Toddlers Taking In Too Much Fat

[dArKeR]

Even before their second birthday, many American children are developing the same bad eating habits that plague the nation's adults - too much fat, sugar and salt and too few fruits and vegetables.
A new study of more than 3,000 youngsters found significant numbers of infants and toddlers are downing french fries, pizza, candy and soda.

Children aged 1 to 2 years require about 950 calories per day, but the study found that the median intake for that age group is 1,220 calories, an excess of nearly 30 percent. For those 7 months to 11 months old, the daily caloric surplus was about 20 percent.

“By 24 months, patterns look startlingly similar to some of the problematic American dietary patterns,” said an overview of the Feeding Infants & Toddlers Study, commissioned by baby-food maker Gerber Products Co.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/25/health/main580032.shtml

It's not just America, it's the entire world. Espcially in less developed nations' middle/upper class and where ever people can afford this type of food. My first trips through Asia began 15 years ago. Anyone can see the size of adults and children is rapidly increasing. I believe Asia/Africa/South America will eventually overtake the obesity titles because by nature these people don't have active life styles. Baseball, football, soccer, hiking... I mean these people really don't do exercise for pleasure, which I do believe North Americans do. They do work, make money are really have no interest in outdoor activity. These countries also have no facilities to do exercise for pleasure.

Wether you can imagine this or not I'm not sure: I personally know a thousad children who have never climbed a tree. There are no trees to climb. They live in concrete slums/cities with only a few parks scattered around. Can you imagine a city park which is the size of 2 empty home lots?

These kids and mothers have absolute no experience to use their bodies in an outdoor environment.

Above is a general statment about 90% true. America isn't the only place with problems.

[SoCalDem]

1. Toddlers do not shop for food..

Schools do not routinely teach health and nutrition like they used to.. Fast food is everywhere.. This is the expected outcome.. Fat kids..

If the public health community is truly concerned, they have the where-with-all to fix it and fix it NOW..

schools need to shitcan the sugary juices & koolaid.. serve water
they should dump the pizza & fried foods.. Schools used to have lunchroom people who actually arrived and COOKED the food from scratch..
schools should NEVER EVER have soda or candy machines

mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed their babies.. This alone could prevent a lot of obesity.. Breastfed babies eat til they are full, then they stop.. They get fewer ear infections, they are leaner and usually do not even NEED solids til they are around 6 months old..
WIC plays into this by giving free baby formula to mothers who usually do not work outside the home, and have NO reason to not breastfeed their babies.

Commercials for fast food and junk need to go BYE-BYE just like the tobacco ads went..

Every community should be mandated to have adequate facilities for kids to play outdoors.

I think that in our rushed society,some moms give their kids food, toys and things instead of what they really need...TIME

[twilight]

2. yep and that WIC stuff is ...

all GMO'd! Every damn bit of it!

No wonder the little kids are getting so fat and unfit so young!

BAN ALL GM'D FOOD!!!!



DENNIS J. KUCINICH FOR PRESIDENT IN 2004!!!

:dem: :kick:

[dArKeR]

4. They don't shop but they love McDonalds in every country I've ever been

to. Why? Part marketing? Part design? Part food? Part air conditioning and cleanliness? Part price?

McCraps is the only place in Asia, I imagine Africa/South America, that has water, soap and toilet paper in a clean restroom. I've seen homeless people filling up their water bottles in McDons. In a places which Realfeel temp is constant above 115F for half the year McDons is quite comfortable. And the McDons management is actually good to all people. They'll let someone sit there for hours even if they don't buy something as long as they're not making trouble.

I've gone years without eating McCraps. Whenever I do I get an unbelievable thirst sensation for a day. I believe it might have something to do with salt or other chemical added. Hey, don't laugh wait til we know the truth.

[BuddhaGirl]

10. a word about WIC

"WIC plays into this by giving free baby formula to mothers who usually do not work outside the home, and have NO reason to not breastfeed their babies."

I used to work for WIC as a nutrition counselor - WIC ALWAYS encouraged breastfeeding first. Women who were unable to breastfeed or couldn't be persuaded to got coupons for formula as well as other needed foods for their babies and young children. WIC does not "play" into this.

[SoCalDem]

18. "play" might not have been the best word, but lots of young

women would have to breastfeed, if free formula was not available.. I would rather see the women get the $40-50 a case IN CASH, if they breastfeed.. That would be incentive..

I personally know of cases where wic mom's diluted the formula more than the required amount and sold or traded the unused cans formula for cash..

[BuddhaGirl]

19. you don't understand WIC, apparently

You cannot bribe POOR women to breastfeed any more than the misguided idea of bribing welfare mothers into marriage. WIC strongly encourages breastfeeding first and foremost, and coupons for formula are given if the mother is unable to breastfeed or doesn't wish to. At least babies will be fed one way or the other.

