I am hosting a blog carnival on Childhood Obesity as part of the National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. If you are not familiar with blog carnivals, a carnival is an opportunity to join your fellow bloggers to read and write posts on a specific theme, which happens to be Childhood Obesity in this case. It is a lot of fun and a great way to amplify your message with the help of like-minded bloggers.
If you are passionate about childhood obesity, I invite you to join me and other expert bloggers in this carnival. Read the guidelines below, and if they make sense, simply complete the online form at the end of this post to sign up. I will contact you to provide more details and answer questions.
Carnival details and scope
The day of the carnival is Tuesday, September 14
Open to all bloggers known for their expertise in nutrition, parenting, food, health and related fields. However, I reserve the right to accept or reject all entries.
Please plan on publishing your post on your own blog on Tuesday Sep 14 (anytime after midnight EST). Email me the URL of your post by noon EST on that day.
Completing your blog post and scheduling it in advance is highly recommended. Send me the URL as soon as it is ready.
Your post should be focused on the topic of childhood obesity. Since it is a very broad topic, feel free to focus on an aspect of childhood obesity you feel passionate about. Here are a few ideas:
Why worry about childhood obesity (stats, health issues etc.)?
What does the science say about childhood obesity? Is it genetic or acquired?
What should we do to stop and reverse childhood obesity?
Who is responsible? What is the role of Government, Media, Business, Community Organizations etc.?
Do you have a personal experience with childhood obesity or overweight? Write about your experience and feelings.
Can childhood obesity be prevented? Are there any early indicators of childhood obesity? What can parents do?
Do you know of any organizations or individuals doing admirable work to stop or prevent childhood obesity? Write a profile.
If you got a million dollars to run a program to decrease childhood obesity in the United States, what ideas would you try?
Have you come across a book on childhood obesity which inspired you? Write a review.
Is your child’s school doing anything about childhood obesity? Do you have a wish list?
Note: These ideas are meant to spark your creative thoughts. Please do not feel limited by them. You also do not need to address all of them in your article.
Format and content guidelines
Your blog post should be original and unpublished. If you have written on this topic in the past and would like to re-publish, please try your best to give a new twist to your content.
Strong opinions are welcome, but stay away from excessive profanity or personal attacks
Use good writing techniques, check spelling and grammar
No word limit – use as little or as much to make your points
Feel free to use photos or other art
Feel free to use video
I will send you a standard header and footer code to add to your post.
I am so excited to learn that the US Congress has officially proclaimed the month of September 2010 as the first ever National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month! Here is Rep. Marcia Fudge making a statement about this legislation:
There is no doubt anymore that childhood obesity is a serious problem. First Lady Michelle Obama brought the much needed high profile attention to this issue early this year when she launched her Let’s Move campaign. I am not going to repeat the awful statistics any more, but the following statement from this video should be an eye opener to everyone, even if their kids are not overweight or obese:
…unless we work to reverse this epidemic, these 23 million kids will be in danger of never being grand parents. Imagine. Living a life you know you may never live long enough to be a grandparent.
Childhood obesity is an equal opportunity health issue which threatens the future potential of our children. That is why we must address childhood obesity NOW. The month of September 2010 offers us an opportunity to make a difference. This childhood obesity awareness month toolkit offers several ways you can help.
I will be focusing on this topic on this blog throughout the month of September. It also happens to be the month I was born, so I am super excited about it!
Join me in this journey through your comments, opinions and suggestions. I look forward to hearing from you.
Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.
If you have a child with food allergies, naturally you worry if he is getting proper nutrition from his somewhat restricted diet. Perhaps you have considered giving a multivitamin but found yourself worrying about safety of those vitamins. This week, Registered Dietitian Brooke Schantz offers a few tips on what to look for when selecting a multivitamin for your child with food allergies.
