Just Say No: Low Fat Diets are Not for Children

[Guest guest]

http://www.naturalnews.com/025921.html

 

With childhood obesity levels climbing at an alarming rate, it's no wonder

parents are more concerned than ever about what their children are eating.

Adults are constantly bombarded with the latest diet foods and weight loss

pills, and in a world that's so weight-conscious, it's difficult not to

translate these ideas into the way we deal with our children's health. Although

we want our children to be healthy, diet fads are not the answer. This includes

the standard low-fat diet, which is suspiciously ineffective for adults in the

long-term, and downright dangerous for our children.

In 2007, a study from the University of Delaware was published in the Nutrition

Journal which showed children and adults burn about the same amount of fat each

day, even though children burn much less overall energy. Children need a diet

higher in fat compared to adults. They need around 5-10% more calories from fat

than adults do. This is because, even though children are smaller in size, their

bodies use an enormous amount of energy in support of growth and development.

This includes the development of the nervous system, immune system, bone

structure and muscle tissue.

Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum states, " I think this research is

absolutely right. If the word 'diet' is written on a packet or can, it really

shouldn't be given to children who have totally different energy needs for their

growth, and who burn off a lot of energy just by growing. Fad diets are not

appropriate for children. "

This information is not widely displayed in the media, where low-fat diet foods

are frequently praised in both regular programming and commercial

advertisements. There are even many medical professionals who give the vague

recommendation of eating as little fat as possible. With parents constantly

hearing that dietary fat is bad and should be avoided, it's easy to think that

this must be healthy for their children, too.

This misinformation is no less than destructive to our children's health.

Children's bodies require fat to develop and function properly. Without a

certain amount of fat present, fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K can't be

stored or utilized. These vitamins are absolutely crucial for developmental

growth in our children; any long-term deficiency can have lifelong effects. A

committee from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force reported that low-fat

diets can cause growth retardation and thwart the natural process of puberty.

Children simply can't gain enough weight or linear height on these diets.

In a society where so many adults are obsessed with the numbers on a scale, it

can be difficult to view weight gain as a good thing. But in children, a certain

amount of weight must be gained to develop properly. In addition, there are

certain periods of growth, such as adolescence, when it is normal for a child to

store extra fat. This is when many parents and teens become frightened of

obesity and start the low-fat diet bandwagon that, for some, may become a

lifetime battle. By distorting a child's image of food early in life, we may be

paving the way for future eating disorders like anorexia.

Part of rearing healthy children is helping them form a positive relationship

with food. Natural, unprocessed fats are not a food to be shunned but something

that can be highly beneficial if used in moderation. The same applies to

carbohydrates and proteins. We don't want to severely limit or overindulge in

these types of food, either. The goal is to strive for moderation while making

healthy, natural choices. Children need to learn that quality foods are to be

enjoyed not only for their taste but also because these foods are necessary for

life.

Sources:

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com...

http://www.westonaprice.org/traditi...

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article...

 

About the author

Walling is a freelance writer, specializing in articles about health

and family nutrition. She is a strong believer in natural living as a way to

improve health and prevent common illnesses.

Love, Gabby. :0)

http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/

 

" I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had

some Autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin. " ~ Jerry Newport

 

 

[Guest guest]

My sister had a friend who fed her then toddler nothing but low fat and non fat

foods. It's been about 12 years and he is underweight and small for his size.

All the best,

Robyn

> From: a DeVelbiss <gabrieladevelbiss@...>

> Subject: Just Say No: Low Fat Diets are Not for Children

> " Stem Cell for autism 2 " <StemCell_for_Autism2 >,

gfcfrecipes , GAPShelp ,

alternative-autismhealing ,

tracyautismparentsgroup , valleysnafu ,

SymphonicHealth , chelatingkids2 ,

, mb12 valtrex ,

, VitaminK ,

india_developmentaldisabilities

> Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 2:32 PM

> http://www.naturalnews.com/025921.html

>  

> With childhood obesity levels climbing at an alarming rate,

> it's no wonder parents are more concerned than ever

> about what their children are eating. Adults are constantly

> bombarded with the latest diet foods and weight loss pills,

> and in a world that's so weight-conscious, it's

> difficult not to translate these ideas into the way we deal

> with our children's health. Although we want our

> children to be healthy, diet fads are not the answer. This

> includes the standard low-fat diet, which is suspiciously

> ineffective for adults in the long-term, and downright

> dangerous for our children.

