WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. children eat an average three snacks a day on top of three regular meals, a finding that could explain why the childhood obesity rate has risen to more than 16 percent, researchers said on Tuesday.
Children snack so often that they are "moving toward constant eating," Carmen Piernas and Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina reported.
More than 27 percent of calories that American kids take in come from snacks, Piernas and Popkin reported in the journal Health Affairs. The researchers defined snacks as food eaten outside regular meals.
The studies will help fuel President Barack Obama's initiative to fight obesity in childhood, something Obama's wife, first lady Michelle Obama, notes could drive up already soaring U.S. healthcare costs.
Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wrote a commentary calling for taxes on sugary drinks and junk food, zoning restrictions on fast-food outlets around schools and bans on advertising unhealthy food to children.
"Government at national, state, and local levels, spearheaded by public health agencies, must take action," he wrote.
Piernas and Popkin looked at data on 31,337 children aged 2 to 18 from four different federal surveys on food and eating.
"Childhood snacking trends are moving toward three snacks per day, and more than 27 percent of children's daily calories are coming from snacks. The largest increases have been in salty snacks and candy. Desserts and sweetened beverages remain the major sources of calories from snacks," they wrote.
"Children increased their caloric intake by 113 calories per day from 1977 to 2006," they added.
CONSTANT EATING
"This raises the question of whether the physiological basis for eating is becoming deregulated, as our children are moving toward constant eating."
In a second study in the journal, Christina Bethell of the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland and colleagues analyzed data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health to find the rate of obesity for children 10 to 17 rose from 14.8 percent in 2003 to 16.4 percent in 2007. (Editors note: This is an increase of 10.8% in four years!)
The percentage of children who are overweight stayed at around 15 percent, they found.
"While combined overweight and obesity rates appear to be leveling off, our findings suggest a possible increase in the severity of the national childhood obesity epidemic," Bethell said in a statement.
Parents, educators and policymakers all hold responsibility for this, Michelle Obama told the School Nutrition Association conference in Washington on Monday.
"Our kids didn't do this to themselves," Obama said.
"From fast food, to vending machines packed with chips and candy, to a la carte lines, we tempt our kids with all kinds of unhealthy choices every day."
Other studies have shown that obese children are more likely to stay obese as adults, and they develop chronic conditions at younger ages, burdening the healthcare system.
"You see kids who are at higher risk of conditions like diabetes, and cancer, and heart disease -- conditions that cost billions of dollars a year to treat," Michelle Obama said.
The administration has launched an initiative to tackle the issue by improving nutritional standards, getting food companies to voluntarily improve nutrition standards, help kids exercise more and educating parents.
The effects extend beyond health. Bethell's study found that overweight or obese children were 32 percent more likely to have to repeat a grade in school and 59 percent more likely than normal weight kids to have missed more than two weeks of school.
Commentary
At first glance, constant snacking may be seen as the problem, but this is just on a surface level. We cannot merely blame the kids for constant snacking. It’s not their fault. Blame it on the corporations that make these worthless snacks. Blame it on the kids' parents who mostly want to take the easy way out when it comes to feeding their family.
Problem #1
The biggest problem we have is that some of the corporations that make these snacks invariably include all kinds of man-made chemicals in the manufacturing process. These chemicals literally “hook” the kids. They eat more because the additives in these snacks trick the brain into believing that you are still hungry.
These chemicals are high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) – the real reason behind the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes in the U.S. – and aspartame, a neurotoxin that was previously listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent. How aspartame got into our food chain is the stuff movies are made from, and Michael Moore ought to be all over this for his next explosive documentary.
The Obama administration should ban the use of these toxic chemicals in our foods. This will save billions in healthcare costs going forward. There are natural, safe alternatives to HFCS and aspartame. We should use them. The reason we don’t use them is because they cannot be patented and therefore the manufacturers of these toxic chemicals cannot make billions of dollars whilst they poison the nation.
Problem #2
Parents need to understand the problem. They need to educate themselves about the cause of childhood obesity and how it can be avoided and remedied.
We live in a fast-paced world. Many parents use this excuse to avoid cooking healthy, freshly-prepared meals. This needs to stop. Parents need to become more acquainted with proper nutrition and healthy eating.