Brooke Schantz, MS RD LDN
B.S. in Dietetics with Honors from Purdue University
M.S in nutritional sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Experience: Outpatient Clinical Dietitian II at Loyola University Medical Center, Private Practice, The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), North Shore Pediatric Therapy, and Camp Calcium at Purdue University
Expertise: Pediatric Nutrition, Adult Weight Management, Cardiovascular Health, Prenatal and Postpartum Nutrition, Type 1, 2, and Gestational Diabetes, and Allergies and Intolerances
Question: What kind of multivitamins are safe for my child with food allergies? What should I be concerned about?
Answer:
First, let me review the difference between a food allergy and food intolerance. A food intolerance is an abnormal physiological response to food. Symptoms can affect the skin, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) either individually or in combination. Some examples of symptoms of a food intolerance are gas, bloating, diarrhea, etc. It can be difficult to determine the food that causes an intolerance because if the immune system is involved, the response takes place slowly. A food allergy is an immunological hypersensitivity which occurs most commonly in response to food proteins that are mistaken as harmful and therefore a defense system is created to fight them off. These allergic reactions have an acute onset (from seconds to one hour) and may include: soft tissue, severe swelling of the tongue, hives, itching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, nasal congestion, wheezing, shortness of breath, or anaphylactic shock.
Children with various food allergies would not be allergic to vitamins or minerals in supplements themselves; but rather to a possible ingredient used in the making of the multivitamins. The Food Allergen Labeling Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) was passed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006 to require manufacturers to identify the use of the top eight allergens. These allergens are eggs, dairy, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, and wheat. Unfortunately, vitamins fall under the category of “dietary supplements” which are not included in this law. A dietary supplement is defined as products taken by mouth that contain a “dietary ingredient” intended to supplement the diet. This is important to note, because vitamins are not meant to be a substitution for a healthy diet or justify consuming a poor diet.
The FDA does not approve dietary supplements prior to being put on the market. Therefore, if your child is allergic to a specific allergen it is important to familiarize yourself with all the derivative names for that allergen. For example, if your child has a milk allergy, you would also want to look for words on the ingredient label that include but are not limited to: calcium caseinate, casein, caseinate, rennet, curds, hydrolyzed casein, hydrolyzed milk protein, lactalbumin, lactalbumin phosphate, lactate, lactose, lactoferrin, and lactoglobulin.
What you can do:
Check the ingredients label for the specific food allergen and its derivative names. Some vitamin labels even include information on common allergens, even though the manufacturers are not required to list this information. Below is an example children’s vitamin ingredients list. Ingredients: Sucrose, Sodium Ascorbate, Stearic Acid, Maltodextrin, invert sugar, Vitamin E Acetate, Corn Starch, Gelatin, Niacinamide, Magnesium Sterate, Natural Flavors, Yellow #6, Riboflavon, Thiamine, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B12 Contains: Soy
Look for the USP seal. The U.S, Pharmacopocia (USP) is a non-profit organization that has established standards of quality for prescritpion and nonprescription drugs. Using vitamins and other supplements with the USP seal indicates some quality of control. Vitamins that have the USP seal can be found here.
Follow the dosage directions correctly! Your child doesn’t need more than the recommended daily dose. Some parents believe that if their child has eaten really poorly for one day giving an extra vitamin is better and this is not the case. An overdose of certain vitamins could be dangerous and also lead to the preventing other vitamins from being properly absorbed.
Discuss the use of all supplements with your doctor and registered dietitian.
Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.
The summer is almost over and it is back to school time. Hopefully you got a chance to soak up the sun and enjoy some time off with your family. Chances are you were liberal with the sunscreen whenever you went out in the sun. That is definitely the conventional wisdom and there is nothing wrong with it. But did you know that getting some sun without the sunscreen is the best way of building up your child’s vitamin D reserves? Now I am sure you are worried about the damaging effect of too much sun on your child’s tender skin. But it does not take much to get a healthy dose of vitamin D.
I shook my head in disbelief when I read that even in sunny Florida, sub-optimal levels of vitamin D, and even deficiency of vitamin D, are quite common. On a recent discussion about vitamin D on LinkedIn, Diane Batshaw Eisman, MD FAAP wrote:
I am amazed that I find very low levels of Vit D here in Florida. I think we listen to the dermatologists and the natives avoid too much sun and then slather on the sunscreen.
