Posts Tagged ‘children’
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
A blunt new ad campaign in Georgia, “Stop Sugarcoating,” featuring images of miserable-looking overweight children is stirring up a national controversy. While the ad campaign aims to increase awareness of childhood obesity, many parents are concerned it will only cause more stigmatization of overweight kids.
While I agree that these ads are quite shocking and understand why they have been met with criticism, I do believe that a hard-hitting campaign may be the wake-up call needed to prevent a catastrophic public health crisis. The point of these ads is to spark discussion about childhood obesity. And if you have been on Twitter recently, you will see that this has been accomplished. While it is uncomfortable to watch these ads, it’s when people are uncomfortable that change occurs.
With nearly 1 million, or 40 percent, of kids in Georgia considered overweight or obese, it is imperative that parents understand that this is a grave issue that cannot be ignored. The truth is that, as the campaign points out, a whopping 50 percent of people surveyed didn’t recognize childhood obesity as a problem. What’s more, 75 percent of parents with obese kids don’t acknowledge their children as having weight issues. We all seem to think this is somebody else’s problem. Bringing these issues to the forefront sparks discussion and forces parents to confront the problem. These kids can’t be helped if their parents don’t acknowledge that help is needed.
As a pediatrician and child obesity expert who speaks with overweight and obese kids every day, I have seen firsthand the bullying and stigmatization these kids live with. Given my clinical experience, I don’t believe these ads will increase the bullying of these kids; they are already getting bullied day in and day out. As these ads are already out there, we should use them as an opportunity to address the issue at hand; our kids are overweight and we need to help them get healthy.
Here are some dos and don’ts for parents when it comes to talking to kids about weight:
1. It’s All About Health: While the ads may use the word “fat”, your conversation should not. Instead of focusing on “fat” or “thin”, talk about health and good nutrition. This way, even a thin parent can have this conversation. It is very possible that your child will initially get upset and accuse you of thinking he is fat. If this happens, simply steer the conversation back to your child’s health. ““I am not worried about your looks. It is your health that concerns me. Your body would be healthier if you weighed a little less. Let’s work together to learn to eat well.”
2. We Can Do It!: Instead of saying “You need to eat healthier”, try, “We need to eat healthier.” I have chosen to say ‘we’ need to eat healthier’ because this sounds less accusatory and alerts your child that you are both in it together.
3. Let’s Take Action: Be sure that you end the conversation with concrete suggestions of things you can do to be healthier. For example, suggest a trip to the grocery store to pick up some healthy foods, sign up for a local exercise class or go for a family jog each night. The idea is to end the conversation with a goal your child can accomplish so the prospect of “losing weight and getting healthy” doesn’t seem so daunting..
Remember that your long-term goal as a parent is to raise a person who is comfortable with herself and knows that she is loved, regardless of weight or size. Your child should also know, however, that part of loving yourself is taking care of your body and keeping it healthy. Children who feel loved learn to love themselves and are more likely to make healthy choices.
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Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
Researchers studying the impact of age on food preferences have demonstrated patterns of change that start in the womb and continue through adulthood. For example, if breastfeeding mothers consume a diet that regularly includes fruits and vegetables, their infants will be more interested to eat the same healthful foods – in contrast with formula-fed infants – and this effect appears to persist through weaning. Among older children and adults, the avoidance of new or unfamiliar foods (i.e. neophobia) is generally recognized to decrease; however, there is evidence that suggests that older adults develop a stable set of food preferences that is resistant to change.
The finding that ageing tends to impact the diversity of one’s food preferences clearly makes it important to encourage the development and maintenance of a broad array of food preferences among infants, toddlers and older children.
Be Creative With Your Child’s Plate!
Researchers at Cornell University and London Metropolitan University have shown that getting your kids to eat more fruits and vegetables is as simple as putting together a pretty plate of food. A new study shows that while food presentation has been shown to have significant impacts on the way adults eat food, that the same principles can be applied to understanding preferences among children in relation to increasing the diversity of their diet.
In what they called a “preliminary” study, the researchers showed 23 children age 5 to 12 (in attendance at a summer camp in Ithaca, N.Y.) 48 different combinations of food on plates, asking them which were their favorites. They repeated the exercise online with 46 adults. The plates varied by number and mixing of colors; number of components; position of the main component; whether they were crowded or empty; whether they were organized or disorganized; and whether the elements on them were arranged into a picture (such as a heart or a smile.)
