Finally, a positive solution concerning 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 excellent news is long awaited.
Indeed, the risk factors for childhood weight problems read like a checklist of ailments that only a generation ago would never have been linked to children and diet: heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and naturally, social ridicule and alienation [i]. Childhood obesity is physically and emotionally damaging and its effects can last for the child’s lifetime.
Many medical specialists believe a multi-faceted technique can help reduce the epidemic. Long term solutions include things such as defeating the child’s sedentary lifestyle, increasing their physical activity, dealing with their socioeconomic status, and in addition improving their eating habits [ii].
Yet there’s room for an additional pillar; or, at the very least, the identification of another component that has to be part of any lasting solution. This undiscovered part contains nutritional supplements.
Smart eating is one of the primary ways of overcoming childhood obesity. This is easier said than done; especially when emotional eating or an unobserved food addiction [1] could fuel adverse eating habits.
Yet being informed to “eat smart” is oftentimes not enough. Although children can be provided with wholesome foods, they might not actually enjoy eating them. It is this latter criterion that most well-intentioned specialists and caregivers overlook. This is explained below.
Many children are actually willing to learn and are quitet obedient. Some children are extremely supported and their diets rigidly controlled by their families. Many of those children will continue to gain weight and experience health issues.
These children aren’t sadistic, and they are not making an attempt to kill themselves by 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 proceed 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 won’t eat something that they do not like. For overweight children who’ve typically had unfettered access to highly stimulating foods such as gravies and sugar-loaded soft drinks, the willpower to eat unpalatable foods is undeveloped. Dieticians might suggest snacks such as celery or carrots. Obese children often feel that these are foreign foods and won’t understand how to include them in their daily routines.
This fifth pillar, or new element, is therefore one that provides overweight children with nutritional supplements that they’ll eat. It realized something seemingly extraordinarily obvious.
A solution is starting to gain energy. 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 sometimes packaged in colorful containers that are “teen-friendly”. Companies including MetRx, Experimental and Applied Sciences, Protica Research, and others develop merchandise that fit well within these requirements. Granted, a healthy diet doesn’t begin or end with nutritional supplements. A healthy diet employs nutritional supplements to enrich and fortify real foods.
It’s fine to be skeptical of this new solution since many other options have been attempted and failed. However, thanks to the next generation of nutritional supplements, there is an expectation that this optimism will steadily grow with each success story, and each child that recovers from the potentially devastating influence of obesity.
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
Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein liquid for renal care patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright