The more actively growing the tissues, the greater the need for abundant
nourishment. The growing child, therefore, requires more food in
relation to his size and weight than does the grown person who has
passed the stage of rapid development.
No fixed rule can be laid down as to how much a child should eat.
Generally speaking, the country-bred child, living an outdoor life, may
rely on his own appetite as a guide. On the other hand, the city child,
living a more indoor artificial life, may have little appetite, and as a
result, if not watched, may lapse into a condition of malnutrition
simply through underfeeding. The best guide, perhaps, is the child’s
weight. If he is continually below weight, this fact may in all cases be
taken as proof either that the child’s food is unsuitable to its age and
digestive powers, or else deficient in amount.