More affluent women who don't want to breastfeed just buy their formula. So should they be bribed to breastfeed as well??

Again, WIC doesn't come into "play" or however else you wish to call it.

[fortyfeetunder]

12. The crime of convenience

Another problem is this drive-thru phenomenon with all these fast food restaurants. It's so easy to drive thru Mickey D's for dinner than to make a home cooked meal.

Parents buy fast food because it's so convenient (My spouse is guilty of this in spades). However, a nation of fat toddlers may result in the next generation of type 2 diabetics in the decade.

[Zgrrl]

3. I have 2 toddlers...

...ages 3 and 18 months. My children drink only water or organic milk. They snack on fruit, dry cereal like Cheerios or Kix, carrot sticks (for the 3 year old), and plain saltine crackers. I make sure they have a fresh fruit for lunch and a fresh veggie for dinner. None of this takes any extraordinary effort on my part. It's not like it's so much more effort to make sure my kids eat healthy. Basically, if I don't bring it home from the grocery store, my kids aren't going to eat it, right???

Nevertheless, I am appalled by what I see other mothers feeding their kids. A friend of mine (who has a bachelor's degree in civil engineering) allows her 19-month-old to drink cola from a sippy cup. Another friend of mine lets her 3-year-old snack on potato chips and oreos when he wants (she's a kindergarten teacher). My own cousin, who is a nephrologist, allowed his kids to eat ice-cream for breakfast every day because "that's all they'll eat."

[SoCalDem]

6. A friend of mine used to put 7-UP in her 8 month old's BOTTLE..

of course it was a complete surprise to her that he wore a size 8 Husky when he was 4 yrs old, and she had to cut 6 inches off the pant legs and hem them.... My son wore a 3T and could run circles around his little friend..

[midnight armadillo]

20. Ha, that's nothing

My grandmother used to add a little brandy to her kid's bottles when they were 6 months old and too fussy :party:. Different times...

[Ellen Forradalom]

7. Every time I worry my kid eats too much junk..

I read someting like this article and realize it's not so bad. My four-year-old is fond of juice, but also likes milk and water. He hates soda and doesn't have a strong jones for candy. Heck when his grandparents asked him about M&Ms he didn't know what they were. Thank goodness.

[Native]

15. Don't you just love the "that's all they'll eat"

rationale? I hear it all the time. It is the perfect excuse.

[dArKeR]

5. I got a call before and had to end. I wanted to say;

I've seen entire nations change in 15 years.

From:
Women who wore not make-up, no perfume, did not shave underarms, no high-heeled shoes, no nylons, no night lotions/face mask crap, normal weight ranges...
To:
Americanized plus many breast implants, and eye lid surgery and hair dyeing.

I really enjoy their modern personalities and kindered spirits but I don't believe the above material things do a thing for our human race.

[CShine]

8. Well hell, let's just put 'em all on the Atkins diet.

:eyes:

[booksenkatz]

9. This issue never fails to gall me

My 4-year-old has terrific eating habits because young kids ONLY know what they're exposed to. His favorite food is broccoli, for God's sake.

But all of my hard work helping him create healthy habits may go out the window as he becomes more exposed to the rotten habits of his peers! He just started preschool 5 mornings a week, and I'm thankful that junk food is forbidden at this school (it's a Montessori school). They get milk or water to drink, period. That's not a problem for my son, but many of the other kids groan about it. Even though the parents are all forewarned not to pack junk in lunchboxes, they continue to sneak in Lunchables and cookies "because it's all my child will eat." The administrators are constantly having to reprimand the parents about this. That is so pathetic! Where did your child learn about Lunchables and cookies??

And may God damn to eternal hellfire anyone backing the idea of soda and sweets in schools. Cafeteria food seldom tasted good in my youth, but at least we had vegetables and fruit. These days it's all tacos and pizza. We drank milk because we were thirsty and it was all our school had for us to drink. My son is only human, how will he stand up against the peer pressure? We've got such a good thing going here at our house, but I don't know how it will stand up in the long run against the poor choices that other adults are making for their kids.

My son was breastfed until he was almost 3 (started solids at about 8-9 months), and it's made a huge difference in his health. He's never had an ear infection, and is almost always the picture of health. When he does get a cold, it lasts for maybe 2 days. We should all be so healthy.

I wouldn't say I'm overprotective, either. I don't hide sweets from him, it would only make them more attractive. We do have sweets from time to time. But it cracks me up that he can't even finish an Oreo because it's "too sweet," and he will eat maybe 1-2 bites of cake at birthday parties. He picks yogurt over pudding because the latter is "too sweet." He likes Halloween for the adventure and costumes, but barely touches the candy. I hope he retains these good habits, but corporate America may not let him.