Results showed that kids preferred different qualities in a dinner plate than grownups. The differences they observed, suggest that strategies to encourage healthy eating among kids need to be tuned more specifically to children’s visual preferences. See below for kids versus adult plate preferences:
Kids Preferred: 7 different food items (the largest number the researchers included), 6 different food colors ( the largest number the researchers included), their main food component towards the bottom of their plate, foods arranged into a picture.
Adults Preferred: 3 different food items, 3 different food colors, their main food component in the center of their plate, foods arranged into a “casual” plate design.
It is interesting to note that in a report by Kahn and Wansink, children and adults tend to consume more food (e.g. M&Ms) when there is a greater variety of options (e.g. differently colored M&Ms). Similar findings of overconsumption have been made for studies where participants are presented with varied sets of yogurt and combinations of different food, such as chocolate brownies with vanilla ice cream as compared with simply chocolate brownies.
If children and adults eat more of the unhealthy food items when a variety of options and colors are presented, then it seems intuitive that the same would occur when they are presented a variety of options and colors of fruits and vegetables. However, the recent study finds that adults should not assume that children share their preferences for food presentation, especially, when it comes to the finding that young children appear to prefer plates that feature a wide variety of foods and colors in comparison with adult preferences.
These results should open a window of possibilities for those concerned with childhood nutrition because it would appear as if young children have a preference – to which adults do not typically cater – for very diverse food presentations. The results suggest amazing opportunities to encourage more nutritionally diverse diets among children and have potential positive implications for parents, caretakers and pediatricians as well as food service managers for pediatric hospitals, child care centers and schools.
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Sunday, August 28th, 2011
School lunches generally receive poor grades when it comes to their nutrition content and are typically short on fresh fruits and vegetables, and heavy on processed, breaded, and fried entrees. Take, for example, the study of sixth graders recently published in the American Heart Journal found that students were 29% more likely to be obese if they ate school lunches.
Most parents appreciate the importance of good nutrition and aim to provide healthy food choices for their children. After all, good nutrition helps provide them with the energy required to function effectively in the classroom. Also, children that have a more substantial lunch at school are less likely to graze on high calorie, high fat snack foods when they get home.
As parents, we know that good nutrition will help our children grow-up healthy, but what foods comprise a healthy meal? Here are some “good nutrition” guidelines for you to follow when your kids BYOL:
- Lean Meat/Protein Substitutes– Such as chicken or turkey breast, tuna packed in water, eggs, beans, fat-free cheese, fat-free cottage cheese or yogurt
- Whole Grains – Such as a100% whole grain bread, crackers, English muffins, pitas, tortillas, or cereals
- Fruits and Vegetables – At least one portion each of a fruit and vegetable (children tend to prefer it sliced which is easier to handle – for cut fruit that tends to go brown i.e. Apples – squeeze lemon juice
- Beverage – low in sugar and preferably without artificial ingredients, such as infused water or lightly sweetened iced tea
- Optional: Healthy Green Light Snack – such as air-popped popcorn, trail mix, dried fruit bars (like Trader Joes Fiberful bars)
This balanced lunch will provide your child with a variety of nutrients, including fiber, calcium, protein, and iron.
Read labels: Avoid foods with unhealthy food additives and other ingredients such as:
- partially hydrogenated oils
- saturated fats
- nitrates
- artificial colors and flavorings
- high sodium
- excess sugar
- MSG – look for glutamic acid or glutamate on the ingredients list
Tip – Choose natural and organic foods as much as possible.
With a clearer sense of what to include, it should be easier to prepare healthy lunches. But what about getting your kids to eat the lunches you prepare? These tips can help you pack wholesome meals that your kids are likely to eat and enjoy.
Involve your child – Children often like to help their parents and are more likely to eat foods that they choose and make. So let them help you make the shopping list, look through recipes and help prepare their lunches (to whatever extent their skills allow). The kitchen can become a place where you can bond with your children over food and educate them in a fun atmosphere.
Portion appropriately – Offer more foods in smaller serving sizes versus large quantities of fewer foods so that larger portions do not overwhelm your child.
Create variety – Don’t get into the rut of serving only the foods your child says he will eat. The wider the range of colors a meal offers, the more varied nutrients it contains. If your children are interested in trying new foods, suggest that they keep a log of new foods and what they think about them.
Add visual appeal – Presentation can make lunch fun and interesting for kids. Use cookie cutters to cut fruits, veggies and sandwiches in fun shapes. Choose lunch containers in their favorite colors and let them decorate the outside.
