomilk Susu Botol which has many choices of delicious flavors so that it is suitable to accompany all children's moments and activities. Starting from the chocolate, strawberry, melon flavors, to Marie biscuits, kids are guaranteed to love it, Moms!

Containing Triple Bone Care (Calcium, Phosphorus and Vitamin D) and Choline, Indomilk Bottled Milk can support the nutritional fulfillment of children aged 7-11 years. With nutritional needs that are met through the right ingredients in Indomilk Susu Botol, children can be more optimal in developing their talents and potential, Moms!