Childhood is the stage in a human’s life associated
with growth and development. Growth proceeds
rapidly in early life, slows down in middle childhood
and accelerates at puberty before linear growth
ceases. With increasing age there is also physical and
psychomotor maturation, which influences activity,
body composition, feeding skills and food choices
(Geissler, 2011). Adequate nutrition is essential for
growth, health and development of children. Poor
nutrition increases the risk of illness, and is responsible
directly or indirectly for one third of the estimated 9.5
million deaths that occurred in 2006 in children less
than 5 years of age. Inappropriate nutrition can also
lead to childhood obesity. (WHO, 2009a).peer-reviewe