Transform old favorites – For example, take the usual ham and cheese sandwich and use whole-wheat bread
instead of white, and substitute organic ham.
Creating a week’s worth of lunches that are diverse and delicious is a challenge. To help you break a monotonous routine, we have created the RLGLER Healthy Lunch Planning Grid, complete with creative lunch ideas. Just pick one item from each column to create each day’s lunch meal.
| Main Dish – Lean Protein + Whole Grains |
Fruit/Vegetable Side |
Beverage |
Healthy Snack |
| Grilled chicken fajita in a whole wheat tortilla with onions and peppers |
Apple slices with 1 tbsp almond butter |
Water |
Whole grain or fruit and nut bar |
| Organic turkey on multigrain bread with mustard |
Side salad with
lettuce, tomato
and fat free mozzarella |
Lemon infused water |
Organic fruit leather |
| Whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce, chick peas and grated parmesan |
Diced peaches or strawberries |
Sparkling water |
Trail mix made with whole grain cereal, dried fruit, nuts |
| Yogurt Parfait: Light yogurt with whole grain cereal |
Fresh blueberries |
Lightly sweetened iced tea |
Air popped popcorn |
| Vegetarian or turkey chili |
Frozen grapes |
Low-sodium tomato juice |
Soy crisps, veggie chips or baked chips |
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Tags: children, grade, healthy, kids, lunches, pack, school
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Friday, July 15th, 2011
The perception surrounding obesity is that it’s caused by a lack of exercise and overeating, however, the condition is often driven by other factors, one of which is bullying. Bullying can spell serious trouble for children’s health. Overweight kids are targeted more frequently, often while in gym class or playing sports, creating a vicious cycle that makes it more difficult for them to lose weight. Adding insult to injury, many times, children who are not good at dealing with their emotions become emotional eaters, as well. These children are also more likely than others to have an ongoing chronic illness later in life, Irish researchers said recently.
The research team used a sample of 8,568 9-year-old children and their families from Growing Up in Ireland — the National Longitudinal Study of Children.
Children completed surveys at school and an interviewer administered questionnaires with parents and children in their homes. The findings revealed that obesity and overweight are of major concern in Irish children with girls being more affected.
Another recent study that examines bullying at a younger age identifies overweight children as the primary target. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 821 children ages 8 to 11. In the third grade, 15 percent of the children were overweight and 17 percent were considered obese. A quarter of the 821 students admitted to being bullied; however, 45 percent of their mothers reported that their child had been bullied for his or her weight. The study included responses from children, parents and teachers.
The odds of being bullied were 63 percent higher for children who were obese than their classmates of a normal weight, researchers noted, and the bullies did not discriminate based on gender or economic status. Overweight boys were just as likely as girls to be bullied by their peers and surprisingly, those with good social skills weren’t spared from the bullying either.
The study findings indicate that parents and teachers not only need to encourage healthy eating habits for young children, but also need to set a good example and refrain from making negative comments about people who are overweight, since children seem to pick up on this attitude at an early age, which results in bullying behavior.
Bullying is not just a situation wherein bigger children push around smaller or weaker kids. Bullying can have serious effects on your child’s physical, mental and emotional well-being. If you notice that your child has been gaining weight, there is also the chance that bullying can be causing this weight gain.
Lack of Physical Activity
A child who is being bullied is less likely to participate in physical activities such as outdoor games and sports. Since bullies are likely to torment him or her outside the home, your child will probably prefer to avoid such situations by spending most of his time indoors. Video games and watching television are common activities that he or she might prefer. Staying indoors most of the time without any physical activity will contribute to your child’s weight gain since they fail to burn calories.
If your child is afraid to join sports or play with other children, try to find other physical activities that he or she might be able to enjoy. For instance, a lot of children find martial arts interesting so you might want to enroll your child in a karate class. Not only will they burn calories with the exercise but their self-esteem will also increase as he or she learns a new skill. You can also make physical activities fun family affairs. Go cycling during the weekend or take a family camping trip.
Eating Comfort Foods to Cope With Emotional Distress
Children are extremely sensitive and less equipped with the tools needed to deal with emotional disturbances like stress and depression. If your child is being bullied at school, it’s inevitable that they will start feeling alone, frustrated, angry and stressed out. In order to deal with these negative feelings, your child may seek temporary comfort by eating junk foods such as candy bars, ice cream, donuts, soft drinks and potato chips. As the bullying worsens, your child may reach the point where he or she is completely dependent on comfort foods.
