Nutrition and puberty

Abstract

Nutrition plays an important role in the growth, development and puberty of children. Adequate nutrition is very important for the normal development of the child during the various stages of childhood and into puberty. Unfortunately, we note the spread of fast food and the adoption of wrong methods in feeding the child, such as making them watch TV to motivate them to eat a larger amount of food etc. This has led to the spread of obesity and overweight among children. Overweight or obese children are more likely to enter puberty early. Some evidence suggests that obesity can accelerate the onset of puberty in girls and this is a major reason why girls begin puberty at an earlier age compared to past decades while overweight or obesity may delay the onset of puberty in boys. On the other hand, severe primary or secondary malnutrition also can delay the onset and progression of puberty. The aim of our article is to shed light on the relation between nutrition and puberty and to focus on the importance of adequate nutrition to create a healthy child with a normal development. Key words: Nutrition, children, puberty