healthy living
The not-so-sweet side of sugar Read labels to create a healthy diet for your family LEA HANSON
M
ost parents wish their kids would eat less sugar. The CDC recently reported that a whopping 16 percent of the calories kids consume comes from sugar. With more than one-third of American children and adolescents being obese—and about 20 percent in Colorado (state ofobesity.org)—too much sugar is an undeniable problem. UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM Most of us know too much sugar is unhealthy. Many parents and caretakers avoid soda and juice boxes and think they’re solving the problem. Sadly, that’s not enough. Mike Schwan, Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Program Coordinator for the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment says, “Sugar sweetened beverages are the largest source of added sugar in the U.S. diet, and the highest consumers are children ages 12 to 19 years.” Most processed foods include added sugars. And, processed foods don’t only include boxed dinners and sugary cereals. Most seemingly healthy foods including yogurt, pasta sauces, and simple loaves of bread have (sometimes shockingly high amounts of) added sugar and/or high-fructose corn syrup. SUGAR-RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS It’s no surprise that too much sugar can lead to cavities, weight gain, and hyperactivity. More severe and wellknown results of a diet high in sugar can include obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. Schwan says, “Obesity can lead to diseases in childhood such as heart disease, and breathing problems such as sleep apnea, that used to be only seen in adults. Social and psychological problems such as discrimination and low self-esteem also occur in children
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who are obese.” Shockingly, the rate of adolescents with high cholesterol and heart disease is even increasing and many attribute this change to sugary diets. Yet, the CDC warns us that sugar can also lead to other chronic yet avoidable health problems. Some of the most common side effects sugar can have in children include a weakened immune system and chronic suffering from coldlike symptoms more often than is normal or than other children do. BENEFITS OF A HEALTHY DIET Our bodies are made us of trillions of “good bacteria” that digest food, produce vitamins, and protect from germs and disease. Too much sugar alters the balance between good and bad bacteria and weakens immune systems. In other words, if your child is sick with common, treatable illnesses “all the time”, one of the best first steps is to check their diet. Kids who fail to eat healthy amounts of fruits and vegetables are simply more susceptible to chronic runny noses, excessive mucus, cough and cold symptoms, and even symptoms of allergies (CDC National Center for Health Statistics).
MODELING GOOD EATING HABITS Schwan emphasizes the importance of parents modeling the way. “In addition, when parents and caretakers choose to drink water, and other healthy beverages such as low-fat or non-fat milk, children follow their example.” And, while sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda and fruit drinks should not be forbidden, they should be limited and only offered on occasion. While change can seem daunting to some, even the smallest of changes can make a difference and be a first step toward a healthier lifestyle. Switching to an organic, lower sugar brand of cereal, replacing sports drinks with water, and replacing canned fruit with fresh fruit are all small steps that will instantly eliminate hundreds of sugary calories from your child’s diet. Label reading can allow you to avoid making sweeping changes to your regular menu while drastically lowering the amount of sugar your family consumes. Teaching yourself which brands of bread, pasta sauce, peanut butter, etc. don’t have added sugar will change the way your shop and adjust the items you choose to buy.