Discuss the nutritional recommendations across the lifespan – from pregnancy to childhood, and from adolescence to adulthood.

Pregnancy – Women should increase their calories to accommodate their growing babies. Quality and quantity are important but one shouldn’t forget that if you exceed the caloric recommendations you are going to have extra weight to lose and extra weight brings health problems. According to Sizer & Whitney (2011), during the first trimester a woman needs extra energy. An extra 340 calories is needed in the second trimester and an extra 450 calories during the third trimester (Sizer & Whitney, 2011).

Also, an increase in folate and vitamin B12 is necessary because as a baby is a product of reproduction, folate and vitamin B12 are needed for cell reproduction.

Childhood – Children need an average of 850-1000 calories for a 1 year old. This recommendation doubles by around age 10 (Insel, Turner, & Ross, 2007). A vitamin supplement may be needed because young children don’t always want to eat the recommended dietary foods. Also, physical activity should be participated in for more than 60 minutes according to MyPyramid (Insel, Turner, & Ross, 2007). Following these few recommendations can help deter chronic disease which the early signs can be seen in children.

Adolescence – As the onset of puberty takes place adolescents seem to just grow overnight. Vitamin D is important to include in an adolescents diet because it helps with bone growth. Protein intake needs to be increased at this point in time. One might also want to increase vitamin and mineral intake slightly, too.

Adulthood – Most times physical activity decreases so it is necessary to cut back on energy sources. The recommendation for calories decreases because the elderly do not tend to need the same amount of calories that they did at any other point in their life. Obesity can occur so any activity is great.

            To conclude this blog and part of the final, I’m in adulthood but a young adult. My DRI is not the same as an older adult, but I’m not terribly active so I don’t need to load myself with calories. Physical activity I’ve found gets harder with age and weight. Understandably I am dealing with both so I would like to be on a more strict diet than other people my age.

Erin Christine Dorn