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
cleaning help near Mundelein ..Besides providing taste, color, and aroma, certain seasonings can also... Read More
It is shocking how many people are not taking advantage... Read More
It is always amazing to me when I find a... Read More
BASIC MEAL & MENU PLANNINGAs a basis for meals and... Read More
Many people avoid avocados thinking them to be fattening, but... Read More
Here's a conundrum: While experts agree that high cholesterol and... Read More
The key to good hydration is drinking a lot of... Read More
What I am also going to point out is the... Read More
It is often taken as a given fact that soy... Read More
Can a child thrive on a vegan diet? The answer... Read More
What are Glyconutrients? Glyconutrients are eight newly discovered biologically-active sugars... Read More
Some of the things you think you know that just... Read More
I know that the headline is a oldie, but it... Read More
The egg, the symbol of birth, of life and, therefore,... Read More
Some people say to themselves, junk food is not that... Read More
Beverages - and not just alcohol - are a significant... Read More
Many people experience unpleasant reactions to foods they have eaten... Read More
What Ever Happened to the Basic FourThe USDA was originally... Read More
Do you want more energy? How about more of the... Read More
Media coverage of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has incited... Read More
A frequent misunderstanding about macrobiotics is that it is a... Read More
Can we really stop the aging process, slow it down,... Read More
With all the news about Splenda of late and the... Read More
Okay, so you think you are doing pretty well with... Read More
Can the colors on your plate tell you what health... Read More
reliable maid service Wilmette ..Fad diets have been around for more than 50 years... Read More
Fat burning compatible foods seem to be a popular topic... Read More
With so much 'diet advice' around today it is little... Read More
The most dreaded word in many dieter's vocabulary is 'fat'.... Read More
"It is a bone-deep change you are going into, my... Read More
Salt does Not Cause High Blood Pressure. Some things you... Read More
This is such a busy time of year, isn't it?... Read More
You've no doubt heard the saying, "You are what you... Read More
Nutrition has everything to do with health. This isn't news,... Read More
You really are what you eat. You are also very... Read More
(ARA) - By now you probably think you've heard all... Read More
Have you ever watched someone who appears thin and healthy... Read More
As you've probably heard before, your post-workout meal may very... Read More
I'm always amazed at how many people seem to know... Read More
I had finally come to a place in my life... Read More
Dieting is a pain. I think basically everyone would agree... Read More
Vitamin EThere has been a lot of controversy about vitamin... Read More
Fat is a nutrient that is a contributor to the... Read More
The makers of Bumble Bee Tuna generated some buzz today... Read More
What is the Atkins diet and how can it help... Read More
Ambrotose? - the Nutritional Alphabet of the "Sweet Language of... Read More
Many people experience unpleasant reactions to foods they have eaten... Read More
Finding simple ways to reduce my waistline is always a... Read More
Summer is the time when we sweat highly and beating... Read More
Hormonal changes during pregnancy, and quite normal fat gain often... Read More
Nutrition |