There is some truth to the notion of slathering on the sunscreen because of the strong health advisory and heavy advertising by the makers of sunscreen. There is very little voice to the notion of getting your vitamin D from the sun. After all, who would want to risk advising people to stay out in the sun without sunscreen just to get vitamin D but end up getting melanomas?
Getting vitamin D from the sun appears to be a well kept secret! Experts have even developed a mathematical relationship between the amount of sun exposure and vitamin D. Holick’s rule is well known in the academic circles:
Sun exposure of 1/4 of a minimum erythemal dose (MED) over 1/4 of a body is equivalent to 1000 IU of oral vitamin D3
Minimum erythemal dose is the amount of energy required to produce the first visible sign of redness with clearly defined borders on your skin. In short, this is when you are about to get a burning sensation. The value of MED depends on the skin type – low for very fair skin and high for very dark skin. There are 6 different skin types defined based on the amount of pigment (fair vs. dark) and how easily it burns under the sun. The more popular UV Index is designed based on MED – for example, a type II skin will receive 1 MED within 20 minutes at a UV index of 10. To get a 1/4 of the MED, they would need to be in the sun for only 5 minutes, which means they can get 1000 IU of vitamin D3 in just 5 minutes with their arms and legs exposed without sunscreen! Consider this when the current recommended amount for toddlers is only 400 IU per day.
These calculations are not exact and actual exposure numbers may be different. The point is that it does not take much to get your daily quota of vitamin D3 from the sun. Of course, it is important to use good judgment and common sense not to overexpose the unprotected skin.
We live in a world where the solution to all our problems comes in a pill! For centuries, we have survived by getting this essential nutrient from the sun and diet – in fact, our skin color evolved in response to the amount of available sunlight. In the 21st century, they now want you to believe that sunlight is too dangerous and that you should solve your vitamin D problem by popping a pill each day.
What do you think? Should the public health message about sun and sunscreen change?
You can complete a short online survey if you would like to showcase your toddler’s profile. The only criteria is that you should have at least one child between the ages of 2 and 5.
The recent recall of over half billion eggs due to an outbreak of salmonella has everyone worried about the safety of eggs they buy from the store. There is quite a buzz in the media over this recall, which is once again being used to create a sense of panic so people sit up and pay attention to the so called breaking news! Sure, there is reason to be careful, but there are many ways you can protect your family without giving up on eggs completely. Eggs are a good source of complete protein especially useful for growing children.
Recently I connected with Mitch Kantor, Ph.D., who is the Executive Director of the Egg Nutrition Center (ENC). He provided answers to a few questions about egg nutrition via email:
Question: What is the benefit of including eggs in my toddler’s diet? At what age should I start?
Answer: A primary function at the toddler stage is growth , and the high quality protein in eggs is an excellent source of all the necessary amino acids needed to promote growth. In addition , choline, a nutrient found in eggs (and not found in abundance in many other food sources) , helps support the development of the memory center in the child’s rapidly growing brain.
Question: Are there any egg allergies I should be concerned about?
Answer: The American Academy of Pediatrics no longer recommends refraining from introducing eggs beyond 6 months of age. Although eggs are one of the more common food allergies, pediatricians are now suggesting introducing small amounts of known allergens into the diets of children who are suspected to have allergic reactions in order to develop a tolerance.
Question: What is the benefit of organic eggs vs. standard eggs?
Answer: Organic eggs are eggs that come from hens whose diets contain grain grown without pesticides. Nutritionally, there is no evidence to support a nutritional benefit of organic vs standard eggs.
Question: What is meant by “free range”, “antibiotics free” on the label?
Answer: Free range eggs means that the hens have access to the outdoors. Their diets are uncontrolled so the nutrient value of their eggs may vary. The use of antibiotics in laying hens is not a standard practice in the egg industry. So, for the most part, almost all eggs in the food supply are antibiotic free.
Question: I have heard that eggs contain a lot of cholesterol. Is that true?