>

> In 2007, a study from the University of Delaware was

> published in the Nutrition Journal which showed children and

> adults burn about the same amount of fat each day, even

> though children burn much less overall energy. Children need

> a diet higher in fat compared to adults. They need around

> 5-10% more calories from fat than adults do. This is

> because, even though children are smaller in size, their

> bodies use an enormous amount of energy in support of growth

> and development. This includes the development of the

> nervous system, immune system, bone structure and muscle

> tissue.

>

> Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum states, " I think

> this research is absolutely right. If the word

> 'diet' is written on a packet or can, it really

> shouldn't be given to children who have totally

> different energy needs for their growth, and who burn off a

> lot of energy just by growing. Fad diets are not appropriate

> for children. "

>

> This information is not widely displayed in the media,

> where low-fat diet foods are frequently praised in both

> regular programming and commercial advertisements. There are

> even many medical professionals who give the vague

> recommendation of eating as little fat as possible. With

> parents constantly hearing that dietary fat is bad and

> should be avoided, it's easy to think that this must be

> healthy for their children, too.

>

> This misinformation is no less than destructive to our

> children's health. Children's bodies require fat to

> develop and function properly. Without a certain amount of

> fat present, fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K

> can't be stored or utilized. These vitamins are

> absolutely crucial for developmental growth in our children;

> any long-term deficiency can have lifelong effects. A

> committee from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force

> reported that low-fat diets can cause growth retardation and

> thwart the natural process of puberty. Children simply

> can't gain enough weight or linear height on these

> diets.

>

> In a society where so many adults are obsessed with the

> numbers on a scale, it can be difficult to view weight gain

> as a good thing. But in children, a certain amount of weight

> must be gained to develop properly. In addition, there are

> certain periods of growth, such as adolescence, when it is

> normal for a child to store extra fat. This is when many

> parents and teens become frightened of obesity and start the

> low-fat diet bandwagon that, for some, may become a lifetime

> battle. By distorting a child's image of food early in

> life, we may be paving the way for future eating disorders

> like anorexia.

>

> Part of rearing healthy children is helping them form a

> positive relationship with food. Natural, unprocessed fats

> are not a food to be shunned but something that can be

> highly beneficial if used in moderation. The same applies to

> carbohydrates and proteins. We don't want to severely

> limit or overindulge in these types of food, either. The

> goal is to strive for moderation while making healthy,

> natural choices. Children need to learn that quality foods

> are to be enjoyed not only for their taste but also because

> these foods are necessary for life.

>

> Sources:

>

> http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com...

>

> http://www.westonaprice.org/traditi...

>

> http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article...

>

>  

> About the author

> Walling is a freelance writer, specializing in

> articles about health and family nutrition. She is a strong

> believer in natural living as a way to improve health and

> prevent common illnesses.

>

>

>

>

> Love, Gabby. :0)

> http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/

>  

> " I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely

> neurotypical. Even God had some Autistic moments, which is

> why the planets all spin. " ~ Jerry Newport

>  

>  

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Children MUST have healthy fats for their brains and bodies to develop

properly.

I also recently read that there is no correlation between a low fat diet and

better health for adults, either.

Kristy

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Robyn

& Greg Coggins

Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 4:50 PM

Subject: Re: Just Say No: Low Fat Diets are Not for Children

My sister had a friend who fed her then toddler nothing but low fat and non

fat foods. It's been about 12 years and he is underweight and small for his

size.

All the best,

Robyn

> From: a DeVelbiss <gabrieladevelbiss@...

