Tuesday, October 02, 2007 Is it okay to put children on a diet?
"GOING on a diet" used to be an adult thing to do to keep one's weight down. This however does not hold true nowadays. Children and adolescents come to hear about dieting at home from their parents, see it on television or talked about it in school with their peers.
Naturally, they would think that dieting is the answer to avoid getting over weight. But is this really the right thing to do to the children? Parents highly aware of the increasing rate of obesity among children, are now showing a great concern about this issue.
In the past seeing a chubby child usually draws a compliment of " ay, ang cute, cute ng batang ito" complete with a tweak on their cheeks thinking that they are the perfect personification of a "healthy" child. Others also think that only children surrounded by food tend to over-eat.
On the contrary, children deprived of food would become too pre-occupied with it and this too will lead to over-eating. Sadly, these children may grow up to be fat or obese individuals and therefore, they are predispose to develop the illnesses associated with obesity like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart conditions to name a few.
So even before considering putting children on a diet, one must understand that children are not miniature adults. What may work for the adults may not work for them. These children are still growing and they need all the nutrients that would make them healthy.
They need protein for good muscle development, carbohydrates as a source of energy, vitamins and minerals for over-all well being. Placing them on a diet that would limit consumption of the necessary nutrients would be detrimental to them.
An all liquid diet followed by soup or crackers; or a suggested diet of a teaspoon of this or that food, or a single serving of certain food for the day, specially concocted or magic drinks, are examples of restricted diet that is not at all helpful for them.
Eating disorders maybe ushered in, in older children and the adolescents just to keep themselves from getting overweight. Missing meals is one way of dieting and this is usually the first step taken. Some may take in diet pills to curve food intake. Others may just refuse to eat thinking that anything they take would make them fat (anorexia nervosa).
Some may even induce vomiting after binge eating (bulimia nervosa) just to attain the same goal. Certainly, these practices of food intake are totally disadvantageous and are even considered dangerous to the children.
It is said that even overweight children may outgrow this phase. It is believed that eating healthy food and participating in physical activities will do the trick. Choosing healthy food always crop up when one intends to lose weight and somehow it brings about a feeling of "oh no!"
On the other hand, healthy food choices need not be unpalatable nor unexciting for there are a variety of them that really tastes good.. Fruits like bananas, papaya, mangoes are abundant and if you want the "imported fruits" red apples, green, red or black grapes, pears or oranges are here too. Fruits can be made into pies, toppings on pastries and some can be made into juices or shakes. They are so colorful and this should be enough enticement to try it.
One can still have meat minus the thick fat cuts that accompany it. One may also have chicken excluding the fats hidden beneath the skin.
Lean meat burgers with carrots in it will make it crunchy placed in a wheat bread along with the green lettuce leaves that peeps out of the lean burgers looks delicious and healthy too.
Drinks may constitute fresh fruit juices from calamansi, oranges and the like. Milk and milk products with low fat content still tastes good. For snacks they can go for the different kinds of nuts like peanuts which are common here or corn and banana whichever way it is cooked.
They may have the dried fruit preparation like raisins, mango chips and others. Fruits are bulk food and it will give the sensation of fullness yet it is healthy. Whole grain food found in breads and cereals (if one is used to it) are health foods too.
If you teach your children the importance of these food, like in milk you get calcium which makes the bones strong, meat for the protein needed for growth, fruits and vegetables for the vitamins and minerals to fight off illnesses, then perhaps the added information may sway them to at least taste it or take it.
This will encourage them to opt for healthy food for as long as there are no hidden temptations at home specially in the kitchen refrigerators and cupboards. (To be continued)
