What if a child refuses to eat certain foods?
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The number of meals and relative food intake decreases during childhood. Therefore, it is important to provide a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including meats (if applicable), fruits, and vegetables. Children should be encouraged but not necessarily forced to eat a variety of foods. Since many children avoid or refuse to eat vegetables, what should a concerned parent do? First, be sure that you and others at the table set a positive example. Second, a policy of taking “one bite” of every item on the plate may help a child overcome an aversion to a food over time. Also, children may become more comfortable with a food if they participate in its preparation or serving. Perhaps even naming the dish after the child may increase interest. |
Does sugar cause hyperactivity in children?
For many years researchers tried to link hyperactivity in children to a high-sugar diet. Much of the work completed in this area failed to show that a relationship exists. Hyperactivity or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is currently believed to stem from a deficit in an individual’s inhibitory processes in the brain. As many as two million children were diagnosed with ADHD in 1994, although some researchers believe that a significant percentage of those individuals did not actually have ADHD. Current treatment involves psychological treatment and/or taking an amphetamine-like substance called Ritalin (methylphenidate).
Do sugary foods cause acne?
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High-sugar foods do not seem to contribute to acne development either; acne appears to be more related to hormones circulating in the blood. In many situations, acne results from a clogging of pores that connect oil-releasing glands to the surface of our skin. When pores become clogged, they may eventually become infected, inflamed, and rise up. Many dermatologists recommend keeping the face clean without overwashing. Overwashing can irritate and dry the skin. Dry, tight skin from excessive washing may narrow or close pore openings, doing more harm than good. |
Do sugary foods cause cavities in teeth?
It appears that perhaps the only direct cause-and-effect relationship between dietary sugar and disease is tooth decay. The mouth is exposed to the outside environment and is the entry point for food. Thus, the mouth becomes a natural home for bacteria. When sugary foods adhere to the teeth, bacteria can break down the sugar and produce acids that erode the outer layer of teeth, creating cavities. Brushing the teeth physically removes the sugar and much of the bacteria adhered to them. Also, some toothpastes contain baking soda, which, as a base, may help neutralize the acid produced by bacteria.
Is childhood and adolescent obesity an issue?
At presence as much as 15% of children in the United States are considered obese and that number has increased over the past few decades. What’s more, similar trends are occurring in other leading industrialized countries such as Australia and England. It appears that the combination of reduced activity, more television and computer time, and the increased availability of foods (especially calorie dense foods), have rendered youth heavier than ever before.
Are there medical and social concerns with childhood obesity?
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Overweight children are fraught with many of the same concerns as adults. Socially overweight and obese kids are subject to teasing and other negative peer interactions as well as feel isolated. Medically, the incidence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in overweight children continues to climb along with the diagnosis of hypercholesterolemia and hypertension. |
Sadly, about 40 percent of obese children and 70 percent of obese adolescents maintain their obese status into adulthood. In addition, obese children who lose the excessive body fat before becoming adults are more prone to achieving obesity during adulthood than children who never were obese. This is a huge concern as we are all aware of the low success rates of weight reduction and maintenance in adults.
What can be done to reduce childhood obesity?
The key to lowering the number of obese children includes increasing their activity level and increasing nutrition and health awareness. Getting children as active as possible early in life is vital since they are forming many behaviors that will be with them throughout their lives. This is the responsibility of the parents at home and they should also be involved in planning and monitoring activity at day-cares and schools. Also, parents should model an active lifestyle for their children to see and participate.
Also, establishing healthier food choices and eating behaviors early in life is crucial. Again parents must model good choices and healthy behaviors. This can be a challenge as the television blitz of high-fat food commercials, such as cookies and snack chips, during child and teen programming seems to be very effective in boosting product sales along with the body fat of the targeted audience. Also, food has never been so available to children and adolescents as they are today. On almost every child’s walk to school or across town they encounter a convenience store, supermarket, cookie shop, pizza joint, or ice cream/yogurt parlor. Also, parents should be involved in what foods are offered in schools, whether it is vending or food service.
What is anorexia nervosa?
Teens become a lot more involved in their self-image. A distorted body image for a teen, or an adult, may result in an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is more common in teenage, white middle-class females who engage in chronic energy restriction to accommodate their fear of being “fat.” Even when their body weight is below ideal standards, they still consider themselves “fat” and continue the energy restriction. Combined with reductions in body weight from fat stores are also reductions in body protein. As the ritual continues, the reduction in body protein ultimately affects heart muscle and other vital organs and tissue. Thus, these individuals jeopardize their very existence. Anorexics are obsessed with food and may play with their food when dining with family. They may also have memorized the energy and fat content of most foods.
What is bulimia?
Bulimia is similar to anorexia nervosa in that individuals have a distorted self-image. However bulimics will bingeing on food only to purge it shortly thereafter. It is not uncommon for a bulimic to ingest several thousand Calories of food in one to two hours. Usually the choice of food during this time includes snack chips, cookies, ice cream, pizza, candy, and other fast food. Self-induced vomiting and an engrossment in guilt shortly follow the eating binge. Bulimia is a self-perpetuating behavioral disorder, as the next food binge becomes a coping vehicle for guilt from the previous binge/purge episode. Physical signs of bulimia may include a discoloration of teeth from frequent vomiting and also cuts to fingers and knuckles from frequent induction of vomiting.
Can someone be both anorexic and bulimic?
Often an individual will have disorder characteristics of both anorexia nervosa and bulimia, often called bulimiarexia. Both anorexia nervosa and bulimia are psychological disorders, which makes them somewhat difficult to treat. Typically treatment will include the efforts of an eating disorders counselor and a dietitian who specializes in eating disorders. Usually there is a root psychological issue that needs to be addressed. Today, many professionals are characterizing some patterns of overeating, leading to obesity, as an eating disorder as well. Here, food is used as a coping or comforting tool. Again, there are probably pyschological issues at work here too.
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