Sugar Or Not Sugar? Take Your Vote.

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Raising a toddler is fun and is a huge responsibility. Not just to raise him or her a good person who contributes to the society, but most of all to raise this child with reasoning.

A child with cravings for truly healthy whole foods like fruit and veggies.

A child whose compassion will heal the world around her and within.

Little do we realize that the majority of these and other values are “given” to our child very, very, very early in life. By that I mean from birth up to 3 years old. This developmental period is critical not only in mastering linguistic, motor, emotional control, social attachments skills. This is the window of opportunity to give your child a sense of foods surrounding her.

Reading a research article on sucrose exposure of mice showed in that experiment that:
1. The mice who were given unlimited access to sucrose or table sugar gained considerably more weight than those mice that were not exposed to sugar. Please note that the experiment was conducted on baby mice who were just weaned from their mothers. (See reference below)
2. Plus, this sucrose exposure was for a short period of time. Which suggests that it doesn’t take a lot of effort and time to give a child a burden for the rest of her life. Mainly, a burden of fighting for her normal weight.

One time more, it reminded me of importance to offer more whole foods, fruit and vegetables in front of my toddler son.

The biggest gift I could give him that would bring joy to him and the people around him year after year would be a sense of yumminess that is found in fresh fruit and vegetables.

Silly desire of mine? May be. However I am not afraid to seem silly, for the vibrant health is the only powerful force that could take him far and beyond on his path of living his own dream life.

Celebrate Your Child Today!

References:
Sucrose Exposure in Early Life Alters Adult Motivation and Weight Gain by Cristianne R.M. Frazier(1), Peggy Mason (1,2), Xiaoxi Zhuang (1,2), Jeff A. Beeler(2)
1 Committee on Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, 2 Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America

Preventing Childhood Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome in Kids

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Preventing Childhood Obesity:
The Early Intervention Imperative

Nick C. Smith, VP Research, GoZonkers

Editors Note: With the continued rise in childhood obesity unabated, many parents ask the question, “Why not wait for my child to grow out of their baby fat and cute chubbiness before I have to worry about it?”

Parents also raise the question, “What is an effective solution if my child is overweight?”

This article seeks to begin answering these key questions, for parents, teachers, and clinicians.

Evidence becomes inexorably more compelling that the current epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity is directly caused by lack of physical activity and increased caloric intake. Children are progressively exposed to less and less regular physical activity, while being over-exposed to calorie dense, nutritionally poor foods.

The solution to this world-wide problem lies in the schools and the homes of children. Each provide powerful opportunities to make the lifestyle interventions proven effective in changing the activity and eating patterns of at-risk children.

• With insufficient physical activity, children afflicted with overweight and obesity are at elevated risk of early onset of weight-related diseases like hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart enlargement, current and later cardiovascular disease, early cancer, limited cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal development, reduced cognitive development, social ostracism, bullying (both perpetrator and victim), decreased academic progress, anxiety, and depression.

• The most effective interventions are well-known; regular and vigorous physical activity, and a change from high calorie, nutrient-poor foods to low calorie, nutrient-dense foods. In todayʼs obesogenic, a concerted effort will be required to ensure the adoption of positive lifestyle changes.

• Schools are positioned to be highly influential in the development of healthy children. Rather than detracting from academic progress, time spent in physical activity during the school day actually improves learning capacity, and well-nourished children are clearly more receptive to instruction. School facilities and personnel can provide both. Preventing Childhood Obesity: Th Early Intervention Imperative

• The fundamental responsibility for child health lies in the home, where parents and siblings have a powerful effect on the kind of lifestyle adopted. Parental role modeling of foods eaten, meal settings, and exercise patterns are the foundation of a childʼs adoption of a healthy lifestyle.

More to come. Stay Tuned.

You can contact me via my LinkedIn profile

VP Programs Development, ScaleDown for Life
VP Education, GoZonkers Inc.
Founder, CelebrateLifeNutrition.com
Curb Your Appetite – Stop Your Cravings
©2010 Laura Gontchar. All Rights Reserved.