<mailto:gabrieladevelbiss%40> >

> Subject: Just Say No: Low Fat Diets are Not for Children

> " Stem Cell for autism 2 " <StemCell_for_Autism2

<mailto:StemCell_for_Autism2%40> >,

gfcfrecipes <mailto:gfcfrecipes%40> ,

GAPShelp <mailto:GAPShelp%40> ,

alternative-autismhealing

<mailto:alternative-autismhealing%40> ,

tracyautismparentsgroup

<mailto:tracyautismparentsgroup%40> ,

valleysnafu <mailto:valleysnafu%40> ,

SymphonicHealth <mailto:SymphonicHealth%40> ,

chelatingkids2 <mailto:chelatingkids2%40> ,

<mailto: %40> , mb12 valtrex

<mailto:mb12 valtrex%40> ,

<mailto:%40> , VitaminK

<mailto:VitaminK%40> ,

india_developmentaldisabilities

<mailto:india_developmentaldisabilities%40>

> Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 2:32 PM

> http://www.naturalnews.com/025921.html

>

> With childhood obesity levels climbing at an alarming rate,

> it's no wonder parents are more concerned than ever

> about what their children are eating. Adults are constantly

> bombarded with the latest diet foods and weight loss pills,

> and in a world that's so weight-conscious, it's

> difficult not to translate these ideas into the way we deal

> with our children's health. Although we want our

> children to be healthy, diet fads are not the answer. This

> includes the standard low-fat diet, which is suspiciously

> ineffective for adults in the long-term, and downright

> dangerous for our children.

>

> In 2007, a study from the University of Delaware was

> published in the Nutrition Journal which showed children and

> adults burn about the same amount of fat each day, even

> though children burn much less overall energy. Children need

> a diet higher in fat compared to adults. They need around

> 5-10% more calories from fat than adults do. This is

> because, even though children are smaller in size, their

> bodies use an enormous amount of energy in support of growth

> and development. This includes the development of the

> nervous system, immune system, bone structure and muscle

> tissue.

>

> Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum states, " I think

> this research is absolutely right. If the word

> 'diet' is written on a packet or can, it really

> shouldn't be given to children who have totally

> different energy needs for their growth, and who burn off a

> lot of energy just by growing. Fad diets are not appropriate

> for children. "

>

> This information is not widely displayed in the media,

> where low-fat diet foods are frequently praised in both

> regular programming and commercial advertisements. There are

> even many medical professionals who give the vague

> recommendation of eating as little fat as possible. With

> parents constantly hearing that dietary fat is bad and

> should be avoided, it's easy to think that this must be

> healthy for their children, too.

>

> This misinformation is no less than destructive to our

> children's health. Children's bodies require fat to

> develop and function properly. Without a certain amount of

> fat present, fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K

> can't be stored or utilized. These vitamins are

> absolutely crucial for developmental growth in our children;

> any long-term deficiency can have lifelong effects. A

> committee from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force

> reported that low-fat diets can cause growth retardation and

> thwart the natural process of puberty. Children simply

> can't gain enough weight or linear height on these

> diets.

>

> In a society where so many adults are obsessed with the

> numbers on a scale, it can be difficult to view weight gain

> as a good thing. But in children, a certain amount of weight

> must be gained to develop properly. In addition, there are

> certain periods of growth, such as adolescence, when it is

> normal for a child to store extra fat. This is when many

> parents and teens become frightened of obesity and start the

> low-fat diet bandwagon that, for some, may become a lifetime

> battle. By distorting a child's image of food early in

> life, we may be paving the way for future eating disorders

> like anorexia.

>

> Part of rearing healthy children is helping them form a

> positive relationship with food. Natural, unprocessed fats

> are not a food to be shunned but something that can be

> highly beneficial if used in moderation. The same applies to

> carbohydrates and proteins. We don't want to severely

> limit or overindulge in these types of food, either. The

> goal is to strive for moderation while making healthy,

> natural choices. Children need to learn that quality foods

> are to be enjoyed not only for their taste but also because

> these foods are necessary for life.

>

> Sources:

>

> http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com...

>

> http://www.westonaprice.org/traditi...

>

> http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article...

>

>

> About the author

> Walling is a freelance writer, specializing in

> articles about health and family nutrition. She is a strong

> believer in natural living as a way to improve health and

> prevent common illnesses.

>

>

>

>

> Love, Gabby. :0)

> http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/

>

> " I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely

> neurotypical. Even God had some Autistic moments, which is

> why the planets all spin. " ~ Jerry Newport

>

>

>

>

>

>

>