Life Stages

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Your body's nutritional requirements will be ever changing throughout your lifespan, with its need for energy and certain nutrients changing and adapting as you age.

As a newborn and throughout adolescence our growing bodies need a huge number of nutrients to support development, nutrients which we no longer need in such large quantities when the growth period ceases and we reach adulthood. These changes will continue throughout all stages of life with the requirements for calories, protein, vitamins and minerals adjusting as we grow older.

In addition to the physical needs of the body changing over time, food choices and requirements will also change throughout the lifecycle as a result of economic, psychological and social aspects. For instance, during our teenage years the opinions of others and low-self confidence often mean the nutritional value of food and the needs of the body are disregarded as we worry more about 'self-image' and vanity. 

In contrast, upon reaching our senior years reduced mobility or loss of a spouse may mean that we lose our appetites and are unable to cook meals containing all of the required nutrients.

Good nutrition and a healthy diet are widely regarded to form the foundations on which optimum health and well-being are based, so with this considered it is important that we endeavour to understand as much as possible about what the body needs during each period of life.

For further information about nutrition throughout significant life stages, please see the following:

Infants and Pre-school Children
Schoolchildren and Teenagers
Adults and Elderly Adults

All content displayed on Nutritionist Resource is provided for general information purposes only, and should not be treated as a substitute for advice given by your GP or any other healthcare professional. Whilst some people have benefited from nutritional therapy, no claims can be made to treat, cure or heal specific conditions, and we strongly advise individuals with any health problem to seek independent medical advice from their GP before considering nutritional therapy.