Mindsets need to be altered. Lifestyles need to change.
The epidemic of childhood obesity can be stopped dead in its tracks, but it requires commitment from the parents: A commitment to learn, and a commitment to change.
Problem #3
Schools need to be more proactive. They are there to educate. They should pay more attention to health and nutrition education and ban the sale of unhealthy foods and snacks on school grounds. Their pupils will thank them for it later in life. Better still, let’s pass some federal laws banning the sale of unhealthy foods and snacks on school grounds.
Problem #4
We need to educate the children. They need to know why so many of their peers are obese and overweight. They need to understand the importance of proper nutrition and regular exercise.
This education process should be started at schools, but probably will not. And parents should continue the education process at home. They need to lead by example.
Showing posts with label HFCS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HFCS. Show all posts
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Childhood Obesity: Mrs. Obama, Here is the Solution
The first lady, Michelle Obama, has launched a very ambitious plan to end the American plague of childhood obesity in a single generation. I applaud her for this herculean task.
“We want to eliminate this problem of childhood obesity in a generation. We want to get that done," the first lady told Good Morning America's Robin Roberts in an exclusive morning television interview. "We want our kids to face a different and more optimistic future in terms of their lifespan."
*
The far-reaching, nationwide campaign called "Let's Move" calls for a myriad initiatives that target what Mrs. Obama calls four key pillars: Getting parents more informed about nutrition and exercise, improving the quality of food in schools, making healthy foods more affordable and accessible for families, and focusing more on physical education. This is a great idea and I wish Mrs. Obama luck with this initiative.
"We all know the numbers," said Mrs. Obama. "I mean, one in three kids is overweight or obese, and we're spending $150 billion a year treating obesity-related illnesses. So we know this is a problem, and there's a lot at stake."
At a recent meeting of governors, Mrs. Obama sought their support for her program to tackle childhood obesity, but the only support she really needs is someone much closer to her: the President. And the solution is relatively easy, but do the Obama’s have the courage to tackle it?
The real cause of the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes in America is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a man-made chemical added to just about every processed food. This poison interferes with your hormones (this is the way your body communicates at a cellular level) and prevents your brain from telling you that you are full and need to stop eating.
If you consider that of all the money spent on food in the USA, ninety percent (yes, 90%!) is spent on processed food, devoid of any fiber or nutrition and chock full of HFCS.
Educating parents and exercise is part of the solution, but it's unlikely to help much if you keep eating processed food that contains neurotoxic chemicals designed to make you eat more. BANNING HFCS will win the war against childhood obesity and diabetes – it will kill two birds with one stone.
Banning HFCS will not be easy – there are too many “vested interests” and the food and pharmaceutical companies will no doubt have a lot to say, but the President needs to do this. If ever he (and for that matter, the first lady) wants to leave behind a legacy of note, then THIS IS IT. It will save millions of people from a lifetime of suffering, not to mention the billions of dollars in wasted and unnecessary medical bills.
President Obama appointed the new head of the FDA. It’s time he put pressure on her to do the right thing. The health of the nation depends on it.
* Source: Getty Images
“We want to eliminate this problem of childhood obesity in a generation. We want to get that done," the first lady told Good Morning America's Robin Roberts in an exclusive morning television interview. "We want our kids to face a different and more optimistic future in terms of their lifespan."
*The first lady, Michelle Obama, has launched an
ambitious program to combat childhood obesity.
ambitious program to combat childhood obesity.
The far-reaching, nationwide campaign called "Let's Move" calls for a myriad initiatives that target what Mrs. Obama calls four key pillars: Getting parents more informed about nutrition and exercise, improving the quality of food in schools, making healthy foods more affordable and accessible for families, and focusing more on physical education. This is a great idea and I wish Mrs. Obama luck with this initiative.
"We all know the numbers," said Mrs. Obama. "I mean, one in three kids is overweight or obese, and we're spending $150 billion a year treating obesity-related illnesses. So we know this is a problem, and there's a lot at stake."
At a recent meeting of governors, Mrs. Obama sought their support for her program to tackle childhood obesity, but the only support she really needs is someone much closer to her: the President. And the solution is relatively easy, but do the Obama’s have the courage to tackle it?
