Food is an indispensable component of our life and the basis of our health. It is not only responsible for the nourishment of our body and mind but even that of our personality. Our basic food habits are developed in childhood and persist throughout our life. The initial meal of every infant is milk but once he becomes 5 to 6 months old, he is initiated into eating and from then begins the process of taking food and the development of his eating habits.
Usually, taste becomes the basis of food selection. So, the tastier the food, the more it is preferred. The desire for taste has led to the invention of various dishes, cuisines and cooking practices and with time, various experiments and changes have been incorporated into it. This diversity of taste has brought about many changes in our eating habits. These changes had the primary bearing on our health, especially that of the children. Therefore, it is immensely important that our eating habits should not only be based on taste, but also be beneficial for our health.
Even adults do not observe restraint when it comes to taste, then the case of children is even worse. They tempt for flavours and crave to taste them. So, today it has become a challenge for the parents to control the eating habits of children in time and keep up their health. They make every possible effort for the health of their young ones, yet under the influence of modern lifestyle, their health is constantly deteriorating. By the time the children become wise and conscious about health, they had already lost it substantially.
Many of them become premature victims of various diseases and the reason is–faulty food habits. In some instances, health may be restored by rectifying the mistakes. But, there are certain diseases like diabetes, which may create health issues for whole life in varying proportions.
It is important for people of every age group to improve their eating habits because habits can be modified any time, if one so resolves. However, it is not easy to bring changes in the childhood habits. Therefore, it is very essential to improve the eating habits while one is still in the formative years. Nevertheless, the food taken in childhood forms the basic foundation of our physical health. This is because this is the stage of rapid physical growth and it plays the most crucial role in providing nutrition to the body. If healthful nutritional elements are taken at this stage, then the body becomes amazingly energetic, balanced, well-formed and healthy.
The eating habits of children are a cause of concern in every family because even after repeatedly insisting on them to eat fruits and vegetables they do not do so but remain adamant for junk food. This is a common trend among the children. Further, as they grow up, their insistence and the selection of eatables tend to become even more worrying. Though parents are concerned about this, but after a time they become helpless and the consequence is that in the long term these small habits lead to diseases. Therefore, it is essential for us to be aware of our eating habits timely and carefully observe the young ones for this.
Children themselves may neither be conscious of their health nor do they understand the risks associated with wrong food habits. They only bother about the taste. Thus, the primary responsibility of preventing them from moving on the path of ailments lies on their parents. It is essential to timely bring changes in their eating habits, while also keeping taste in mind. For this, it is essential to acquaint them with the important facts related to food. They should be told that which food nourishes our health and which food stuff makes us ill and prone to diseases, so that they can know and understand the impact of food in their lives.
The endorsement in advertisements and imitation of others are also the factors which promote the consumption of non-nutritious food. This becomes the chief cause of obesity in them and also proves detrimental for their health. Thus it is extremely important to prevent this distortion in their food habits.
As far as possible, the habit of eating homemade food should be inculcated in children and they should also be told about its benefits. Experts believe that their eating habits substantially impact their behaviour. Moreover, distortion in eating becomes a chief reason of unsystematic routine, due to which the body gets complex diseases, which are not easily curable.
Children learn by observing and imitating others. So, in order to change their eating habits, firstly, the elders of the family and those coming in their contact would have to improve their own food habits. Also, nutrient-rich food stuff like fruits, dry fruits, sprouts, vegetables, juices and milk should be incorporated in their diet. Further, they should be given freshly prepared food. Another important parameter is the quantity. Some children eat very little, while some have a heavy diet. Both the habits are wrong and harmful. If this disparity remains uncontrolled, consulting the experts could prove beneficial. It is wrong to keep scolding the child for food. This may push them into depression or lead to other psychological complexities. The correct way is to insist them lovingly. Sometimes accepting what they say, while at other times convincing them to follow what we advise.
The eating habits of neither the adults nor the children can be improved forcefully. This would instead worsen the situation, rather than improving it. The stubborn insistence, initially gives the impression of improvement but as soon as the person gets freedom, he again becomes wilful. Thus, for changing our eating habits, we do not have to compromise with taste, but have to prudently inculcate the healthy food habits.
Akhand Jyoti Magazine 2017 Mar-Apr