Tips to Help Your Child Beat Childhood Obesity

by Dr. Richard Visser

More than 25 percent of toddlers eat French fries every day. And 62 percent have a baked dessert, while 20 percent consume candy and 44 percent drink a sweetened beverage.

What's going on here?

First, let's acknowledge that toddlers are notoriously finicky eaters. It's macaroni and cheese or nothing for one week solid. Or, say, chicken nuggets. But French fries? Every day, all year long?

As a whole, children in the United States are overfed and undernourished. Although their normal and expected physical growth requires certain nutrients, including micronutrients, vitamins and trace elements, many children do not obtain adequate amounts of calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E. Larger portions of less-nutritious foods are all too common, thanks in large part to the hearty abundance of junk food marketed directly to kids.

The result? No other disease has affected the U.S. population in the same way as childhood obesity. It's created the first time in history where parents are expected to live longer than their kids. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2010, just a little more than three years from now, the childhood obesity rate will double.

In this series of articles, we've already addressed two main factors in the issue of childhood obesity, breast feeding and the family environment. In this month's installment, you'll learn about how you can influence your toddler to develop eating habits that will set the stage for healthy weight maintenance for a lifetime.

To many parents' dismay, unhealthy eating habits, shaped and sometimes cemented during the toddler and preschool years, are a key determinant of future weight status. Yet it's probably unrealistic to have children eat only fruits, vegetables, and wholesome forms of protein and grains. But it is plausible to limit the types of food that are directly targeted and available to children's easily influenced taste buds. Some organizations, such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), are working to reform advertising and marketing practices.

But what can you do in your own home?

First, make a smooth transition from breast milk to formula or small meals, which should be not be introduced before the child is six months old. Success during this period of change can either make or break a child's future eating patterns. Mealtimes should be pleasant, relaxed and communal.

Knowing that these are your goals, you can focus on creating an eating experience instead of just getting food in the belly. It's much less important that your child finish the portions you've served than that he or she have a rewarding experience at every meal. During this time, most nutrition still comes from breast milk, and missing a few calories because the baby doesn't want to eat what you've prepared is okay for most kids. They are still self-regulating their food intake and will let you know if they're hungry. (For more information on breast milk and the introduction of solid foods, please see the first article in this series, published two months ago, "The Breast Feeding Link to Obesity").

Second, realize that the next stage, toddlerhood, lays the foundation for lifelong health. This age is a key period for tissue and organ development, as well as psychological and intellectual development. From 12 to 24 months, toddlers gain an average of three to five pounds and shoot up an average of three to five inches. Given all this growth, toddler nutrition is paramount. Isn't it ironic that this is also the period when most tykes become little tyrants about their food choices?

Demanding the same thing every day clearly doesn't help and, in fact, may be detrimental. Be sure to rotate your child's diet. This helps ward off the development of hidden food allergies that suppress immune function, which can be an underlying cause of those "mysterious" and recurring ear infections, colds, skin irritations, digestive problems, and so on. (One place you can get help if your child is sick all the time, seemingly for no reason, is a medical referral from Immunolabs.com, a company specializing in food toxicity testing.) Don't give your child the same thing two to three days in a row, which could trigger food sensitivity. Be especially careful with dairy products.

What should your toddler eat? Although most recommendations are made for daily nutrition, you might make yourself a little less crazy by thinking about food consumption by the week. You still need to offer healthy food choices in proper proportion, but if your child eats only pasta or protein for a couple of days, for example, you don't need to worry unless the weekly intake is out of balance. The USDA recommends the following daily food choices for 2 to 6 year olds:

Six servings of breads, cereals, rice and pasta (e.g., 1 oz. roll or cereal, 1 2 cup cooked pasta)

Three servings of vegetables (e.g., 1 2 cup cooked veggies, 1 cup salad)

Two servings of fruit (e.g., 1 2 cup cut-up or 1 baseball-sized fruit)

Two servings of dairy products (e.g., 1 cup yogurt or 1.5 oz. cheese)

Two servings of meat, fish, poultry and legumes (e.g., 1 4 cup tuna, 1 oz. chicken)

Notice that sweetened beverages, such as added-sugar juice, boxed drinks and sodas don't appear on the recommended list. That's because they're high in sugar and calories but low in nutrients. Recent studies have found a link between overweight preschoolers and their consumption of such sweet drinks and have also determined that added-sugar beverages and, to a lesser extent, 100 percent juice decrease the diet quality of young children.

It's an understatement to say that your child doesn't need the extra sugar, so you're wise to limit or skip sweet drinks altogether. If you want to give your kids something special to drink, then consider one of the new, all-natural, powdered drink mixes designed specifically to tackle toddlers' need for better nutrition. They're formulated to "fill in the blanks" left by most toddlers' poor appetites and eating habits.

In addition, if you think you've slipped into the habit of giving your child low-nutrient, high-calorie foods, you can make some easy switches and see what new favorites your toddler might develop. Try whole-wheat instead of white-flour breads and pastas (pancakes and waffles, too), breaded and baked chicken tenderloins instead of fast-food chicken nuggets, fruit instead of sugary desserts and candy.

There is no easy answer, solution or miracle drug to "cure" childhood obesity. The most effective preventive tactic is for you to understand the issue and keep it in mind whenever you're making food and lifestyle choices. I'm tempted to add "that affect your child," but the truth is that every food and lifestyle choice you make affects your child. Be sure to choose wisely.