Denise Devine09.01.01
Let's start with the facts:
1. Childhood obesity rates have almost doubled to 14% in the last decade. Moreover, nearly a quarter of the 63 million Americans between ages 4 and 18 are now clinically overweight-at least 10% above their ideal weight.
2. There has been an alarming increase in the frequency of Type II diabetes among children and teens. Type II diabetes now accounts for 50% of diabetes cases in kids, compared to less than 1% 20 years ago.
3. A decade ago teens drank twice as much milk as soda, while today they drink twice as much soda as milk. Soft drink consumption increased 21% among 2-5 year olds and 37% among 6-9 year olds over the last two decades.
4. Children now get 25% of their total daily caloric intake from snack foods.
5. Fat cells make estrogen so obesity may trigger puberty at younger ages. Someone entering puberty before age 12 has a 20% higher risk of developing breast cancer than someone who started puberty at age 14.
Unfortunately, this parade of disheartening statistics shows no sign of slowing down. As alarming as these statistics are on their face, what is even more troubling is the ramifications that will result for years to come if these disturbing trends continue. Consider how an already strained healthcare system will be able to cope with the fallout in the future from these problematic childhood obesity and disease trends.
Obesity is the most common and most dangerous health problem for kids. Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and certain cancers. These diseases can start as young as age three. In a survey of preschoolers at New York Head Start Centers, overweight kids as young as three had elevated blood pressure and cholesterol. For teens, findings have been even more dramatic. A Cleveland Clinic study found significant atherosclerosis, the dangerous buildup of fat and cholesterol in the arteries that can lead to heart attack and stroke, in 16% of teenage heart donors.
The diet/disease connection is well established with more and more studies continually pointing to the role of diet in disease prevention. So how has society changed to lead us to this sorry state of events? In this regard sociologists and healthcare professionals are in agreement-the rapid pace of technological change has made us both a much more sedentary society and a much more fast-paced society always seemingly strapped for time.
These changes spell trouble for the way we eat. Is it no wonder that our children are developing the same habits? Snacking and "on-the-go" meals are becoming the rule rather than the exception and this behavior, unfortunately, means high fat, nutritionally poor fast food. Children even have easy access to fast food and high-calorie snacks in schools, but few are getting daily exercise. Only one state in the country, Illinois, requires daily gym class.
However, it is not only the types of food our children are getting but the sheer quantity, coupled with woefully lacking levels of physical activity, that is expanding their waistlines. The obsession with the "biggie size" has also spilled over into beverages. Healthcare professionals are starting to note that kids may actually be drinking a good part of their calories. Whatever happened to the cup (eight ounce) serving size? With the invasion of juice drinks, new age beverages and every variation of iced tea, 16-20 ounce bottles are the norm. Although the bottles suggest 2.5 servings, when was the last time you saw a kid throw out a bottle unfinished or take some home to put in the refrigerator for later? Therein lies part of the problem. This liquid caloric creep has even caught the attention of pediatricians. In May the American Academy of Pediatrics issued newly restrictive juice intake guidelines that recommend the following:
1. No juice whatsoever for children younger than six months.
2. No more than 4-6 ounces of juice a day for children ages 1-6.
3. No more than 8-12 ounces of juice a day for children ages 7-18.
4. Encourage children to eat whole fruit. It has beneficial fiber that is missing in most juices.
These guidelines point out that there are dangers lurking even in seemingly nutritious beverages such as 100% natural juice. Why? The answer lies in the way the body metabolizes juice. Although juice contains vitamins it essentially breaks down into simple sugars. Juice lacks fiber, protein and complex carbohydrates needed to provide sustained energy and build muscle and bone. Pediatricians have noted that one of two things can happen from overconsumption of juice. Either children fill up on what some pediatricians call "belly wash" and then do not eat properly or children who are eating properly pile on added calories by drinking juice. The former scenario has been clinically linked to a condition in two year olds called "failure to thrive" and the latter scenario has been clinically linked to lifelong obesity.
This growing habit of children consuming "liquid sugar" has not gone unnoticed by the USDA. This government agency is concerned with the dangerously low intake levels of calcium, particularly in middle school and high school age children. As soda and alternative beverage consumption goes up, milk consumption goes down. With the infiltration of the huge soda contracts into the high schools and even some grade schools, the USDA began looking for a more appealing format to deliver calcium and other nutrients to kids in schools.