Answer: A large egg contains around 212 mg of cholesterol according to the USDA. Scientific evidence has shown that dietary cholesterol like that found in eggs does not raise blood cholesterol in most people. Our liver makes most of the cholesterol that travels in our blood and unless there is an abnormality, excess dietary cholesterol is excreted by our body , or used in various bodily processes .
Question: What is the best way of cooking eggs to preserve their nutritional value?
Answer: The best way to preserve nutrients in any food is to keep it refrigerated until ready to use and cook it for a short time in a minimum of water. Using the microwave to quickly cook an egg would be the best way to preserve the many healthy nutrients in an egg.
Do you have an egg-related question not answered above? Leave it in comments below. I will follow up with Dr Kantor and get it answered. Feel free to also share any other comments or opinions.
Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.
There is a lot of hype about sea salt, but is it any better than regular salt for your health? This week, Registered Dietitian Caryn Roll suggests you control your family’s salt intake no matter if it is sea salt or regular salt.
Caryn Roll, BSc, BA, RD
BSc (McGill), BA (Carleton University)
Member Ordre Professionnel des Diététistes du Québec
Over 10 years of experience in the field of private nutrition care
Expertise in cholesterol control, diabetes and weight loss
Question: What is the difference between sea salt and regular salt? Is sea salt healthier for my child?
Answer:
The difference between sea salt and regular salt are few. Regular salt that you buy off the shelf at your grocery store is usually fortified with iodine and the salt granules are quite fine. Sea salt may or may not be fortified and the size of the granules varies. In the past, salt was fortified to prevent iodine deficiencies. Nowadays iodine deficiencies are rare so it is not essential to choose iodized salt. However, it is essential to curb salt use especially with children.
Salt consumption is on the rise mainly due to the addition of salt in restaurant meals and processed foods. Consequently, the population regularly eat these high salt containing foods: breakfast cereals, canned soups, frozen entrees, condiments like ketchup and breads and cheeses (think pizza!). North Americans are consuming dangerously high levels of salt. Salt is a leading cause of high blood pressure, the silent killer.
Curb salt intake by removing the salt shaker from the table. Do not add salt to your recipes. Read foods labels carefully. Make sure the daily intake for sodium is as low as possible (less than 10%). It might be hard at first to live without added salt. But trust me, you and your kids will quickly acclimatize and then you will not be able to eat highly salted foods.
There are no health benefits associated with sea salt. It’s a personal choice in terms of texture and taste. Some recipes call for sea salt or kosher salt. It’s all the same no matter what you call it. It’s still best to keep the salt shaker off the table!
Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.
Nearly half a billion eggs have been recalled due to an outbreak of salmonella. Even though it is a small number compared to the total number of eggs sold and consumed in the United States, it takes only one bad egg to disturb your family’s peace! Eggs are an excellent source of complete protein. And if your child enjoys them, there is no need to panic even though the screaming headlines in the media may prompt you to completely bypass the egg aisle at the store. Here are 7 ways to ensure your child’s health and safety despite this nationwide food safety issue.
Be informed: Keep an eye on the brands and manufacturing plant numbers affected by the salmonella recall. So far, it is limited to certain farms in Iowa, but eggs produced there are distributed and sold nationwide, If you live in one of the affected states where these eggs are sold, you have to be extra vigilant so you don’t end up bringing contaminated eggs home. Monitor credible websites like the CDC and Egg Safety Center (see links below) for updates.
Look carefully before buying: Every egg carton has number beginning with the letter P, usually stamped on the short side. This is not to be confused with the expiration date, or in some cases, best if used before date. The P number is mandatory, while the others are voluntary. An example of a P number is shown below:
The 4 numbers immediately after the letter P indicate the plant where the eggs were produced. The Julian date shows the date they were packaged. Julian date represents the consecutive days of the year with 001 for January 1 and 365 for December 31. In the above example, P-1946 is the plant number and 223 is Aug 11 in a non leap year like 2010.
According to the recall list, P numbers 1026, 1413, 1946 with Julian dates 136 to 225 are affected. Keep in mind that both the P number and the Julian date should match to be sure that the eggs in the carton are affected.