You can help your child by addressing the root of the problem, which is the bullying itself. It will also help if you take away the sugary and fatty junk foods from your house and replace them with healthier snacks. Most importantly, lend your child a listening ear. Listen to their problems and thoughts patiently and be careful not to add to the problem by lecturing or being argumentative.
Parents – talk to your kids about bullying before they develop bad habits into adulthood. Keeping your kids active and eating healthy will up their self-confidence and teach them the benefits of a healthy lifestyle for years to come.
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Monday, June 27th, 2011
According to the American Dietetic Association position paper on vegetarian diets, people who eat a vegetarian diet have a lower risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. They also tend to have lower LDL cholesterol levels, body mass index (BMI) readings, and overall cancer rates (1). However, when it comes to a vegetarian diet, there are right and wrong ways to go about adopting this healthful way of eating. For this reason, education on a healthful vegetarian diet is critical.
A 2005 poll showed that 3% of 8- to 18-year-old children were vegetarians (1). While it’s been well established that a vegetarian diet can be healthful and adequate in nutrition, children and teens do require age-appropriate intakes of nutrients. Especially important for vegetarians are protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 in amounts sufficient to support growth and development (2). Guidance from parents in making deliberate food choices helps maintain balance and variety, ensuring that nutritional needs are met. If your child has decided to “go veg” here are the nutrition considerations that need to be taken into account:
Protein – Iron is the most common nutrient deficient in vegetarians, and especially in vegans, who don’t eat any animal products, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Pediatric Nutrition Handbook says. That’s because iron-rich plants contain a type of iron that’s harder for the body to absorb than the iron found in animal products. Age-dependent protein needs for children range from 16 to 44 g per day (3). For many people, protein is synonymous only with meat, fish, and fowl, however, there are many plant-based foods that are high in protein, such as, beans, peas or lentils, nut butters, soy foods, and eggs (for lacto-ovo vegetarians).
Vitamin D – The American Academy of Pediatrics recently doubled the amount of vitamin D it recommends for infants, children, and adolescents to 400 IU per day beginning the first few days of life (4). Vegetarians can get vitamin D from fortified foods, supplements, and sunlight exposure.
Vitamin B12 – The requirement for vitamin B12 is tiny but critical. It can be found in fortified cereals, fortified soy and other nondairy milks, fortified veggie meats, and cow’s milk, eggs, and yogurt for lacto-ovo vegetarians.
Calcium – Sufficient calcium intake can be obtained from a variety of plant-based sources, but fortified orange juice as well as soy, rice, almond, and other plant-based milks are an easy and efficient way to help meet kids’ calcium needs (3). Fill in the gaps with fortified breakfast cereals, almonds, and almond butter.
Zinc – Getting enough zinc isn’t typically on new vegetarians’ minds, but vegetarian diets often contain less zinc than non-vegetarian diets (5). Because this mineral is a critical component in so many functions of the body, it’s wise to know good food sources. The National Institutes of Health says that nonmeat sources of zinc are more difficult for people to absorb. One way to make plant zinc more absorbable, they say, is by “soaking beans, grains, and seeds in water for several hours before cooking them and allowing them to sit after soaking until sprouts form.” They also say that consuming leavened grain foods, like bread, helps the body to better absorb the zinc, compared with unleavened grain foods, like crackers. There are many other kid-friendly options that are high in iron, such as veggie burgers, dates, almonds, and cheese. A good multivitamin also helps cover the bases.
References
1. Craig WJ, Mangels AR; American Dietetic Association. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian diets. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(7):1266-1282.
2. Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine. Vegetarian diets for children: Right from the start. Available at: http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/veg_diets_for_children.html . Accessed June 2011.
3. Melina V, Davis B. The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide to a Healthy Vegetarian Diet, 2nd ed. Summertown, Tenn.: Healthy Living Publications; 2003.
4. American Academy of Pediatrics. New guidelines double the amount of recommended vitamin D. October 13, 2008. Available at: http://www.aap.org/pressroom/nce/nce08vitamind.htm . Accessed June 2011.
5. The Vegetarian Society. Zinc information sheet. Available at: http://www.vegsoc.org/info/zinc.html . Accessed June 2011.
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Monday, May 23rd, 2011
When schools cut physical education programs so students can spend more time in the classroom, not only are they missing a chance to prevent obesity, they may also be missing an a golden opportunity to promote learning, according to a recent study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Denver on May 1, 2011.