To this end, the USDA and Devine Foods are now working together to create a "healthy shake" for the school lunch program. This patented functional shake has a whole grain and skim milk base that delivers all the calcium and protein of a serving of chocolate milk without the fat plus it has needed fiber, potassium and B vitamins from the whole food it contains. It will also be suitable for children with lactose intolerance.
The short answer is that most whole foods are functional. One definition of functional foods is simply foods that provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition. Studies have confirmed the disease prevention benefits of fiber and calcium, for example. Therefore, foods containing those nutrients would be considered functional foods. Moreover, study after study confirms that the body does not get the same benefit from vitamin and mineral supplements as it does from obtaining nutrients from the whole food source. In other words, getting antioxidants by eating broccoli is much better than getting antioxidants from a tablet. This is apparently true because of the role that phytonutrients and trace elements play in whole foods. When vitamins and minerals are extracted from the whole food source something is lost. There are interactions among the elements within a whole food source that makes its consumption, intact, very powerful (Table 1).
It is no wonder, then, that whole foods are very important for rapidly growing children. Such "real food" is functional because it contains elements such as fiber, which plays a role in ridding the body of wastes, staving off cancer and preventing heart disease. Studies have also shown fiber to be an important element in controlling weight. However, all fiber is not alike. Soluble fiber is attributed with lowering cholesterol while insoluble fiber rids the body of wastes and promotes regularity. Soluble fiber works by absorbing cholesterol in food that is being consumed; insoluble fiber flushes the cholesterol out of the body. It stands to reason then that by consuming a whole food that contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, rather than a supplement that contains only soluble fiber, the body receives much greater benefit.
It is exciting to see that interest in the functional food area is growing rapidly and experts are focusing more on whole foods. Yet sugar, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils are still ubiquitous in our food supply. With heartbreaking statistics staring us in the face, parents and food companies alike need to work together to recognize the diet/disease connection. We need to be more mindful than ever about what goes into instead of what comes out of the mouth of babes.NW
About the author:
Ms. Devine is founder and chief executive officer of Nutripharm, Inc. and its wholly owned operating subsidiary Devine Foods, Inc., Media, PA, manufacturer of Fruice, a patented beverage that combines organic whole grains with fruit. She can be reached at 610-566-2400; Fax: 610-566-2431; E-mail: devine@devinefoods.com.
1. Childhood obesity rates have almost doubled to 14% in the last decade. Moreover, nearly a quarter of the 63 million Americans between ages 4 and 18 are now clinically overweight-at least 10% above their ideal weight.
2. There has been an alarming increase in the frequency of Type II diabetes among children and teens. Type II diabetes now accounts for 50% of diabetes cases in kids, compared to less than 1% 20 years ago.
3. A decade ago teens drank twice as much milk as soda, while today they drink twice as much soda as milk. Soft drink consumption increased 21% among 2-5 year olds and 37% among 6-9 year olds over the last two decades.
4. Children now get 25% of their total daily caloric intake from snack foods.
5. Fat cells make estrogen so obesity may trigger puberty at younger ages. Someone entering puberty before age 12 has a 20% higher risk of developing breast cancer than someone who started puberty at age 14.
Unfortunately, this parade of disheartening statistics shows no sign of slowing down. As alarming as these statistics are on their face, what is even more troubling is the ramifications that will result for years to come if these disturbing trends continue. Consider how an already strained healthcare system will be able to cope with the fallout in the future from these problematic childhood obesity and disease trends.
Obesity is the most common and most dangerous health problem for kids. Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and certain cancers. These diseases can start as young as age three. In a survey of preschoolers at New York Head Start Centers, overweight kids as young as three had elevated blood pressure and cholesterol. For teens, findings have been even more dramatic. A Cleveland Clinic study found significant atherosclerosis, the dangerous buildup of fat and cholesterol in the arteries that can lead to heart attack and stroke, in 16% of teenage heart donors.
The diet/disease connection is well established with more and more studies continually pointing to the role of diet in disease prevention. So how has society changed to lead us to this sorry state of events? In this regard sociologists and healthcare professionals are in agreement-the rapid pace of technological change has made us both a much more sedentary society and a much more fast-paced society always seemingly strapped for time.
These changes spell trouble for the way we eat. Is it no wonder that our children are developing the same habits? Snacking and "on-the-go" meals are becoming the rule rather than the exception and this behavior, unfortunately, means high fat, nutritionally poor fast food. Children even have easy access to fast food and high-calorie snacks in schools, but few are getting daily exercise. Only one state in the country, Illinois, requires daily gym class.
