Growth and pubertal development in children and adolescents: effects of diet and physical activity

The longitudinal growth of an individual child is a dynamic statement of th e general health of that child. Measurements should be performed often and accurately to detect alterations from physiologic growth. Although any sing le point on the growth chart is not very informative, when several growth p oints are plotted over time, it should become apparent whether that individ ual's growth is average, a variant of the norm, or pathologic. Somatic grow th and maturation are influenced by several factors that act independently or in concert to modify an individual's genetic growth potential. Linear gr owth within the first 2 y of life generally decelerates but then remains re latively constant throughout childhood until the onset of the pubertal grow th spurt. Because of the wide variation among individuals in the timing of the pubertal growth spurt, there is a wide range of physiologic variations in normal growth. Nutritional status and heavy exercise training are only 2 of the major influences on the linear growth of children. In the United St ates, nutritional deficits result from self-induced restriction of energy i ntake. That single factor, added to the marked energy expenditure of traini ng and competition for some sports, and in concert with the self-selection of certain body types, makes it difficult to identify the individual factor s responsible for the slow linear growth of some adolescent athletes, for e xample, those who par take in gymnastics, dance, or wrestling.