Healthy Eating, Family-Style
No-Fuss, Stay-Trim Strategies by Matthew Kadey
n exhausting routine of early morning wakeups, soccer prac- tices and work deadlines makes it understandably easy to put healthy family eating on the back burner. As more time-strapped families adopt drive-through dining, it’s no surprise that weight scales nationwide are buck- ling under the pressure.
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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, more than a third of American adults are obese. But the expanding-waistline epidemic impacts far more than just the quality of life among adults. A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association states that 16 percent of children are either overweight or obese, with another 16 percent knocking on the door. According to Sally Phillips, a registered dietitian and nutrition expert
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at Ohio’s Akron Children’s Hospital, a child that has an unhealthy body weight not only often has self-esteem issues, but is also at increased risk for Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides, plus orthopedic challenges; all health problems that possibly could impact life expectancy.
More, childhood obesity that pro- gresses into adulthood has been linked to increased artery wall thickness—a marker for atherosclerosis. Because many overweight children become plump adults, lifestyle modification at an early age is vital. Try these no-fuss strate- gies from experts to overcome today’s pitfalls to attaining family nutrition.
The un-family meal The sit-down meal is an endangered
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family function, thanks to hectic sched- ules, time spent with TV, video games, the Internet and other electronic devices, as well as the perceived uncool factor of noshing with the folks. Yet studies show that family meals foster communication and usually lead to higher intakes of cal- cium- and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, plus lower amounts of unhealthy fats, sugar and sodium, says Keith-Thomas Ayoob, Ed.D., a registered dietitian and associate clinical professor in the Depart- ment of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein Col- lege of Medicine, in New York. A supporting study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Asso- ciation confirmed that tykes that took in fewer family meals (and watched more TV) were more likely to be overweight. University of Minnesota researchers found that adolescent girls that ate often with their family were less prone to use cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. Try this: Commit to a sit-down meal most days of the week, suggests Registered Dietitian Brenda J. Ponich- tera, author of Quick and Healthy Recipes and Ideas.
Don’t overlook breakfast as po- tential family time as well, counsels Ayoob. “Kids that eat a well-balanced breakfast do better in school, have im- proved vitamin and mineral intake and are more likely to maintain a healthy body weight.”
Liquid calories
Today’s average American household obtains more than 20 percent of its dai- ly calories from beverages; on average, soft drinks alone account for 8 percent of adolescents’ calorie intake. The rise in beverage consumption has mirrored the country’s slide toward rounder body shapes. “Satiety is less when you drink calories versus eating the same calories in foods, because drinks empty from the stomach quick- er,” advises Phillips. “The extra calories from liquids can easily exceed what the body can use.”
The worst culprits are “liquid candy” such as soda and energy, sport and sweetened fruit drinks. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Harvard research- ers confirmed that a greater intake of these beverages leads to weight gain in
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