Researchers sought to determine how implementing a daily physical activity program that incorporated classroom lessons would affect student achievement. First- through sixth-graders at an academically low-scoring elementary school in Charleston, S.C., took part in the program 40 minutes a day, five days a week. Prior to initiation of the program, students spent only 40 minutes per week in physical education classes.
The program involved using several classrooms, which were revamped into two gyms that housed equipment for an All Minds Exercise (AMX) room for older students and an Action Based Learning (ABL) lab for the younger children.
Younger students moved through stations in the ABL lab, learning developmentally appropriate movement skills while basic academic skills were reinforced. For example, children hopped through ladders while naming colors on each rung. Older students had access to exercise equipment with TV monitors. For instance, a treadmill had a monitor that played geography lessons as the student ran through the scene.
Researchers compared state standardized reading test scores for the year before and the year after initiation of the program. Results showed that the time spent out of a traditional classroom in order to increase physical education improved student test scores. The percentage of students reaching their goal on the state tests increased from 55 percent before the program was initiated to 68.5 percent after the program was initiated.
This study adds to growing evidence that exercise is good not only for the body but also the mind. It also shows that physical education and academic instruction need not be mutually exclusive.
There has been much discussion about cutting out recess and P.E. classes so children can have more time in the classroom for instruction. It’s hard to imagine kids sitting still for eight hours a day and maintaining a high level of concentration. Aside from the issue of concentration, another recent study in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise also found that individuals who sit for most of the day are 54 percent more likely to die of heart attacks.
Much blame has been placed on fast food, school lunch, soda intake and video games. Perhaps the answer also lies in this common sense approach to learning that includes movement. Providing activity in a safe school environment makes sense for both weight control and better school performance.
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Monday, May 9th, 2011
Homework, late workdays, long commutes, after-school activities — it’s no wonder few families eat dinner together. Yet studies show that the family dinner hour is an important part of healthy living. In fact, a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics found that children and adolescents who share meals with their families at least three times per week are less likely to be overweight, be at risk for eating disorders, or eat unhealthy foods, such as soda, fast food, fried food and sweets or candy.
The researchers examined 17 previous studies, which involved 182,836 children aged 2 to 17 and found that three or more family meals per week were associated with a 12% reduction in the odds for being overweight, a 20% drop in the odds of eating unhealthy foods regularly and a 35% reduction in disordered eating- including purging, the use of diet pills, skipping meals or the use of smoking cigarettes as a way to control weight. In addition, the kids were 24% more likely to eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, breakfast and also more likely to take a multivitamin.
Although the studies yielded mixed results and weren’t easy to compare, overall they show regular family meals are tied to better nutrition. Basically, by simply having family dinners and engaging themselves in their kids’ lives, parents can significantly benefit their child’s health and well-being. How awesome is that?! Also, as Amber Hammons, Ph.D., of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and the lead study author, points out, it’s possible that parents may influence and monitor their kids more during shared meals.
Remember, the goal is to get everyone to the dinner table and to spend quality time together – not to force Mom into Carol Brady mode. Here are tips on pulling it off:
- Keep it simple. Family meals don’t have to be elaborate. Work salads and vegetables into meals. Focus on familiar favorites, like chili or frittatas.
- Get the family involved. Let kids help prepare meals and set the table.
- Use the crock-pot. Put everything together before leaving for work in the morning. You’ll come home to the delicious smell of a cooked meal.
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Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
“Mom, can I have a triple-scoop ice cream cone, pretty please?” If you answered yes to this question, you might be teaching your child portion distortion. A study, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, adds support to the recommendation of offering kids smaller-sized servings. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University served five-year-old kids small, medium, and large portions of macaroni and cheese. The more macaroni and cheese the five-year-olds were offered, the more they ate.
Whopping portion sizes are a huge culprit in why people overeat, but if you teach your children about appropriate portion sizes, they may be more likely to stick to healthy portions into adulthood.
Here are a few tips on how you can help your child downsize their portions and get a better value on her health:
Kids Love Magic, so be an Illusionist!
Marketers have created jumbo-sized cups and plates to match the portions we are accustomed to seeing in restaurants. Dinner plates have increased in size from a standard 10-inch to 12-inch and larger, so today normal portions look miniscule on a larger plate. The solution is to put meals on smaller plates so that the portion appears larger.
