“Pediatric
obesity is a prevalent and complex problem that resists pharmacological
treatment. This has fueled interest in
more extreme approaches, such as bariatric surgery in adolescents (gastric
banding or bypass). Although surgery can
result in weight loss and reversal of type 2 diabetes, it is associated with
vitamin deficiencies, chronic malabsorption, and other significant risks and
should be reserved for carefully screen, dangerously obese adolescents.”
--Andrew Weil, MD, Mind over Meds, 2017
When
parents ask for one tip feed their kids better, my answer is always
the same: “Cut out all foods and drinks containing high fructose corn
syrup.”
This highly processed sugar,
found in sodas, breads, ketchup, cookies, and other processed foods, is simply
one of the worst ingredients you can put in your body. When teaching kids about healthy eating, we teach that high
fructose corn syrup is the Evil Empire ingredient and should always be
avoided.
Sugar
is highly addictive. It’s addictive like
crack cocaine. To
eliminate high fructose corn syrup and other added sugars, read food labels to
identify the processed foods and drinks that contain them. Something as simple as buying a bottle of
ketchup, however, becomes a mission. Stand in front of all the ketchup bottles Start picking up one
bottle at a time and scan the ingredients section below the Nutrition Facts
rectangle. I always feel victorious when
I finally find a bottle without high fructose corn syrup. It usually costs more than the others. Food manufacturers use
high fructose corn syrup because it’s a cheap ingredient.
Cheap. Addictive.
And bad for you.
The
next time ketchup is on your shopping list, scan
the ingredient list. Choose a brand
without high fructose corn syrup. Added
sugars are empty calories with no nutritional value. They are used in processed foods and are highly
acidic and disease-promoting.
For a
list of more than 50 names of added sugars, check out my book, Nourish and
Flourish: Kid-Tested Tips and Recipes to Prevent Diabetes, available at
amazon.com. Click here for a link to order Nourish and Flourish.
Feed your kids real food.
Please pass the baked sweet potato fries and real ketchup.
With
love and gratitude,
Nancy
L. Heinrich, MPH
Founder,
Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.
