4. Discussion
obesity, diet-related diseases, Establishing healthy eating behaviors, infections, respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, malnutrition, low loss
OBESITY, WASTING, INFECTIONS, UNDERNUTRITION, UNDERNOURISHED, MALNUTRITION, DISEASES, MALNUTRITION IN CHILDREN
Picky-eating children are at risk of malnutrition, and nutrition intervention may play an important part in achieving the optimal growth trajectory in these children. Malnutrition in children is a common underlying reason for increased susceptibility to respiratory and gastrointestinal infections and increased risk of mortality [Studies have shown that those adults who were picky-eaters in their childhood had had lower intakes of micronutrient-rich foods, such as fruit, vegetables, and whole grains [Establishing healthy eating behaviors and optimizing nutritional requirements during preschool years are imperative to prevent malnutrition and other diet-related diseases, especially obesity and non-communicable diseases, in adult life. Nutritional supplementation has been shown to improve the nutritional statuses and cognitive abilities of undernourished preschool children [In our study, ONS supplementation improved nutrient adequacy among picky-eating children as compared to what was found in the control or placebo group, especially the intakes of energy [Nutritional support is essential for children recovering from illness. There are well-established studies indicating the relationship between malnutrition and infections [Multicomponent strategies may prove beneficial in improving nutrient intake and dietary pattern in children. The study clearly indicated that the nutrient intakes of the subjects were much lower than what had been recommended, and that supplements did not act as substitutes for other foods in the daily diets of children in the included age group. Thus, the additional intake of nutrients in the form of ONS could help children bridge the gap between their usual intakes and the recommended values without altering their usual food patterns until they start eating a variety of foods in adequate amounts in their daily diets. This practice will help children at mild risk of malnutrition catch up faster and also prevent further deterioration in their growth.The strengths of this study are in its robust design, the completeness of dietary data in follow-up visits, the high rate of compliance, and a low loss of subjects in follow-up data. As a limitation, the subjects enrolled in the study were already at risk of undernutrition, and therefore, the study could not capture the effect of ONS on the other end of the spectrum. The findings of this study may not be generalized for other countries; however, they are of significance in countries like India where high wasting rates were observed in children who live in resource-poor settings [