Finally, a positive solution regarding America's difficult and costly campaign to stem childhood obesity is emerging. For the thousands of children and their families who are currently battling with childhood obesity, this good news is long awaited.
Indeed, the risk factors for childhood obesity read like a checklist of ailments that only a generation ago would never have been linked to children and diet: heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and of course, social ridicule and alienation [i]. This latter consequence of childhood obesity -- ridicule and alienation -- has the dual effect of damaging a child both physically and emotionally far beyond childhood, and possibly for the rest of his or her natural life.
For years, medical experts have called for a multi-faceted strategy to address this epidemic. It has been clear that any long-term solution must be fought on four major fronts: physical activity, sedentary behavior, socioeconomic status, and eating habits [ii].
Yet there is room for another pillar; or, at the very least, the identification of another component that must be a part of any lasting solution. This fifth pillar, or undiscovered component, is smart nutritional supplements.
Many obese children have been told repeatedly by well-intentioned dieticians that eating smart is the key to overcoming this scarring condition. This is easier said than done; especially when emotional eating or an unobserved food addiction [1] may fuel adverse eating habits.
Yet being told to "eat smart" is oftentimes not enough. Children must be provided with foods that are nutritionally sound, and foods that they actually enjoy eating. It is this latter criterion that most well-intentioned experts and caregivers overlook. This is explained below.
Most obese children are neither unable to learn, nor willfully disobedient. Some of these children even have remarkable support from their well-adjusted families who dutifully remove the usual suspects of chips, soft drinks, chocolate bars, and other damaging foods from the home. Yet many of these same children continue to gain weight and march ever closer to the litany of health defects noted above.
These children are not sadistic, and they are not attempting to kill themselves through eating; though some do because of the stigma associated with their condition. Indeed, many obese children are cognitively aware of the danger to which they are subjecting their bodies. Yet they continue to snack away in secret, or binge on foods when they get the chance, thereby undoing whatever minor gains might have been achieved in the previous few days or weeks.
The problem is one of food selection. Generally speaking, children of all weights and shapes will not eat something that they do not like. For obese children who have typically had unfettered access to highly stimulating foods such as gravies and sugar-loaded soft drinks, the willpower to eat unpalatable foods is undeveloped. Indeed, the dietician may snack away on carrots and celery while talking to an obese child about the importance of eating smart. For the obese child, carrots and celery are foreign foods for which there is no known preference.
This fifth pillar, or new component, is therefore one that provides obese children with nutritional supplements that they will eat. As stunningly obvious ? even axiomatic ? as this seems, it has been lost on many experts until recently.
Thankfully, as noted above, there is a solution emerging. It is one that meets this demand for tasty, healthy foods. Forward-thinking companies that understand their consumers are creating low-calorie, highly nutritious foods fortified with life-sustaining vitamins and protein. More importantly: they are tasty, and are often packaged in colorful containers that are "teen-friendly". Companies including MetRx?, Experimental and Applied Sciences?, Protica Research?, and others develop products that fit well within these requirements. Granted, a healthy diet does not start or end with nutritional supplements. A healthy diet employs nutritional supplements to complement and fortify real foods.
Indeed, children and families affected by the obesity epidemic in America are cautiously optimistic at this point; after all, they have been promised solutions in the past. However, thanks to the next generation of nutritional supplements, there is an expectation that this optimism will steadily grow with every success story, and every child that recovers from the potentially devastating impact of obesity.
ABOUT PROTICA
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com
You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com
REFERENCES
[i] Source: "The Problem of Overweight in Children and Adolescents". The US Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_adolescents.htm
[ii] Source: "Childhood Obesity". American Obesity Association. http://www.obesity.org/subs/childhood/causes.shtml
Copyright 2004 - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com
tidy up service Glenview ..Eating right to suit your blood type" is a subject... Read More
According to the renowned research scientist and inventor of the... Read More
What is health? Everyone wants this thing called health, and... Read More
With all the news about Splenda of late and the... Read More
Finally, dieters and healthy eaters everywhere have reason to rejoice,... Read More
1. Enjoy what you eatWhether someone is following the Atkins... Read More
Water is the most abundant substance in the human body.... Read More
Health food or heart attack on a plate? Eggs had... Read More
Our bodies need cholesterol. We use cholesterol to produce vitamin... Read More
Studies on whey demonstrate it's an even better protein supplement... Read More
My name is Mildred Shears. I'm retired and I live... Read More
Cholesterol has been around for thousands of years. It's a... Read More
Most of us are "regular" people. We don't eat the... Read More
PROTEIN DEFICIENT? CHANCES ARE YOU ARE!Did you know that 9... Read More
Vitamins & Minerals are essential to sustain life. Its what... Read More
There are basically four major components, or essential molecular components... Read More
The problem with sugar is that it doesn't contain any... Read More
Several years ago, Marilyn M. couldn't even spell fibromyalgia.Now she... Read More
The cry of "I have no willpower!" often emerges from... Read More
So, what is new about this that you already don't... Read More
A frequent misunderstanding about macrobiotics is that it is a... Read More
With the array of different diets and diet foods available... Read More
The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very... Read More
What is the best protein powder to buy? I get... Read More
Many people experience unpleasant reactions to foods they have eaten... Read More
full-service cleaning Mundelein ..Being vegetarian is one of the greatest things in the... Read More
The most dreaded word in many dieter's vocabulary is 'fat'.... Read More
Originally, all foods were "organic" ? grown and prepared without... Read More
Mango is my favorite fruit next to pineapples. They're sweet,... Read More
Every person on earth has experienced pain at one time... Read More
Like the Sun, Moon, and Earth, there are three kinds... Read More
Nutrition has everything to do with health. This isn't news,... Read More
Imagine you're a cell.Inside your body runs the machinery that... Read More
The proliferation of fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and vending... Read More
Oats (botanical name Avena sativa)An oat is a grass that... Read More
Summer is not too far away. It is almost time... Read More
America's major dietary deficiency - EFA a panacea for good... Read More
"It's not what you eat, it's what's eating you that... Read More
When it comes to planning a healthy diet, fat is... Read More
What is the best protein powder to buy? I get... Read More
Coke, more commonly known as cocaine is a highly addictive... Read More
If you want to build muscle, lose body fat or... Read More
Bye Bye HolidaysHoping everyone had a fun, fantastic, exciting and... Read More
First some terminology.Fructose ... a five carbon sugar that occurs... Read More
Did you know that there might be poison in many... Read More
Acid reflux disease, or GERD, is a common compliant of... Read More
While packages of the artificial sweetener Splenda claim, "made from... Read More
Our bodies are truly incredible machines. What makes cells healthy?... Read More
The factors that affect the nutritional requirements of an individual... Read More
There are a number of common food mistakes that costs... Read More
Nutrition |