Divide and Conquer Portion Distortion
Divide snacks into small portions, instead of sending your child off to snack with the whole bag. Remember those five-year-olds who ate more macaroni and cheese based on being offered larger portions, well the same rule applies here.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Serve food away from the table, which may limit family members from going back for seconds. Plate the food and leave the serving bowls off the table because, typically, when food is within reach, we eat more and it has nothing to do with hunger but because it tastes good or because it is in front of us.
Add Healthy ‘Extras’ to Your Meals
When you boost the proportion of fruits, vegetables, and herbs in your dishes, you naturally cut calories while adding nutrition and flavor. Fruit and vegetables have a high fiber and water content and therefore you can eat a larger, more filling portion without lots of calories.
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Monday, April 4th, 2011
While they might not realize it, parents play a huge role in their children’s eating and exercise habits. Kids are still spending most of their time at home and eating most meals at home. Parents buy and prepare food, and decide what and how much kids can eat. They are responsible for providing opportunities for children to be active and can set rules for TV and video game use.
With obesity increasingly becoming a critical medical problem in children, parents need to step up to the plate. In the United States, a whopping 17 percent of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years are obese, as per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but mom and dad, don’t fret.
According to a study recently published in medical journal Pediatrics, diet and exercise programs with parental involvement, parent and child centered program, are the best way to help kids stay trim and fit.
The study involved 165 overweight children between ages 6 to 10 years old, who were randomly assigned to one of three interventions: a diet program taught to parents by dietitians that focused on goal setting, problem solving and positive reinforcement from parents; an activity program for kids taught by physical education teachers, with parents taking part early on and encouraged to do more at home with their kids; and a combination of the two programs, with parents and children both participating.
Children in all three groups reduced their body mass index and waist circumference after two years, with the diet program and the combination program yielding better results than the activity program.
Therefore, parents’ input might actually be necessary to see results. They can be trained to be effective agents of change where management of obesity in children is concerned. After the study, parents reported feeling more comfortable saying “no” to their children’s demands, setting limits on the type of food the children could eat, limiting the amount of time they spent watching TV or playing video games, and establishing consequences for breaking the rules.
This study shows that interventions that target parents alone may be an effective and non-stigmatizing strategy for achieving effective weight loss in obese children. Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right’s child and parent centered program utilizes this strategy, and enables parents and children to make the right food choices and have fun eating healthy, wholesome meals. Power to the parents, you can do it!
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Monday, March 28th, 2011
The State of Our Children’s Diet
Every mother has said, “Eat your vegetables,” to her child at some point. As it turns out, mother always knows best. A poor diet, be it too little, too much or the wrong balance of food, can increase our children’s risks of many diseases and illnesses that can become debilitating and life-threatening. A new small study suggests that obese teenagers are at an increased risk for inflammation, insulin resistance (a precursor to diabetes), and oxidative stress (which can lead to blood vessel damage). These metabolic abnormalities suggest that the process of developing heart disease has already started in these children, making it critical for them to make definitive lifestyle and diet changes.
The researchers in the study compared the diets of 33 young obese people (aged 11 to 19 years) to 19 people in the same age group who were of normal weight.) Unsurprisingly, teens in both groups weren’t getting proper nutrition because they didn’t eat enough fruits, vegetables, fiber and dairy products, but the obese teens in particular consumed less dairy and fewer servings of fruit. Potassium and vitamins A, C and D — which are found in fortified dairy products and deeply colored fruits and vegetables — were all found to be lacking in the diets of the obese children.
Another recent study published in the Nov. 2010 online edition of Circulation suggests that children who eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may be able to help ward off atherosclerosis in adulthood, a precursor of heart disease. Kids who eat produce nearly every day develop more flexible arteries. Having arteries that resemble bendy straws is a good thing; stiff arteries make your heart work harder and blockages are more likely.
These studies provide insight into the early development of vascular disease and have important implications for prevention efforts in children.
If your kids are about as interested in broccoli and apples as in math homework (in other words, NOT), these parent-tested strategies can boost their produce quotient without a food fight:
–Eat them yourself. When parents eat their veggies, kids do, too. They’re hard-wired to mimic what you do — monkey-see-monkey-do still works.
–Keep on offering them. Pack red pepper strips or broccoli in lunches. Add sliced kiwi or a mango. If they come home untouched, don’t flip out. Just do it again and again. It can take 10 to 15 “introductions” for a youngster to try and like a new food.
–Invite a friend of your child’s over who likes veggies — your guy may model his behavior.
–Don’t force the issue. High-pressure tactics make dinnertime a downer, and can turn your child off to the Brussels sprouts you’ve finally learned to love.
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