Fashioning Modern Africanism

Today’s fathers play a critical role in the development, nutrition and growth of their children. By: Anne-Marie De Beer, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Manager, Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR),  writing for  The Growing Parent, a supportive platform for parents and caregivers with children between the ages of 3 - 5 years.  Fathers have a consequential impact on their children’s nutrition, exercise and play. According to a study  conducted by  Yogman et.al (2022),   the active and ongoing involvement of fathers in a child’s life has been linked to improved o utcomes such as improved mental health, physical and cognitive development.   In the South African context,  Swartz & Bhana, 2009  highlight how modern fathers speak with sadness about never knowing their own fathers and recognize the lack of experience and guidance on fatherhood and responsibility. However, significant socio-economic and cultural developments have provided modern fathers with the chance to be more

Childhood is an important stage that requires age-specific nutrition.  According to  Food and Nutrition Bulletin 2017, Vol. 38(3) 405-  South Africa’s children between the ages of one and five years, do not get adequate vital nutrients in their daily diet.  Some of the critical nutrient gaps identified for young children are a deficiency in Vitamin A, Zinc and Iron.  Infact between 44 and 62% of SA children under 5 do not get enough Iron, 58% have an insufficient intake of Vitamin A and 55% of this age group’s intake of zinc is less than adequate. These sub optimal nutrient intakes affect our childrens ability to grow and develop optimally, it affects the health of their immune systems which all contributes to poorer adult outcomes in terms of cognitive development and overall  health and well being. To respond to some of these nutritional challenges, NESTLÉ NIDO 3+ announced it’s new and improved recipe, tailor-made for the nutritional needs of little ones aged three to five years. “C