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
recurring cleaning service Mundelein ..1. Water. If you're thirsty you're already dehydrated. The majority... Read More
The American Heart Association recommends that you eat a variety... Read More
You are a mineral bodyEvery part of you is made... Read More
Your fiber intake is a critical factor in weight loss... Read More
If you are like most people, you don't enjoy the... Read More
Some experts consider carbohydrate craving and addiction as something more... Read More
For some people it is really hard to give up... Read More
Nutrition has everything to do with health. This isn't news,... Read More
Understanding ocular nutrition and eye health can be one of... Read More
A green and lush oasis in the middle of a... Read More
The ingredients list found on the back or side panel... Read More
The Omega Zone Diet and specialists' opinion"Omega RX Zone -... Read More
How many times have you tried to diet/lose weight in... Read More
After WLS we must concentrate on eating nutrient rich food.... Read More
This is such a busy time of year, isn't it?... Read More
Quick Overview- I think the most important thing for people... Read More
I am sure you have heard you have to build... Read More
Here's a conundrum: While experts agree that high cholesterol and... Read More
Recently, trans fats have risen to the forefront of the... Read More
The body is a marvelous creation, a carbon, oxygen combustion... Read More
So what's all the shake up about anyway?. To put... Read More
Remember the old adage, you are what you eat? The... Read More
Water is a vitally important component of any valuable and... Read More
Having spent most of my life living off of junk... Read More
According to the National Institute of Health, Magnesium is needed... Read More
tidy up service Buffalo Grove ..Come on, guys and gals. Those Trix are for kids.And... Read More
One of the most common questions I am asked is... Read More
As a low carb dieter, your diet is undoubtedly high... Read More
I spent a few days at a resort in Mexico... Read More
If you drop a bomb, you kill not only your... Read More
Eating healthy and taking care of yourself is essential to... Read More
You are what you eat is a simple, time tested... Read More
Is the thrill gone? Has the thrill gone out of... Read More
Recently, I had the pleasure of seeing my 6-month old... Read More
Today we're shifting our focus from wealth to health. First... Read More
The Health and Nutrition Industry has come about as peoples... Read More
The Food Pyramid, first introduced to the US in 1992,... Read More
In this fast paced world, good nutrition may sound very... Read More
Nails are a protective horn at the end of our... Read More
Unfortunately, it has been proved beyond doubt that a large... Read More
Bread is one of the oldest known recipes to man.... Read More
Nuts are readily available and provide a highly nutritious food.... Read More
Cholesterol. What images come to mind when you see this... Read More
What ancient tribes and people of the Amazon have known... Read More
Proper hydration is extremely important during exercise. Adequate fluid intake... Read More
One way to combat the boredom many people complain accompanies... Read More
What I am also going to point out is the... Read More
New studies bring to our attention that high levels of... Read More
Vitamin EThere has been a lot of controversy about vitamin... Read More
Many people avoid avocados thinking them to be fattening, but... Read More
Nutrition |