Enhancing the Nutrition of America’s Youth

Abstract

Today, we know more about what foods children should eat for optimal growth and development, as well as future health, than ever before. Yet, many of our nation’s youth are not meeting their nutritional needs and are following a sedentary lifestyle. Overweight among American children has increased dramatically during the past decade. Also, children’s low calcium intake can compromise their bone health and increase their future risk of osteoporosis. Health professionals, parents, educators and others responsible for children can play a key role in enhancing the nutrition of America’s youth. However, they first need to be aware of the important issues regarding children’s nutrition and how best to positively impact children’s nutrition. A recent briefing by experts in child nutrition and a roundtable discussion was held in Washington, DC, to address these topics. This review summarizes the information presented. Focusing on dietary restrictions, such as a low fat diet, was identified as an obstacle to positively impacting children’s nutrition. To improve children’s dietary intake and their ability to learn in school, efforts are being made to increase the availability of and participation in the School Breakfast Program. Parents and other child care providers can serve as role models and positively influence what foods children like and will actually eat. Children are not little adults and, as such, dietary guidelines based on adult data should not be extrapolated to children. Support for the development of separate dietary guidelines for children is growing. These guidelines should be based on sound scientific evidence of efficacy and safety. Enhancing the nutrition of America’s youth is emerging as a priority, both locally (i.e., community school feeding programs) and nationally (i.e., dietary guidelines).

• children
• fat
• breakfast
• calcium
• parental role modeling
• dietary guidelines

Key teaching points:

• Widespread calcium deficiency among U.S. children is creating a whole generation at increased future risk of osteoporosis. This bone-thinning disease is considered a pediatric problem with geriatric consequences.

• The incidence of overweight is rising among America’s youth. More attention should be paid to changing children’s lifestyles, such as encouraging increased physical activity.

• Parents and other child care providers, by consuming healthful diets and being physically active themselves, can be positive role models for children.

• Focusing on dietary restrictions, such as low fat diets, is an obstacle to achieving optimum nutrition for children.

• Participating in the federal government’s School Breakfast Program improves children’s nutrient intake and their ability to learn. The benefits of this program were recently demonstrated in a Universal School Breakfast pilot program in Minnesota.

• Preschool children need about eight to ten exposures to a new food before they learn to like it. Young children therefore should be given sufficient opportunities to try new foods.

• The optimal environment for child feeding is to offer children a wide variety of healthful foods in moderation, but let children determine whether and how much food to eat.

• Separate dietary guidelines for children could help parents, other child care providers and health professionals focus on the most important child nutrition issues, such as prevention of overweight and sufficient intake of calcium-rich foods to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in later years.

Key teaching points:

• Widespread calcium deficiency among U.S. children is creating a whole generation at increased future risk of osteoporosis. This bone-thinning disease is considered a pediatric problem with geriatric consequences.

• The incidence of overweight is rising among America’s youth. More attention should be paid to changing children’s lifestyles, such as encouraging increased physical activity.

• Parents and other child care providers, by consuming healthful diets and being physically active themselves, can be positive role models for children.

• Focusing on dietary restrictions, such as low fat diets, is an obstacle to achieving optimum nutrition for children.

• Participating in the federal government’s School Breakfast Program improves children’s nutrient intake and their ability to learn. The benefits of this program were recently demonstrated in a Universal School Breakfast pilot program in Minnesota.

• Preschool children need about eight to ten exposures to a new food before they learn to like it. Young children therefore should be given sufficient opportunities to try new foods.

• The optimal environment for child feeding is to offer children a wide variety of healthful foods in moderation, but let children determine whether and how much food to eat.

• Separate dietary guidelines for children could help parents, other child care providers and health professionals focus on the most important child nutrition issues, such as prevention of overweight and sufficient intake of calcium-rich foods to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in later years.

This review is based on presentations by Duane Alexander, MD, “The Diets of America’s Youth,” Fima Lifshitz, MD, “Battling the Barriers: Breaking Through to Achieve Optimum Nutrition for Kids,” Mary Begalle, MS, RD, “The Breakfast Bonus: Benefits of the Morning Meal,” Susan Johnson, PhD, “Practice What You Preach: The Value of Parental Role Modeling at Mealtime,” and Stanley H. Zlotkin, MD, PhD, “Kids Aren’t Little Adults: Exploring the Value of Separate Dietary Guidelines for Children.” Participants recommended priorities and action steps to enhance the nutrition of America’s youth.

Enhancing the Nutrition of America’s Youth briefing and roundtable was co-sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, American School Food Service Association, and National Dairy Council.

Notes

Address reprint requests to: Gregory D. Miller, PhD, FACN, Vice President, Nutrition Research and Technology Transfer, National Dairy Council, 10255 West Higgins Road, Suite 900, Rosemont, IL 60018-5616.