To Parents:
Making Five Nutrition Truisms Crystal Clear

The beginning of the school year and the promise of a better routine is the perfect time for parents to consider healthier habits for their children. Having two small children of my own, I find that the challenge is to keep kids on a healthy track while trying to sort through all the information we receive from friends and the media. Too much information can oftentimes derail a well-intentioned attempt. So below is my own attempt to clarify some commonly held beliefs:

Belief 1: Combining diet and exercise is the way to manage a child’s weight.

Diet and exercise are important, but there is a third element that is often overlooked. Expressing feelings and getting kids to deal with family and social situations can help unlock some of the food triggers that can contribute to weight gain. ‘‘When kids can’t express themselves, they stuff the feelings inside,” says Bob Mellin, president of Shapedown, a children’s weight management program developed at the University of California, San Francisco. Heading into its 30th successful year, Shapedown deals with obesity as a biopsychosocial issue, which means that all aspects of a child’s life must be in ‘‘good working order” for weight loss to occur. ‘‘Kids overeat to comfort themselves, to create boundaries for themselves, and to gain attention from a distracted or disengaged parent,” Mellin explains. Over scheduling a child that already has lots of homework will only add to the stress that he feels, so limiting school activities to a manageable amount is important. Rather than scheduling more activities, schedule in some good conversation and dedicated time with your child. (For more information go to www.shapedown.com).

Belief 2: Children can eat as much fruit as they’d like.

While fruit sugar, called fructose, absorbs more slowly into the blood stream than sucrose sugar, it is still sugar. Athletes, who utilize great quantities of sugar for energy, can metabolize 25 – 39 grams of fructose a day, but a couch potato can only really metabolize 5 grams/day. There are almost 7 grams of fructose in just one banana. So are bananas and fruits bad? No, but balancing fruit with other healthy snacks like trail mix and vegetables is a smarter option. Even better: add some protein like peanut butter to a banana or apple, which will slow sugar absorption even more. Too much sugar can raise triglyceride levels, another reason to watch total sugar intake from all sources.

Belief 3: Food provides all the nutrients that kids need for healthy bodies.

This would be true if a child were eating plenty of dark leafy greens each day, along with fruits, fish and lean meats. But the latest reports indicate that only 20 percent of children consume the recommended 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and 30 percent of those vegetables are French fries.

Numerous studies have documented low intakes of iron, zinc, calcium and other micronutrients in young children. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a good example of a condition linked to nutrient deficiencies in children. Several studies have found that children with ADHD — and there are 3 million in the U.S. — are more likely to be zinc deficient than other children and, when treated with zinc, the children improved in categories such as hyperactivity, impulsiveness and socialization.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that vitamins may be important for children who have poor appetites or erratic eating habits or if a highly selective diet is consumed (like vegetarianism). If your child falls into one of these categories a children’s multivitamin will assure that he is getting enough of some critical nutrients.

Belief 4: A low cholesterol diet is a healthy choice for children.

Should we remove fat from children’s food, for fear of increased cholesterol levels?

According to Dr. Ashley Serwer, pediatrician at Potomac Valley Pediatrics in Gaithersburg, ‘‘Low fat diets for children could be potentially harmful. Children and adolescents require a daily intake of good cholesterol for many important vital processes.” Among the role of cholesterol is the synthesis of hormones, regulation of body temperature, and brain and nervous system development. A few studies have shown that children who follow low fat or fat free diets can suffer from growth problems, failure to thrive and learning disabilities. Serwer cautions that low fat/low cholesterol diets are usually reserved for overweight children with documented elevated cholesterol levels, and that parents should consult a pediatric nutritionist prior to starting a child on a low fat diet.

Most interesting is the potential benefit of healthy fats on children’s mental capabilities and focus. A study in The American Journal of Psychiatry reported this year that healthy omega 3 fats given to children in therapeutic doses showed decreases in symptoms of depression. In fact, 50 percent of the kids had relief from symptoms, and almost half of the children achieved remission.

The American Heart Association’s newest guidelines now recommend higher levels of omega 3 essential fatty acids and unsaturated fats in children’s diets for not only heart health, but for mental focus and stability. So load up on the good fats: avocado, almonds, olive oil, salmon and other fatty fishes. If you’re daring, you can even try some of the new fruit-flavored cod liver oils.

Belief 5: Good hand washing will keep kids healthy during the school year.

Hand washing is a great idea, but how many children actually wash correctly? And then, what happens the next time they scratch their noses and then hold hands in a circle? The common cold is inevitable, but reducing its severity is feasible. We can start from the inside, by increasing our kids’ internal defenses. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics released results of a study done last year proving that a multivitamin-multimineral supplement combined with probiotics supports the immune system and may reduce the duration of the common cold and decrease the number of days with fever. Probiotics — like acidophilus found in yogurt — are beneficial bacteria that naturally reside in the gastrointestinal tract. These ‘‘good bugs” can quickly become depleted after continued use of antibiotics or high sugar diets. I have found that the easiest way to get an adequate level of probiotics into kids is to sneak it into their normal food consumption: buy a powdered formula, and mix it into yogurts, milk and cereal and juice. The powder is tasteless, and may be just what they need in terms of a little added protection this winter.

So there you have it: the short version of a lot of homework that I’ve done about kid nutrition. Subtract some sugar, add in some nutrients and some good conversation, and the net result, I hope, will be a smarter, healthier school year for every child. And for the parents, a little more peace of mind.

Questions and Comments?