Tag Archives: Healthy Children

Infant Formulas Cause Differing Growth Rates

Doctors and scientists have long known that formula fed babies gain weight faster, and are heavier, than breast fed babies. It’s been surmised that the differing growth rate has to do with the composition of the formula, which is cow based. Recent studies support this idea.

Researchers know that free amino acids and proteins increase satiety in adults. They wanted to see if infants had the same result. Headed by Julie Mennella, PhD, researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia randomized 64 healthy term infants whose mothers had already chosen formula over breast feeding. The babies received either cow’s-milk formula (Enfamil) or protein hydrolysate formula (Nutramigen) from ages 2 weeks to 7.5 months. By the end of the study, those infants who received the Nutramigen had weight-for-length and weight-for-age scores closer to normal than those infants who received the Enfamil, or an average of two pounds.  One of the reasons for the faster weight gain may be the comparatively higher consumption of the cow’s-milk formula despite both formulas containing the same number of calories per ounce, as reported in the journal Pediatrics.

(more…)

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Carmen

Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Act Passed

Five years after the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act was first introduced in the U.S. Congress, the bill (more commonly called FAAMA) has finally passed. Part of an overall food safety bill,  it is expected that President Obama will sign it into law.

The bill was introduced in 2005 as part of the Food Allergy Awareness Network’s inaugural Kids’ Congress. It was approved on December 19 by the Senate and then by The House on December 21.

The bill creates a much needed set of regulations to help deal with food allergies in schools. The guidelines are not mandatory for schools; however, they will give schools without food allergy management policies a place to begin to create one. The new policies will give educate school officials about the severity of food allergies and implement plans for severe reactions, including anaphylaxis, should they occur while on school property. The guidelines are also helpful for those parents who are aware of their child’s food allergies and gives them a set of guidelines for reinforcement in the school setting.

(more…)

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Carmen

What the Passing of the Child Nutrition Bill Means for Your Child

One of Michelle Obama’s greatest passions is helping our children grow up healthy and reversing the alarming childhood obesity trend. Seeing President Obama sign the the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act last week was particularly meaningful for her.

“We can all agree that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, all children should have the basic nutrition they need to learn and grow and to pursue their dreams, because in the end, nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children.  Nothing.  And our hopes for their future should drive every single decision that we make,” said Mrs. Obama.

This new bill, backed with bipartisan support, was further explained by President Obama. “We need to make sure our kids have the energy and the capacity to go toe to toe with any of their peers, anywhere in the world.  And we need to make sure that they’re all reaching their potential.”

(more…)

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Carmen

Mother’s Diet During Pregnancy Has Lasting Influence on Children

The old adage of “you are what you eat” holds some truth to it, but it holds an even deeper meaning for pregnant women. It’s more like “you and your unborn child are what you eat.”

According to a two-year study, a pregnant woman’s diet has a direct impact on their unborn baby’s brain and their future eating and drinking habits. They are also “sensitized” to the smells and flavors of those foods.

The researchers say that this is the first study to examine what happens to the brain after steady exposure to flavors in utero and early in postnatal life. They examined pregnant mice, giving one group a bland diet and another a flavored diet. At their weaning age, the pups who had the flavored diet had significantly larger glomeruli, the brain’s factory which processes smells. This meant that their sense of smell was changed depending on the mother’s diet. (more…)

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Jason

Vegetarian Meals Called for to Save School Lunches

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) wants to give every child access to healthy vegetarian meals for school lunch. Their goal?  To help slash the fat and calories and reduce rates of childhood obesity.

The committee is pushing to pass H.R. 5504, the House of Representatives’ version of the Child Nutrition Act, which supports meatless meals and dairy alternatives. The House has set that bill aside to pass the less elaborate Senate legislation, which does not stipulate any meatless alternatives.

“One in three kids is now overweight, but many schools are still struggling to serve healthy lunches,” Neal Barnard, M.D., PCRM’s president said in a news release. “Schools should offer low-fat vegetarian options every day, and Congress and the president should take additional steps to give schools the resources to make that feasible.”

(more…)

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Carmen

Healthy Lifestyle Trumps Genetics

If you think that your weight and health is predetermined by your family genetics, think again. Two large studies from Northwestern Medicine have found that a healthy lifestyle is the most important factor on cardiovascular health. Hooray!