Even if the egg carton you are about to buy is not included in the recall list, pay attention to how the eggs are stored. They should be kept refrigerated and the egg shells should be clean and uncracked. Compare the Julian date to the current date to get an idea about how long they have been out since they were packed at the plant. Although eggs are considered safe even after 4-5 weeks from the Julian date if kept refrigerated, it is better to buy within 1-2 weeks after they were packed to make sure they are fresh.
Look for the USDA grade shield on the carton which means the eggs were tested to meet established quality standards.
Ask questions when eating out: Eggs are used in many different dishes, not just what you might order at breakfast. And even if the restaurant makes a fresh dish, they may use many ingredients processed with eggs. Before you order your favorite omelet, or a fried egg with the sunny side up, ask questions to make sure they are using fresh, uncontaminated eggs. Do they use shell eggs or liquid egg mix? Liquid egg mix must be pasteurized. Pay attention to the overall hygiene of the cooking environment. Salmonella contamination can come not just from eggs but from other foods too.
Avoid eating raw eggs: It does not take long for bacteria to grow inside the egg because of their high nutrient density. Even 1-2 h at room temperature or under unrefrigerated conditions may be enough for bacteria to grow and multiply inside the egg. It is often very hard to tell just by looking at the raw egg yolk or white if it is contaminated by bacteria. As a result, eating raw eggs carries a higher risk of getting sick. It is better to cook them well and keep prepared dishes refrigerated until they are served.
Use safe cooking practices: Use common sense and good hygiene as you cook eggs and other foods. Wash hands, sanitized work surfaces and counter tops, use clean cutting boards, knives and utensils. Cook at a high enough temperature and cook completely. In case of eggs, both the yolk and white should be firm when properly cooked.
Limit processed egg products:Eggs and egg products are used in a lot of processed foods. The good news is that there are strict quality standards and pasteurization requirements before egg products can be used. However, the more processed a food is, the less information and control you have about its ingredients. In general, it is better to use fresh, raw and high quality ingredients to prepare your food. This is good not only for your health and nutrition but also to minimize the risk of food based sickness. Whenever possible, limit the consumption of processed foods.
Watch out for early signs of illness: Young children are at a higher risk of getting sick from contaminated eggs. Watch out for symptoms like fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea within 12 to 72 hours of eating contaminated foods. Vomiting, chills, headache and muscle pains may also occur. Seek immediate medical attention to ensure timely treatment before it gets out of control. Serious sickness and even death can occur.
Staying alert, buying smart and using safe cooking techniques will help you keep your family safe during the current and future food safety crisis. Stay safe and healthy!
Last weekend, I had an opportunity to talk to several parents of young children at a local cultural event. I did a short survey with them to learn more about their issues and concerns. One of the questions was designed to find out which sources of information they rely on for advice on child nutrition. I did a similar survey last year and I reported the results in this article. I have now added the new data for this update.
This data set now has a total of 202 picks from 97 respondents from the blog, Global Toddlers and the recent cultural event.
Here is how the question was posed:
Where do you go for advice on toddler nutrition? Pick 3
Your pediatrician
Nutritionist or Registered Dietitian
Internet
Trusted friend/family
Books or Magazines
Networking group
Other
And here is chart showing the results:
Top 3 sources of child nutrition advice for most parents are Internet, Pediatrician and Books/Magazines.
I think that there is a tremendous opportunity for registered dietitians to connect with parents and offer them credible, science-based, actionable information. They get extensive training in all aspects of nutrition and many of them have graduate degrees. I believe they can bridge the gap between the pediatrician, who is unlikely to spend a lot of time addressing nutrition needs of a child, and the internet, where nutrition information tends to be largely fragmented across websites of dubious credibility. I have had a wonderful experience working with over 30 registered dietitians who have answered reader questions in my Ask the Expert column.
What do you think? Are you surprised by these results?
I would love to hear your opinion on the results of this poll. If you did not get a chance to vote in this survey, please feel free to leave a comment with your picks.
