Saturday, May 17, 2008 Huang-Teves: Eating right for kids By Janette Huang-Teves Mom-about-town
IN THE most recent National Nutrition Survey (NNS) of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, there has been a doubling of obesity rates of children here in the Philippines.
"This might be due to the decrease in the physical activities of a typical Filipino child. Children, nowadays, are so engrossed in watching television or playing computer games that they have no more time to exercise. We should allow our kids at least 60 minutes a day to run and play actively", explains Sharlynne Grace "Shay" Tagle-Serapio.
Shay is a registered nutritionist-dietitian who graduated from the University of the Philippines Los Baños in 2003. She is also a US-registered dietitian and US-registered nurse.
Last March 2008, she finished her Masters in Educational Management from the University of Immaculate Conception (UIC) where she teaches at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics. UIC is the only school in Davao City that offers the Nutrition course.
Married to missionary Mike Serapio, 25-year-old Shay is an active member of the Nutritionists'-Dietitians' Association of the Philippines (NDAP), both in the Davao and mother chapters. In addition, she is a member of the American Dietetic Association and serves as the Philippines' country representative to the American Overseas Dietetic Association.
Shay is likewise the Program Development Head of their family-owned Nurse Care Review Center at the ATU Complex along Duterte St. and teaches Nutrition for Nurses as well as Test Taking Strategies for the NClex Exam.
I am sharing to you my interview with Shay as she discusses useful information on "Eating Right for Kids":
Why is it important to start educating young children about the importance of good nutrition?
Childhood is a crucial stage to educate the importance of good nutrition. It is in this stage that kids are very receptive to learning, develop their eating habits and realize their food likes and dislikes.
Nutrition is vital because children are growing and need to be provided with all the essential nutrients the body needs for both brain and growth development. It is in this time that parents should teach their child about proper nutrition which they can carry on throughout their life.
In the Philippines, it is unfortunate that schools do not consult nutritionists for the meals that are being served in canteens. In the U.S., it's the nutritionist/dietitian who plans the cafeteria menu to ensure the healthy food items for children. Even the public schools in the U.S. have the School Lunch Program that is being planned and reviewed by registered dietitians.
Define what a balanced diet is for young children.
A balanced diet should always be considered in preparing a child's meal. It should have the six complete essential nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.
This is best illustrated in the Food Pyramid. It shows how much servings of food in the food groups we should give our children. (Check out www.fnri.dost.gov.ph to view the food pyramid for Filipino kids).
Parents play a big role in this since children tend to have "food jags" (e.g., constantly eating only one or two foods like hotdog and fried chicken). We should keep in mind that children should eat a variety of foods everyday since no one food can provide all the nutrients a child needs in a day. It is therefore the parents' responsibility to make mealtime pleasant and provide healthy foods.
Define obesity. How do you know if your child is obese?
We define obesity by referring to the International Reference Standards by the World Health Organization. Obesity is defined if the child's weight-for-age falls above the 95 percentile.
What are the complications/diseases associated with obesity?
Complications/diseases for obese children are similar with adults. Obese children may also have increased blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac output, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and hyperlipidemia and other health problems.
Older children may develop hip and knee problems from obesity and may suffer from the social stigma attached to obesity. Obese children have an 85% chance of becoming obese adults if they are obese after the age of 10.
How can we prevent our children from being obese?
In preventing children from being obese, we always have to provide them with nutritious food to eat, and together with that, they should be able to have ample physical activity to increase their basal metabolic rate.
How early can a child start dieting? Do you recommend it? Please explain.
Children should not be put on "diets". Children are growing; therefore if weight can be maintained by exercise and physical activity, obesity can be avoided.
Weight control boils down to energy balance. Meaning, if calories consumed equal calories burned, there should be no problem.
Do you have tips on how parents can be creative in serving vegetables to children? How do we encourage our kids to eat vegetables?
Children learn best by imitation. Parents can greatly help their children eat vegetables by being good examples to them. If kids see their parents eat vegetables, they will most likely be interested in eating vegetables as well.
In introducing vegetables to children, make sure you introduce one new vegetable at a time, let their taste buds adjust to the new taste gradually. If children don't like it, don't stop trying. They will get used to the taste in time. For recipes, check out this site: www.easy-kids-recipes.com/vegetable-casserole-recipes.html.
How can we balance giving our children "good" food as well as junk food and fast food treats?
Remember that parents have the control in their children's food habits. Parents hold the key. No food is bad for children. All food will definitely have nutrients but if taken in excess, this would be a different story.
There is nothing wrong in eating at fast food chains, but if your child eats fast food every day, this practice should be changed. Instead, we should provide kids with foods that are healthier and nutritious. Meaning, if you don't want them eating junk food, don't buy junk food. Rather buy biscuits, cookies, bread, `kakanin' and other healthier snacks.
Sandwiches and nutrient dense foods are better snacks compared with those that are just high in fats and salt. However, it is acceptable to give kids occasional chocolates and candies.
Do you recommend vitamins/food supplements for kids? Why or why not?
Parents should be cautious in giving vitamins/food supplements for kids. If children are eating well and taking nutritious foods, there is really no need for vitamins/food supplements.
Toxicity cases on chewable vitamins have been reported in the U.S. because children take these like candies. Parents should not allow these because vitamins can be toxic if taken in large amounts.
But for children with problems in appetite, their physician might recommend vitamin supplements. But again, let's just be cautious with these products, because not all of these have sufficient studies on safety. Food is still the safest source of vitamins and minerals.
How many calories should a child consume in a day?
In computing for calorie needs for children, we use the formula = 1000 + (age in years x 100). There is a table on average caloric requirements by age in this website: www.keepkidshealthy.com/nutrition/calorie_requirements.html.
How many calories should a child burn in a day?
There are no exact numbers for this question. But like what I mentioned, energy balance is intake equals output. So with adequate exercise and physical activity the child can burn the calories.
Do you recommend that parents prepare a meal plan for their kids?
A meal plan is definitely a good way to think about the menu and food items best for your kids. However, not all parents are well versed about doing meal planning.
So, for parents who have the patience to read and study a little on meal planning, it is great to do a meal plan for your kids. Meal planning gives an opportunity for the parents to plan the foods that their children eat. They can plan food items that may vary and can also spend time in thinking about new recipes and healthier snacks for their children.
This will also allow parents to know the meals that their children will be eating, which means that they can be able to assess and evaluate the meals before they serve them to their kids.
Do you have an active group of nutritionists here in Davao?
Yes, we have an active group of nutritionists here in Davao, The Nutritionists'-Dietitians' Association of the Philippines (NDAP) Davao Chapter. I am proud to say that we are a dynamic group and just last March 13-14, 2008 in Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao, our chapter hosted the 53rd Annual National Convention for NDAP.
We are present in hospitals, schools, fitness centers, specialty health centers, and public health institutions. These institutions make sure they hire a nutritionist-dietitian. On the other hand, for the hospitals, the ratio is that they have to hire one nutritionist-dietitian for every 75 beds.
Lastly, what services can nutritionists offer parents/kids who would like to consult with them?
Nutritionists can offer parents/kids advices to good nutrition in general and to the specifics like a meal plan for children. Nutritionists are known to be the experts in food and nutrition. Therefore, in terms of expert advice regarding food and proper nutrition for children it is still best to consult a nutritionist/dietitian.
To get in touch with Ms. Shay Tagle-Serapio, you may call her at tel. no. 2258124 (Nurse Care Review Center) or e-mail her at shaytagleserapio@yahoo.com.
E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.mom-about-town.blogspot.com.