In the first study, researchers found that the majority of people who adopted healthy lifestyle behaviors in young adulthood maintained a low cardiovascular risk profile as they aged into their 30s. A high cardiovascular risk profile can result in a higher incidence of heart attack and high blood pressure, among other health problems.

(more…)

Posted on November 24, 2023 by Jennipher

Fast Food Wars: Is it a Losing Battle?

There’s a war going on between public officials, health advocates and the fast food industry. Fast food is winning.

San Francisco is supporting a measure to ban toys in fast food meals. The measure, designed to combat childhood obesity, is set to take place in December 2024.

But for anyone quick to make a knee-jerk reaction about the politics behind all of this, remember we now live in a black and white society where issues are supported purely by liberals or conservatives; and San Francisco’s mayor wants to veto the measure.

“Parents, not politicians, should decide what their children eat,” he said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The social libertarian in me sides with the mayor, in part because there are parents who take part in the occasional drive-thru with their kids (including the person typing these words), but don’t overdo it. Should our decisions be taken out of our hands because of other people’s overindulgences? (more…)

Posted on November 11, 2023 by Jason

Groovin’ Groceries CD Makes Healthy Eating and Exercise Fun for Kids

Chicago mom and award winning lyricist Lori Cook was alarmed when she realized the skyrocketing figures for childhood obesity were not declining. She decided to use her creative skills to promote healthy eating habits and exercise to the nation’s children. Her endeavor, called Groovin’ Groceries Children’s Wellness Adventure, is a CD full of music geared towards the younger set.  This interactive wellness program is based on the 2024 USDA Food Pyramid recommendations and endorsed by a pediatric dietitian. The CD  contains songs that encourage children to sing and dance their way through lessons on the food pyramid.

Written by Grammy award winning artists, the songs contain messages about specific food benefits, recommendations for healthy diet choices and daily exercise. Recent research has indicated the most children in America do not get enough daily exercise. With this musical set, kids are encouraged to get up and move to the rhythms of reggae, R&B, country and disco. The CD also comes with place mats, sticker charts and print materials that encourage grocery store scavenger hunts. (more…)

Posted on November 10, 2023 by Carmen

Kids’ Distance Running Picks Up Steam

all ages runAttend any middle school cross country meet and take a look at the participants. Hidden among the 6-8th graders you might very well see some younger runners. In recent years, the average age has fallen and now you can see scores of first and second graders running distance. My own 7th grade daughter runs cross country and has for three years. On her team are three second graders and a handful of higher elementary students. What has brought on the popularity of running for the younger set?

Many children have grown up watching their parents run for fun or exercise and become interested. Often, distance runs, such as the Marine Corps Marathon, also sponsor Fun Runs, runs of 1-3 miles that are specifically geared toward kids. Many think that children are competing in these runs for the rewards of trophies and medals, but you might be surprised. Most often, children indicate that they run just for the fun of running. Schools have begun cross country teams and groups have sprung up all across America to help get kids interested in running. One such group is Girls on the Run International, a non-profit that provides schools and communities with the steps for a 12-week running program for young girls. At the completion of the program, the participants can run a 5K. Kunz began the program with just 13 girls and now numbers more than 70,000.

(more…)

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Carmen

USDA Teams With Author Brian Wansink to Improve Lunches in Wichita Schools

Brian Wansink, author of the bestselling book “Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think,” has been hired to help improve school lunches. Wansink, former director of the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and director of the food and brand lab at Cornell University, has long been successful at getting people to make healthier choices. His book focuses on how people make hundreds of decisions each day about food. His belief that people make different food choices based upon their environment has recently been put to trial in Wichita cafeterias and will be slowly moving nationwide. (more…)

Posted on October 28, 2023 by Carmen

Benefits of Strength Training for Kids Outweigh Risk

The old school of thought for kids lifting weights was that it should be off limits, since it was an injury risk. However, recent research counters this long-held thought process, saying that school-age children and adolescents can enjoy the benefits of strength training.

Experts say that the benefits of decreased body fat, increased bone density, and improved sports performance with limiting injury risk in those sports all generally outweighed any risks. And, it’s not just about lifting weights. Kids can do strength training using exercise machines, elastic bands or body resistance.

“Since resistance training in children and adolescents is known to be safe and to be associated with several health benefits, children and adolescents should be generally encouraged to participate in a resistance-training program,” said Michael Behringer from the German Sport University Cologne. (more…)

Posted on October 28, 2023 by Jason