However, it is not only the types of food our children are getting but the sheer quantity, coupled with woefully lacking levels of physical activity, that is expanding their waistlines. The obsession with the "biggie size" has also spilled over into beverages. Healthcare professionals are starting to note that kids may actually be drinking a good part of their calories. Whatever happened to the cup (eight ounce) serving size? With the invasion of juice drinks, new age beverages and every variation of iced tea, 16-20 ounce bottles are the norm. Although the bottles suggest 2.5 servings, when was the last time you saw a kid throw out a bottle unfinished or take some home to put in the refrigerator for later? Therein lies part of the problem. This liquid caloric creep has even caught the attention of pediatricians. In May the American Academy of Pediatrics issued newly restrictive juice intake guidelines that recommend the following:
1. No juice whatsoever for children younger than six months.
2. No more than 4-6 ounces of juice a day for children ages 1-6.
3. No more than 8-12 ounces of juice a day for children ages 7-18.
4. Encourage children to eat whole fruit. It has beneficial fiber that is missing in most juices.
These guidelines point out that there are dangers lurking even in seemingly nutritious beverages such as 100% natural juice. Why? The answer lies in the way the body metabolizes juice. Although juice contains vitamins it essentially breaks down into simple sugars. Juice lacks fiber, protein and complex carbohydrates needed to provide sustained energy and build muscle and bone. Pediatricians have noted that one of two things can happen from overconsumption of juice. Either children fill up on what some pediatricians call "belly wash" and then do not eat properly or children who are eating properly pile on added calories by drinking juice. The former scenario has been clinically linked to a condition in two year olds called "failure to thrive" and the latter scenario has been clinically linked to lifelong obesity.
This growing habit of children consuming "liquid sugar" has not gone unnoticed by the USDA. This government agency is concerned with the dangerously low intake levels of calcium, particularly in middle school and high school age children. As soda and alternative beverage consumption goes up, milk consumption goes down. With the infiltration of the huge soda contracts into the high schools and even some grade schools, the USDA began looking for a more appealing format to deliver calcium and other nutrients to kids in schools.
To this end, the USDA and Devine Foods are now working together to create a "healthy shake" for the school lunch program. This patented functional shake has a whole grain and skim milk base that delivers all the calcium and protein of a serving of chocolate milk without the fat plus it has needed fiber, potassium and B vitamins from the whole food it contains. It will also be suitable for children with lactose intolerance.
Why Whole Foods?
The short answer is that most whole foods are functional. One definition of functional foods is simply foods that provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition. Studies have confirmed the disease prevention benefits of fiber and calcium, for example. Therefore, foods containing those nutrients would be considered functional foods. Moreover, study after study confirms that the body does not get the same benefit from vitamin and mineral supplements as it does from obtaining nutrients from the whole food source. In other words, getting antioxidants by eating broccoli is much better than getting antioxidants from a tablet. This is apparently true because of the role that phytonutrients and trace elements play in whole foods. When vitamins and minerals are extracted from the whole food source something is lost. There are interactions among the elements within a whole food source that makes its consumption, intact, very powerful (Table 1).
It is no wonder, then, that whole foods are very important for rapidly growing children. Such "real food" is functional because it contains elements such as fiber, which plays a role in ridding the body of wastes, staving off cancer and preventing heart disease. Studies have also shown fiber to be an important element in controlling weight. However, all fiber is not alike. Soluble fiber is attributed with lowering cholesterol while insoluble fiber rids the body of wastes and promotes regularity. Soluble fiber works by absorbing cholesterol in food that is being consumed; insoluble fiber flushes the cholesterol out of the body. It stands to reason then that by consuming a whole food that contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, rather than a supplement that contains only soluble fiber, the body receives much greater benefit.
It is exciting to see that interest in the functional food area is growing rapidly and experts are focusing more on whole foods. Yet sugar, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils are still ubiquitous in our food supply. With heartbreaking statistics staring us in the face, parents and food companies alike need to work together to recognize the diet/disease connection. We need to be more mindful than ever about what goes into instead of what comes out of the mouth of babes.NW
About the author:
Ms. Devine is founder and chief executive officer of Nutripharm, Inc. and its wholly owned operating subsidiary Devine Foods, Inc., Media, PA, manufacturer of Fruice, a patented beverage that combines organic whole grains with fruit. She can be reached at 610-566-2400; Fax: 610-566-2431; E-mail: devine@devinefoods.com.