Healthy food choices for children

Dr. Robert Lustig, a paediatric endocrinologist from the University of California, San Francisco, has blamed high-calorie, low-fibre Western diets for hormonal imbalances that lead to over eating among children. America now has twice as many overweight children than three decades ago. That means one in five children in the US is overweight.

Dr Lustig has particularly blamed the food processing industry, especially the fruit juice manufactures, for their increasing practice of loading their products with fructose and reducing their fibre content. Fructose is a form of sugar present in many fruits.

The fibre comes from the indigestible component of food, such as the peel in the case of fruits. The drink, which is therefore rendered less nutritious, is promoted as healthy for the children thus leading to its excessive consumption.
Going by the reports in the media, Dr Lusting has become a strong opponent of the processed food industry. He has also blamed parents at home and administrators at schools for their unhealthy choice of foods for children.

According to Dr Lustig, diseases that once occurred among adults are now increasingly seen in children. He particularly quotes type 2 diabetes in children to be largely associated with their being overweight and obese.

Overweight children will become overweight adults who will be at a greater risk of hypertension, heart disease and strokes.

Lustig says that the current Western food environment has become highly “insulinogenic”, which is demonstrated by its increased energy density, high-fat content, increased fructose composition, decreased fiber, and decreased dairy content.

“In particular, fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin,” he adds.

Lustig’s current research focuses on the hormone leptin, which is associated with regulation of calorie intake and expenditure in the body. When leptin is functioning properly it increases physical activity, decreases appetite, and increases feelings of well-being. Conversely, when leptin is suppressed, feelings of well-being and activity decrease and appetite increases, a state called “leptin resistance”.

It is well known that another hormone called insulin acts on the brain to encourage eating and also helps in processing the blood sugar that comes from the food we eat.

The food processing industry has been held responsible for adding sugar to a wide variety of foods and for the removal of fiber. Both of these promote insulin production. This, according to Lustig, has created a “toxic environment” in which our foods are essentially addictive and tend to lure kids into eating calorie-rich, low-fibre products, and making them lose their sense as to when they should eat and when not.

Add comment August 21st, 2006 Written By: lalitgambhir