Children and Fast Foods
There is an article online in 'The Scotsman' about changes in foods consumed by children of western nations in general and the UK and Scotland in particular. Lindsay Moss authored the article entitled 'Children doomed to obesity by 'toxic, addictive' fast-food.' Criticism of fast foods has been commonplace but this article added an interesting twist which focused on the addictive nature of such foods and its connection to the increasing obesity problem of children.
A Professor Lustig was the source of specific information contained in the article. From the article in bold print:
Prof Lustig said that the way in which food was now processed, which had changed significantly in the last 30 years, had created an environment in which foods were essentially addictive due to their effect on the hormone insulin. "In particular, fructose [sugar] - too much - and fibre - not enough - appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin," he said. Prof Lustig said it was known that insulin acted on the brain to encourage eating in two ways. Insulin blocks the signals that travel from the body's fat stores to the brain by suppressing the effectiveness of another hormone, leptin - leading to increased eating and decreased activity. The hormone also promotes the signal that seeks the reward of eating, carried by the chemical dopamine which makes people want to eat to get the pleasurable dopamine "rush". When leptin is suppressed by the effects of insulin caused by high-sugar, low-fibre diets, it decreases levels of activity and increases appetite - known as leptin resistance.
Prof Lustig said that sugar was now added to foods that never used to contained sugar, and meanwhile fibre was removed. Both were factors which promoted insulin production and made foods addictive, he said.
He said children could not be blamed or expected to take personal responsibility for their diets when they were offered cheaply prepared fast-foods full of sugar and devoid of fibre. "The concept of personal responsibility is not tenable. No child chooses to be obese. "Furthermore, young children are not responsible for food choices at home or at school, and it can hardly be said that pre-school children, in whom obesity is rampant, are in a position to accept personal responsibility," Prof Lustig said.
In other words take responsibility as a parent and limit the amount of fast food in the diet of your children. The combination of low fiber and high sugar content is not good for them; particularly on a steady basis.
A Professor Lustig was the source of specific information contained in the article. From the article in bold print:
Prof Lustig said that the way in which food was now processed, which had changed significantly in the last 30 years, had created an environment in which foods were essentially addictive due to their effect on the hormone insulin. "In particular, fructose [sugar] - too much - and fibre - not enough - appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin," he said. Prof Lustig said it was known that insulin acted on the brain to encourage eating in two ways. Insulin blocks the signals that travel from the body's fat stores to the brain by suppressing the effectiveness of another hormone, leptin - leading to increased eating and decreased activity. The hormone also promotes the signal that seeks the reward of eating, carried by the chemical dopamine which makes people want to eat to get the pleasurable dopamine "rush". When leptin is suppressed by the effects of insulin caused by high-sugar, low-fibre diets, it decreases levels of activity and increases appetite - known as leptin resistance.
Prof Lustig said that sugar was now added to foods that never used to contained sugar, and meanwhile fibre was removed. Both were factors which promoted insulin production and made foods addictive, he said.
He said children could not be blamed or expected to take personal responsibility for their diets when they were offered cheaply prepared fast-foods full of sugar and devoid of fibre. "The concept of personal responsibility is not tenable. No child chooses to be obese. "Furthermore, young children are not responsible for food choices at home or at school, and it can hardly be said that pre-school children, in whom obesity is rampant, are in a position to accept personal responsibility," Prof Lustig said.
In other words take responsibility as a parent and limit the amount of fast food in the diet of your children. The combination of low fiber and high sugar content is not good for them; particularly on a steady basis.
posted by Paul at 10:23 PM
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