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
best cleaning company Highland Park ..Anyone who has spent a day fasting from food, or... Read More
Healthy eating is important for everyone, from babies to the... Read More
Summer is not too far away. It is almost time... Read More
We come from a society where growing organic and just... Read More
Whether you're concerned about cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or simply... Read More
Carbohydrates have gotten a lot of bad press in the... Read More
What is nutrition? We hear so many reports today on... Read More
Our diet is an essential factor for the formation of... Read More
What is Cholesterol?Before we go into how to reduce your... Read More
You've heard that old saying: True beauty comes from within.... Read More
When it comes to planning a healthy diet, fat is... Read More
"It is a bone-deep change you are going into, my... Read More
It is always amazing to me when I find a... Read More
LIFESTYLE WELLNESS = An Adventure of Health + Vitality!Not a... Read More
In the brain, a typical protein can live for approximately... Read More
Images of "protein powder" containers with accomplished bodybuilders on their... Read More
This free list of fat burning foods will help you... Read More
With today's time constraints, stressful jobs, and "thin is in"... Read More
Aging occurs when the body's cells die at faster rates... Read More
Cholesterol. What images come to mind when you see this... Read More
The most incredible thing you can do for yourself is... Read More
Is the thrill gone? Has the thrill gone out of... Read More
Apple cider vinegar is a product of apple juice fermentation.... Read More
Detoxifying the body has become an apparent key preventative measure... Read More
Chances are you may have had a food product that... Read More
high-end home cleaning Winnetka ..Proper hydration is extremely important during exercise. Adequate fluid intake... Read More
These are questions we have to ask ourselves? because after... Read More
Acid reflux disease, or GERD, is a common compliant of... Read More
Diets concern especially Americans as they do have a "national... Read More
Nuts of all kinds (I am talking peanuts, cashews etc)... Read More
Unfortunately, it has been proved beyond doubt that a large... Read More
Carbohydrates - found in grains, breads, pasta, and sugar, as... Read More
Apple cider vinegar is a product of apple juice fermentation.... Read More
The confusion about eating healthy and dieting will now be... Read More
If you do not take time to stand back at... Read More
As you've probably heard before, your post-workout meal may very... Read More
The Omega Zone Diet and specialists' opinion"Omega RX Zone -... Read More
Established in 1989 by Stephen DeFelice, "Foundation for Innovation in... Read More
Sprouts not only taste good, but they are also a... Read More
During a recent discussion with my father about low carb... Read More
In the last twenty years, a huge and growing body... Read More
The American Heart Association recommends that you eat a variety... Read More
When you take your food next time, take care of... Read More
Following a diet program of any sort can sometimes be... Read More
Each and every person living in the UK is... Read More
Can we really stop the aging process, slow it down,... Read More
The Benefits of SnackingYou may feel regretful about snacking, but... Read More
Do you know your ph? By getting ph strips at... Read More
With all the news about Splenda of late and the... Read More
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in... Read More
Nutrition |