The real cause of the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes in America is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a man-made chemical added to just about every processed food. This poison interferes with your hormones (this is the way your body communicates at a cellular level) and prevents your brain from telling you that you are full and need to stop eating.
If you consider that of all the money spent on food in the USA, ninety percent (yes, 90%!) is spent on processed food, devoid of any fiber or nutrition and chock full of HFCS.
Educating parents and exercise is part of the solution, but it's unlikely to help much if you keep eating processed food that contains neurotoxic chemicals designed to make you eat more. BANNING HFCS will win the war against childhood obesity and diabetes – it will kill two birds with one stone.
Banning HFCS will not be easy – there are too many “vested interests” and the food and pharmaceutical companies will no doubt have a lot to say, but the President needs to do this. If ever he (and for that matter, the first lady) wants to leave behind a legacy of note, then THIS IS IT. It will save millions of people from a lifetime of suffering, not to mention the billions of dollars in wasted and unnecessary medical bills.
President Obama appointed the new head of the FDA. It’s time he put pressure on her to do the right thing. The health of the nation depends on it.
* Source: Getty Images
Friday, November 27, 2009
The Number of People with Diabetes Set to Double
The number of Americans with diabetes will nearly double in the next 25 years, and the costs of treating them will triple, according to a new report.
The figures, in a University of Chicago report released today, will undoubtedly add fuel to the congressional debate regarding reining in the cost of health care.
By the year 2034, 44.1 million Americans will be living with diabetes - nearly twice the current number of 23.7 million (the report was published in the December issue of the journal Diabetes Care).
About 90 percent of those with diabetes have type 2 (adult onset diabetes), a version of the condition that develops over time.
You can read the full report here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/26/diabetes.projections/
These predictions are probably very conservative since they don't take account of the growing proportion of overweight children and teenagers, who are at higher risk for developing diabetes.
These predictions are alarming to say the least. The sooner people realize that their diet is to blame, the better. Obesity is a major factor in diabetes, as is high-fructose corn syrup – the likely cause of this obesity.
High-fructose corn syrup is a common sweetener and preservative that extends the shelf life of processed foods and is cheaper than sugar. It is an ingredient contained in many sodas, fruit-flavored drinks and other processed foods. HFCS is NOT a natural product – the chemical bonds of HFCS are broken and rearranged during the manufacturing process.
On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.
To make matters worse, earlier this year it was reported that two new US studies found that almost half of tested samples of commercial HFCS contained mercury. Mercury was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient. As you probably know, any amount of mercury is toxic.
The possibility of diabetes can be reduced by following a healthy diet, exercising regularly and avoiding the likes of HFCS.
If you do have diabetes, a natural product such as Genome Multiplex can also help.
The figures, in a University of Chicago report released today, will undoubtedly add fuel to the congressional debate regarding reining in the cost of health care.
By the year 2034, 44.1 million Americans will be living with diabetes - nearly twice the current number of 23.7 million (the report was published in the December issue of the journal Diabetes Care).
Genome Multiplex may be able to help if you have diabetes
About 90 percent of those with diabetes have type 2 (adult onset diabetes), a version of the condition that develops over time.
You can read the full report here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/26/diabetes.projections/
These predictions are probably very conservative since they don't take account of the growing proportion of overweight children and teenagers, who are at higher risk for developing diabetes.
These predictions are alarming to say the least. The sooner people realize that their diet is to blame, the better. Obesity is a major factor in diabetes, as is high-fructose corn syrup – the likely cause of this obesity.
High-fructose corn syrup is a common sweetener and preservative that extends the shelf life of processed foods and is cheaper than sugar. It is an ingredient contained in many sodas, fruit-flavored drinks and other processed foods. HFCS is NOT a natural product – the chemical bonds of HFCS are broken and rearranged during the manufacturing process.
On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.
To make matters worse, earlier this year it was reported that two new US studies found that almost half of tested samples of commercial HFCS contained mercury. Mercury was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient. As you probably know, any amount of mercury is toxic.
The possibility of diabetes can be reduced by following a healthy diet, exercising regularly and avoiding the likes of HFCS.
If you do have diabetes, a natural product such as Genome Multiplex can also help.
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