Infants drinking soda and eating fries... this country is badly in need of nutritional education!
</hormonally influenced rant>

[Native]

16. I wouldn't worry...

my two daughters have grown up eating organic food, and they know what constitutes a healthy diet. One is in 4th grade and the other is in middle school. I pack their lunches every day. The last thing they want is to eat cafeteria food or the food they see other kids bring to school. As for exposing them to the rotten habits of their peers, it has actually worked in the opposite way. The other kids are constantly asking to try their food. They actually can't wait to see what my kids have brought for lunch. Even their teachers express curiosity. Can you imagine being curious about an egg salad sandwich on homemade bread, kiwis, or strawberries? This ought to give you a clue about the crap these other kids bring for lunch. You have nothing to worry about. About the only thing my daughters complain about is the ignorance they encounter. My oldest was actually thinking about making a flyer on the benefits of organic food, simply because she's tired of answering the same stupid questions each day.

[kimchi]

11. This article is timely for me.

I think I will give it to our pediatricians. They are upset that my one year old is only in the 5th percentile and isn't gaining a lot of weight-test after test shows she is normal. They TOLD me to give her french fries, pudding, and cream sauces. I told them it isn't MY fault she loves fruits and veggies and doesn't like meat yet. She is VERY active, she learned how to walk and run the same week. She signs to me when she is hungry or thirsty-I'd think SHE would know.

Am I supposed to confine her to her crib and feed her junk food for God's sake? She is developing FASTER than normal, but somehow, not being fat enough is supposed to "stunt her growth". She obviously is getting enough nutrients or she wouldn't be developing. I'm finding a new doctor who isn't a slave to a stupid chart-which now, I wonder if it isn't skewed toward fatties. Her grandmother was 4'11 and weighed about 90 pounds her entire life.

They insinuated that I was trying to starve my baby to death, and that really pisses me off.

[Zgrrl]

14. I feel your pain, kimchi...

My children were both in the 5th percentile at age 1, the younger one even dropped off the charts for a couple of months. I was told to slather butter on everything I gave him and feed him lots of bread. My older son is extremely active and eats huge portions of everything, but since he is so athletic and since I only give him healthy food, he's thin as a rail.

I know the pediatrician thinks we starve our kids. I mean, it's a huge concern for him every time my kids come in. It's like--let's get them on the scale, now!!! But my kids are HEALTHY! They are active and have good appetites, they just don't eat JUNK. They will have plenty of opportunity to have junk when they get older. As a child, I was not allowed to have hostess snacks, mcdonald's food, sugary cereals or wonder bread, and I HATED it, I wanted those things...but when I got older, and moved out on my own, I bought them for a while and found out very quickly that I didn't really like them all that much. I probably would love them if I had eaten them all the time, though.

I wonder if my kids are so low on the weight charts because they really are underweight, or because kids in general are so much heavier these days.

[Native]

17. A second opinion is always a good idea.

I've had experience with this. My youngest has always been off the charts (with regard to height - she's very tall), and at the bottom of the rung when it comes to weight. I've had to get very creative to keep the weight on her. This is a child who has 3 breakfasts and panics in the middle of the afternoon if she thinks she's missed lunch (when she's had two, but has forgotten eating). The first words out of her mouth in the morning are, "what's for breakfast." And, of course, her ribs show. Go figure. About the only thing I've found that will put weight on her are hard-boiled eggs and milk based fruit smoothies. I also make a dip for her to use with her vegetables. My doctor would never have suggested fries! He's always had wonderfully sound suggestions. Why don't you keep a food journal for about two weeks and take that with you when you go for your 2nd opinion? For some reason, no one ever argues with something when you've got it in writing.

[reprobate]

13. Oh, come on, people. Corporate profits comes before human health.

You all know that. It's the american way.

Healthy food and drinks in schools? Never happen because the junk food and drink producers pay the schools to be there, and the schools can't afford to give them up. We, after all, vote down any school tax increases so the schools have no choice.

Diabetes has become the silent epidemic. That along with cardio-vascular disease will wind up getting most of us. And the hell of it is that it's so easy to control. A good friend of mine has been on insulin injections for years. He switched doctors and the new one put him on a carbohydrate free diet. He has lost massive weight and now it's no longer necessary to inject insulin. His doctor told him that as long as he hold his weight to a normal range he should lead a diabetes free life.

I saw a fascinating study about twenty years ago when I was in the insurance industry. The Insurance Institute did a study of teen agers killed in accidents and looked at the autopsy results. They found that over one third of teenagers already had early to mid stage cardio-vascular disease. Some are calling it the "MacD Syndrome".

Just another case of unregulated capitalism being deadly to humanity.

But that's The American Way.